Digital Strategy & Portfolio Management

Digital Strategy & Portfolio Management

Astellas Canada - Digital Strategy & Portfolio Management

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.

What sets us apart is our focus on patients, our pioneering innovation, our collaborative culture, and the passion of our talented people.

Making a positive impact on patients' lives is the purpose behind everything we do. At Astellas, we are relentless in our pursuit of scientific progress and in tackling unmet medical needs, demonstrated by our legacy in oncology, overactive bladder and transplant and our impressive pipeline in women's health, blindness and regeneration, genetic regulation, immuno-oncology, mitochondria and targeted protein degradation.

About Us:

We are a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Japan, with a team of more than 14,000 managing operations in approximately 70 countries around the world. We are in the Top 30 global biopharma company based on global revenues and are predicted to be one of the Top 10 Cancer Drug Makers of 2024 by Fierce Pharma.

In Canada, we are growing to meet the exciting opportunities realized by our legacy brands and rich pipeline of innovative treatments.

We are looking for candidates who will thrive in our entrepreneurial and empowering environment where talent and leadership flourish. Do your values align with our Astellas Way - patient focus, ownership, results, openness and integrity? Then we would love to hear from you.

From the first day in role, everyone at Astellas has a responsibility for creating a brighter future for patients around the world. We nurture exceptional relationships with our employees to allow them to thrive, foster innovation, and deliver exceptional business results. We work to create a culture where our people feel empowered to pursue brave ideas and ambitious outcomes, to have the confidence to be accountable for a higher standard of performance and embody a competitive and solutions-oriented mindset.

Our expertise, science and technology make us a pharma company. Our open and diverse culture is what makes us uniquely Astellas.

Astellas Pharma Canada (APCA) is currently searching for a Digital Strategy & Portfolio Management.

Description

As a member of the Digital Strategy & Portfolio Management chapter of EnableX, you will play a crucial role in supporting the Executive Director in architecting and advancing our digital landscape. Your primary responsibility will be to align strategic vision with agile execution, ensuring that organizational objectives are met. You will merge tactical management with strategic innovation, analysing market trends and leveraging technology to guide our digital trajectory. Additionally, you will contribute to advancing our agile model, fostering a collaborative, improvement-driven culture, and developing digital expertise across the board.

Our agile operating model consists of two components - Digital Capability and Digital Execution. Digital Execution drives alignment of multiple missions around business goals and facilitates collaboration on a larger scale. Digital Capability focuses on the growth and development of individuals within a specific expertise area. This dual structure enables us to scale agile practices efficiently while maintaining a focus on both product development and individual skill enhancement.

Digital Capability consists of several groups, each led by Head of Digital. These groups vary in their specific digital capabilities; for example, one of the groups might specialize in data science. Within each group, there are further subdivisions into smaller groups, each focusing on a more detailed aspect of the capability, such as machine learning and statistical modelling within the data science group. The base of the structure consists of individual contributors who report to the heads of these specialized groups. These individuals execute specific tasks and functions within their area of expertise. The groups in Digital Capability share commonalities in focusing on professional development and skill enhancement while they differ in their areas of expertise, reflecting the specialized skills and roles of their members.

Your primary focus areas will be to support the creation and communication of a digital strategy and to quickly mature Lean Agile Portfolio Management practices within Astellas DigitalX.

Essential Job Duties

• Strategic Leadership and Agile Portfolio Oversight: Contribute to the development and execution of an agile IT portfolio management strategy that aligns with the organization's strategic vision and business goals. Identify and propose changes to the strategy in response to market and business changes, ensuring agility and value-driven project prioritization.

• Agile Governance and Collaborative Frameworks: Support and maintain a portfolio governance framework that supports business objectives while allowing for flexible and rapid agile decision-making. Foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.

• Unified Digital Strategy and Portfolio Management: Drive the development of a comprehensive digital strategy that leverages innovations to meet business goals. Oversee the full portfolio management lifecycle, ensuring strategic alignment, resource optimization, and effective execution of digital initiatives.

• Innovation and Best Practices Implementation: Identify and evaluate opportunities to adopt new technologies and methodologies. Stay ahead of industry trends, integrating best practices into digital operations to keep the organization competitive and adaptive.

• Data Analytics and Performance Management: Define and produce metrics to measure the effectiveness of digital initiatives and portfolio performance, using data analytics to inform strategy and decision-making. Provide clear reporting and analysis to all stakeholders, promoting transparency and data-driven insights. Ensure high data quality to support data analytics and reporting.

• Stakeholder Communication and Team Empowerment: Manage stakeholder relationships with clear communication, translating digital concepts into business value.

• Continuous Strategic Alignment and Risk Management: Ensure continuous reflection and realignment of the digital portfolio with strategic objectives. Incorporate stakeholder feedback for ongoing refinement and implement robust risk management practices.

• Operational Efficiency and Agile Integration: Work closely with Agile and Digital Execution teams to enhance operational efficiency and drive digital transformation. Utilize agile methodologies for seamless integration and collaboration across all digital and business units.

• Support Funding Decisions and Financial Forecasting: Coordinate funding decisions with agile portfolio management and financial forecasting.

• Benefits Realization and Value Measurement: Support the identification and measurement of benefits delivered by technology investments. Identify learning opportunities for the organization.

Qualifications

Required

• Educational Background: Degree in Business Administration, Information Technology, Computer Science, Data Science, or related fields. Certifications in Agile Methodologies and Digital Strategy (e.g., Certified Scrum Master, SAFe Agilist, PMI-ACP, Digital Strategy Certification) are highly desirableIntegrated Digital and Agile Expertise: Demonstrated experience in executing portfolio management in a complex global organization. A proven track record in both developing and implementing successful digital initiatives and managing complex digital portfolios.

• Agile Methodologies and Digital Tools Proficiency: Practical experience with one or more agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban, Lean, XP) and digital strategy tools (Google Analytics, SEMrush, Salesforce). Exposure to scaling agile frameworks (SAFe, LeSS, or DaD).

• Strategic Vision and Analytical Capabilities: Outstanding strategic thinking and analytical abilities, with a strong aptitude for synthesizing complex data, identifying digital trends, and developing innovative solutions to enhance digital portfolio performance and drive organizational growth.

• Communication and Stakeholder Engagement: Communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills, proficient in articulating complex digital strategies to both technical and non-technical audiences and aligning stakeholders at all levels toward common goals.

• Adaptability and Continuous Learning: High degree of adaptability and a passion for digital innovation, with commitment to continuous learning and self-improvement in a fast-paced digital landscape. Staying abreast of emerging digital technologies and agile best practices is crucial.

• Visionary Change Leadership: Awareness of future digital trends and challenges, and adept at adapting strategy to meet these future needs.

• Strategic Risk Management and Decision-Making: Robust risk management and strategic decision-making skills, with a competence in balancing risk and innovation and making informed decisions to maximize digital investment returns and ensure project success.

Preferred

• Agile Methodologies and Digital Tools Proficiency: Deep understanding and practical experience with a variety of agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban, Lean, XP) and digital strategy tools (Google Analytics, SEMrush, Salesforce). Familiarity with scaling agile frameworks (SAFe, LeSS, or DaD)

• Funding Decisions and Financial Forecasting: Deep understanding of managerial accounting processes, financial forecasting and their relationship to portfolio management.

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.

Astellas Pharma Canada requires full Vaccination against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Reasonable accommodation to this policy may be granted for a valid accommodation request under human rights legislation.

No telephone inquiries, in-person applications, or agencies please. While we appreciate all applications, only candidates under consideration will be contacted.

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Category EnableX

Astellas is committed to equality of opportunity in all aspects of employment.

EOE including Disability/Protected Veterans