Operational Excellence Manager - Business Planning

About AstraZeneca  

AstraZeneca is a global, science‑led, patient‑focused biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, and commercializes prescription medicines for some of the world’s most serious diseases. We work in a fast‑paced, agile environment powered by technology and digital innovation, united by a shared purpose to deliver life‑changing medicines.

We are seeking a Process Excellence Manager – Business Planning to lead financial planning, control and performance management across our global Content & Omnichannel organisation.

This role brings together financial, workforce, supplier and operational data to give leaders a clear, reliable and forward-looking view of resources, costs, productivity, savings and business performance. You will partner with senior leaders and teams across Finance, Data, Procurement and operations, helping them make informed decisions and deliver business priorities.

You will also identify opportunities to simplify and improve planning and reporting processes, using automation, analytics and approved AI solutions responsibly and with appropriate human oversight.

What you’ll do

• Own the monthly workforce view across FTEs, outsourced professional services (OSP) and agents, incorporating vacancies, role changes, location strategy and organisational transformation.
• Maintain a consolidated view of third-party spend, commitments, forecasts and variances, supporting planning, accruals and customer recharges.
• Track tools and licence expenditure, usage and commitments, and identify opportunities to optimise costs and recharges.
• Monitor contingency and investment funding, as well as travel budgets and carbon-emission targets.
• Ensure costs are allocated appropriately across markets and regions, with clear ownership and follow-up on variances.
• Support business cases and savings plans by establishing baselines, assumptions and benefits, and tracking progress against targets.
• Coordinate performance scorecard reporting across strategic projects, service levels, customer satisfaction, productivity, savings, people and sustainability.
• Act as the Finance recharge point of contact for Content & Omnichannel, managing market- and brand-level information on volumes, pricing and productivity.
• Coordinate timely, accurate submissions for key financial planning cycles, including RBU2, MTP and Phased Budget.
• Partner with Finance, Data and GBS stakeholders to align financial and operational information and monitor performance against targets.
• Map and improve recurring planning and reporting processes, identifying suitable opportunities for standardisation, automation and AI-enabled solutions.
• Apply appropriate governance, data privacy, information security, validation and human oversight to automated and AI-enabled processes.

Essential experience and capabilities

• At least five years’ experience in business planning, finance, performance management or a related function, ideally in a global, multi-market or shared-services environment.
• Strong experience in financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, cost management, management reporting and variance analysis.
• Understanding of workforce planning, supplier expenditure, business cases, savings tracking, cost allocation and customer recharge models.
• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to manage, reconcile and explain complex financial and operational data.
• Advanced Excel and financial modelling/reporting skills; experience with Power BI or comparable business intelligence tools is an advantage.
• Ability to translate operational and organisational changes into financial implications and practical recommendations for leaders.
• Experience improving end-to-end processes through standardisation, controls, workflow automation or continuous improvement.
• Practical understanding of automation and AI use cases, such as data preparation, anomaly detection, forecasting and management reporting, alongside awareness of responsible-use requirements.
• Excellent stakeholder-management and influencing skills, with the ability to work effectively across senior leaders and teams in a global matrix organisation.
• Strong attention to detail, ownership and the ability to manage multiple deadlines and planning cycles.

What success looks like

You will help provide one trusted, accurate and actionable view of Content & Omnichannel’s financial and operational performance. Your work will support better resource and cost decisions, reliable savings and recharge management, and timely completion of planning cycles.

You will also help make planning and reporting processes simpler, more controlled and increasingly automated, with measurable improvements in data quality, forecast accuracy and cycle time.

Working arrangements

This role is based in Lisbon, Portugal and follows a hybrid working model, with an expectation to work from the office at least three days per week. International travel may be required to support business priorities, planning cycles and stakeholder engagement.

Date Posted

Closing Date

AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity.  We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills.  We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.  We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics.  We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.