Lead, R&D Business Analysis

Lead, R&D Business Analysis & Digital Product Management (Director) At Astellas, we strive to become a cutting-edge, value-driven life science innovator. This means working at the forefront of healthcare change to turn innovative science into value for patients. Description We are seeking a dynamic and experienced leader to join our team. The Lead, R&D Business Analysis and Digital Product Management plays a dual leadership role in driving the digital transformation of pharmaceutical R&D. This role requires strong people management and cross-functional leadership skills, a collaborative mindset, and the ability to drive results in a fast-paced environment. The primary responsibility of the Lead, R&D Business Analysis and Digital Product Management is to serve as a people manager, responsible for developing talent, managing team capacity, and fostering excellence across the community of Product Managers and Business Analysts who support R&D digital initiatives. Essential Job Duties Manage a team of Product Managers and Business Analysts who support digital initiatives across R&D. In conjunction with Pod Captains, manage resource allocation and capacity planning to meet portfolio demands while balancing team workload and priorities. Coach and mentor team members to strengthen core capabilities in Astellas values and behaviors, R&D business analysis, digital product management, stakeholder engagement and communication, and agile delivery. Foster a collaborative and innovative team culture, encouraging open communication and idea sharing. Partner with HR and functional leaders to attract, retain, and develop top digital talent aligned with evolving R&D business needs. Lead a cross-functional matrixed team focused on a specific portfolio of digital capabilities for R&D, ensuring alignment with relevant functional goals and company objectives. Lead the development and monitoring of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs). Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders and R&DX leadership team to set OKRs, track progress, and address concerns. Continue to mature agile way of working, through ceremonies including sprint planning, backlog refinement, retrospectives, regular stand-ups, and use of our Agile Enterprise applications (Azure DevOps) for managing epics, features, user stories and sprints. Monitor project timelines, budgets, and resources, ensuring projects are delivered on time and within budget. Collaborate with business stakeholders and technical teams to identify innovation opportunities including the use of AI, GenAI, Automation and Advanced Analytics. Qualifications Required Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Business Administration, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, or related field. Advanced degree (MS, MBA, PhD) or equivalent experience preferred. 10+ years of experience in digital product management or business analysis within pharmaceutical R&D and/or management consulting group focused on R&D in life science. 5+ years of experience in people leadership, including managing and developing high-performing teams. Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional digital initiatives or product portfolios in complex, matrixed environments. Strong understanding and experience of Agile methodologies and ways of working. Demonstrated knowledge of the R&D lifecycle and related digital ecosystems for effective coaching and capacity management of direct reports. Ability to partner with business stakeholders across functions. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Strong problem-solving skills and a proactive approach to challenges. May require up to 10% international travel. Preferred Experience leading digital capabilities in R&D or regulated scientific environments. Experience in Agile Development, Product Management and Software Development Life Cycles including requirements specifications development and user acceptance testing for computer systems in a GxP environment. Familiarity with emerging technologies such as GenAI, advanced analytics, and intelligent automation in R&D use cases. Demonstrated ability to drive business value realization and adoption of digital products. Working Environment This position is remote and is based in Canada. At Astellas we recognize the importance of work/life balance, and we are proud to offer a hybrid working solution allowing time to connect with colleagues at the office with the flexibility to also work from home. We believe this will optimize the most productive work environment for all employees to succeed and deliver. Hybrid work from certain locations may be permitted in accordance with Astellas’ Responsible Flexibility Guidelines. Additional Information Astellas Pharma Canada welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the hiring process. No telephone inquiries, in-person applications, or agencies please. While we appreciate all applications, only candidates under consideration will be contacted. Equal Employment Opportunity Astellas is committed to equality of opportunity in all aspects of employment. EOE including Disability/Protected Veterans. #J-18808-Ljbffr