Location: Gaithersburg, MD Hybrid: 3 days a week on site
The Patient Operations Lead will serve as a key member of the US Cell Therapy Unit Leadership Team, responsible for crafting, leading, and continuously improving the patient operations model that will support AstraZeneca’s bold cell therapy portfolio in the United States. This role is highly strategic and cross-functional, with accountability for building the operational backbone required to support seven anticipated launches over the next seven years across the evolving cell therapy landscape, including autologous CAR-T for Multiple Myeloma, autologous CAR-T for solid tumors, and autologous TCR for pancreatic cancer.
Role Scope The role will lead the development and orchestration of patient support services and associated operational capabilities to ensure a flawless, compliant, and scalable experience for patients, treatment centers, and internal stakeholders.
A central focus of the position will be to oversee the redesign and evolution of the ordering and case-tracking platform so that it enables end-to-end visibility across the patient and product journey, including order initiation, scheduling, apheresis, manufacturing, chain of identity, chain of custody, product release, shipment, treatment coordination, and relevant status monitoring throughout the cell production process.
In parallel, the Patient Operations Lead will ensure effective integration between external patient support and ordering platform partners and AstraZeneca’s internal CRM and commercial ecosystem, while establishing and implementing robust governance, access controls, and compliance safeguards. This includes ensuring that sensitive patient and operational data are appropriately segmented, protected, and used only for approved purposes, with clear protections against inappropriate access or misuse by Sales, Marketing, Market Access, and Medical teams. The role will work closely with Compliance, Legal, Privacy, IT, Commercial Operations, Medical, Market Access, and external vendors to create a fit-for-purpose operating model that balances patient-centricity, operational excellence, and regulatory integrity.
The successful candidate will bring strong leadership, deep operational expertise, and the ability to navigate the complexity of personalized cell therapy delivery models. They will be encouraged to build strategy while also driving execution, ensuring the organization is prepared to launch and scale highly complex therapies in a constantly evolving environment.
Key Responsibilities
• Lead patient operations strategy for the US Cell Therapy Unit, building the operating model required to support current and future launches across multiple cell therapy platforms.
• Serve as a core member of the US Cell Therapy Unit Leadership Team, contributing to business strategy, launch planning, capability building, and long-range operational readiness.
• Design, implement, and supervise patient support services that enable a high-quality, coordinated experience for patients and authorized treatment centers throughout the treatment journey.
• Redesign and optimize the ordering and case-management platform to provide end-to-end operational visibility across all critical steps in the autologous cell therapy process, from order entry through manufacturing and treatment delivery.
• Ensure effective integration of external partners and platforms with AstraZeneca internal systems, including CRM and relevant operational tools, to enable coordinated workflows and appropriate data exchange.
• Establish data governance and compliance controls that protect patient, provider, and operational data and ensure appropriate separation of information from commercial, promotional, and non-permitted uses.
• Partner with Compliance, Legal, Privacy, and Information Security to define and operationalize safeguards, access rules, audit processes, and monitoring mechanisms for data handling and system usage.
• Collaborate with Commercial, Medical, Market Access, Patient Services, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, IT, and Regulatory stakeholders to ensure operational solutions are aligned, scalable, and launch-ready.
• Be responsible for external vendors and service providers, including performance management, service level expectations, governance forums, issue partner concern, and improvement planning.
• Develop and monitor key operational metrics related to patient support, platform performance, case progression, manufacturing coordination, service quality, and stakeholder experience.
• Drive launch readiness activities for upcoming cell therapy indications, ensuring the patient operations model can adapt to differences in disease area, care pathways, treatment center needs, and manufacturing complexity.
• Identify operational risks and bottlenecks proactively and implement mitigation plans to support reliability, patient experience, and treatment center confidence.
Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in business, life sciences, healthcare administration, public health, or related field preferred.
• 8+ years of experience in biopharmaceutical operations, patient services, specialty pharmacy, cell therapy, oncology, rare disease, or complex product launch environments.
• Proven leadership experience in building and scaling patient support programs, operational platforms, or complex cross-functional healthcare delivery models.
• Strong understanding of the operational requirements associated with autologous cell therapy, including high-touch coordination, time-sensitive workflows, and complex partner ecosystems, preferred.
• Experience leading or influencing CRM, case management, ordering, or digital platform integration initiatives involving internal and external customers.
• Strong knowledge of data privacy, compliance, governance, and access control principles in healthcare and biopharmaceutical environments.
• Proven ability to work optimally across Commercial, Medical, Market Access, Compliance, Legal, Privacy, IT, and Operations functions.
• Excellent critical thinking, communication, relationship management, and implementation capabilities.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, highly matrixed, and evolving launch environment.
Why AstraZeneca? In our Oncology Business Unit, we change the practice of medicine and improve the patient experience by generating and communicating compelling medical evidence. We translate the wealth of medical and scientific expertise to ensure the data we produce helps physicians to better treat patients at every point in the journey. We are proud to be at the forefront with one of the broadest and deepest Oncology pipelines in the business. Help to advance our pipeline by applying scientific expertise and accelerating our pathway to finding a cure.
The annual base pay for this position ranges from $196,848.00 - $295,273.00 USD Annual USD Annual and salaried non-exempt employees will also be paid overtime pay when working qualifying overtime hours. Base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. In addition, our positions offer a short-term incentive bonus opportunity; eligibility to participate in our equity-based long-term incentive program. Benefits offered included a qualified retirement program [401(k) plan]; paid vacation and holidays; paid leaves; and, health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans. Additional details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment. If hired, employee will be in an “at-will position” and the Company reserves the right to modify base pay (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, Company or individual department/team performance, and market factors.
Are you ready to be part of a talented, cross-functional team working together to improve lives and make the biggest possible impact for patients, science and society?
Apply now!
Date Posted 14-Jul-2026 Closing Date 20-Jul-2026Our mission is to build an inclusive environment where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees. In furtherance of that mission, we welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of their protected characteristics. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please complete the corresponding section in the application form.