Associate Director, Discovery Automation Strategy & Ops

About China Automation Beijing Discovery Center – a Lab of the Future — is AstraZeneca's build of a maximally automated, end-to-end wet lab in Beijing, run as one lab-in-a-loop with the Beijing AI Center's dry-lab capabilities. The build pairs AI-driven design with physical automation to accelerate candidate drug (CD) delivery and positioning AZ China R&D as an automation innovation hub , collaborating with fastest-moving automation partners in China . About the Role This role is the strategic and operational backbone of the Beijing Discovery Center . You sit alongside the cross-functional leadership team as a trusted thought partner and execution engine — making the build move faster through cleaner decisions, disciplined budget and milestone tracking, and clearer communication to sponsors and governance forums. Think of this as a Chief of Staff role for a capital build, with strategic thinking built in — not a traditional PMO function, but a force multiplier that turns an ambiguous, multi-workstream build into a single coherent narrative and tracker for leadership. At the start, the emphasis is operational: standing up the build's governance cadence, CAPEX/OPEX tracking, and vendor management processes so that milestone decisions do not depend on ad hoc coordination. As the build matures , the role is expected to take on more forward-looking work — shaping vendor and ecosystem partnership strategy alongside BD and Alliance Management. You will lead by doing — building the trackers, running the cadence, and personally chasing down blockers across physical automation, data automation, and engineering & facilities. You will be most visible when problems are ambiguous, cross-functional, or time-sensitive (a slipping trigger date, a budget variance, a stalled vendor decision), and you will personally drive resolution rather than escalate by default . You will also prepare the analytical foundations, frame options, and drive key decisio ns (e.g., site selection , partnerships, CAPEX allocation) to a clear resolution . What You Will Do Build Governance & Program Management Own the operating rhythm of the Beijing Discovery Center build : cadence, agendas, and action tracking across the physical automation, data automation, and engineering & facilities workstreams Maintain the build's single source of truth for milestones, translating trigger-based dates (blueprint readout, build start) into a tracker that names what slips if a trigger is missed Drive CAPEX/OPEX transparency: maintain the cost model, reconcile discrepancies between bottom-up estimates and phased budget figures, flag variances, and translate spend data into clear narratives for leadership Build the foundational operational infrastructure — templates, playbooks and SOPs — for the build's recurring processes (budget cycles, milestone reviews, vendor RFPs) so decisions don't depend on ad hoc judgment each time Troubleshoot and unblock: identify bottlenecks in real time and personally intervene, whether that means facilitating a difficult cross-functional conversation, clarifying decision rights, or escalating with a structured recommendation Site, Vendor & Ecosystem Enablement Support site selection and readiness tracking across, partnering with Global Engineering & Real Estate on shell-readiness timelines and buildout milestones Own the vendor engagement & management from scoping through selection, and track the automation equipment vendor landscape in partnership with technical leads Support ecosystem partnership analysis — academic institutions and automation/AI companies — in close collaboration with China BD and Alliance Management, preparing structured recommendations for leadership Flag China-specific compliance considerations early — data handling, cross-border transfer, procurement and vendor contracting — to legal and compliance, working alongside R&D IT and EDE where the build intersects with the Beijing AI Center's data automation workstream Leadership Communication Synthesize build progress, budget status, and open decisions into leadership-ready materials for internal governance boards , sponsor s, and SLT reviews Prepare sponsors and the Business Lead for key milestones and ensure trigger-based timelines and budget positions are framed clearly ahead of governance decisions Draft briefing documents, pre- reads and slide decks that communicate clearly across scientific, engineering, and executive audiences . Requirements Experience Bachelor's or advanced degree; life sciences, engineering, or business background 3&#43; years of strategy consulting experience at McKinsey, BCG, Bain, or equivalent top-tier firm, or equivalent program/PMO leadership on a capital build or infrastructure program Demonstrated ability to structure ambiguous, cross-functional problems and deliver clear, action-oriented recommendations Experience with capital projects a plus: CAPEX/OPEX tracking, vendor RFP processes, or construction/engineering program coordination Demonstrated track record</s