Global Operations - AstraZeneca
- 1. Lead innovation. Change lives. AstraZeneca Operations & IT Global Graduate Associates Programme
- 2. Working together to create a better future AstraZeneca pushes the boundaries of science to deliver life-changing medicines. AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical business. We are one of only a handful of companies to span the entire life-cycle of a medicine: from research and development to manufacturing and supply. Leading the global commercialisation of primary care and speciality care medicines, we operate in more than 100 countries, and our innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. Our primary focus covers three important areas of healthcare: • Cardiovascular and Metabolic disease (CVMD); • Oncology; and • Respiratory, Inflammation and Autoimmunity (RIA). We are also active in the Infection, Neuroscience and Gastrointestinal (ING) disease areas. Helping people live healthier lives, embracing diverse perspectives, and working together to create a better future. These are the common bonds – the catalysts – that inspire people to work at AstraZeneca. Apply to join us, and empower your potential to make a real impact. Be among our employees who continue to make AstraZeneca an innovation-driven company that stands firmly among the world’s leaders in biopharmaceuticals. We operate in more than 100countries 57,500employees worldwide $26.1 billiontotal sales in 2014
- 3. AstraZeneca’s Operations & IT function Operations is one of the largest areas of our business, employing around 11,000 employees, and our supply chain performance is ranked as one of the best in our industry. Focused on assured, cost-effective, efficient supply of medicines to patients, the Operations & IT function is the critical connection between the development lab and the pharmacy shelf. AstraZeneca’s Operations & IT function is organised into: • four areas/regions: – Supply Americas; – Supply Europe, Middle East and Africa; – Supply Asia Pacific; and – Supply Biologics. • three global functions: – Global External Sourcing; – Global Quality; and – Global Supply Chain & Strategy. • two corporate functions: – Global Procurement; and – Corporate IT. We have opportunities for high-calibre graduates to join our Operations & IT Global Graduate Programme at our sites across the Americas, Europe and Asia/Pacific. These are fantastic opportunities for people with the potential and ambition to become one of our leaders of the future. 11,000people committed to pharmaceutical excellence Over 1 billionpacks 24 billioncapsules Our global network 27 production facilities in 16 countries 900pack variants Mexico Lomas Verdes USA Frederick Mount Vernon Newark Philadelphia San Diego Westborough West Chester Argentina Buenos Aires Egypt Cairo Puerto Rico Canóvanas UK Avlon Macclesfield Speke India Bangalore Netherlands Nijmegen Indonesia Jakarta Japan Maihara France Dunkerque Reims Brazil Cotia Germany Wedel Sweden Södertälje Russia Vorsino China Taizhou Wuxi Australia North Ryde
- 4. “The combination of business areas and geographical spread offered for placements on our Graduate Associates Programme will provide you with the opportunity to fulfil meaningful roles that contribute to our business, whilst gaining the experience and insight of working globally. This is your opportunity to work on real, business projects right from the start, collaborating with some of the most capable colleagues the industry has to offer.” Dapo Ajayi, AstraZeneca Operations Senior Leadership Team Programme Sponsor “Our Graduate Associates Programme is structured around ‘experiential learning’ – giving participants the opportunity to work in real roles across a number of different functions in our global business. This enables our participants to develop key leadership and business skills that are required for a successful career. Graduates are encouraged to utilise the full breadth of opportunities that are available to maximise their learning and development.” David Westbury, AZ Operations & IT Global Graduate Associates Programme Manager
- 5. By giving you vital industry exposure, this programme is the perfect springboard to a business leadership position within AstraZeneca. Throughout the programme, you will have frequent opportunities to review your progress towards achievement of role objectives and personal development plans with your manager, via a formal performance management process. What to expect We offer you extensive training, work experience and a strong support network throughout the programme, as well as giving you an all-encompassing understanding of the pharmaceutical industry. Progression toll gates are built into the end of each year. You will also get the opportunity to review your progress with a mentor, a programme manager and members of the Global Graduate Associates network. All participants are allocated a personal mentor/ coach from day one of the programme. Each mentor/coach is a professional with the highest levels of credibility and business experience. Discover your vocation AstraZeneca Operations & IT Global Graduate Associates Programme We want our people to feel positive and enthusiastic about what they are doing, with a clear sense of purpose and confidence in their abilities to meet the challenges. This means providing effective leadership, clear targets, open lines of communication, excellent learning and development opportunities and a healthy, safe and energizing workplace – within a performance culture where diversity is valued and individual success depends solely on personal merit and performance. How does the programme work? The programme lasts for three years. The first two years are split between three different eight- month placements; each role will provide you with an opportunity to gain invaluable insight and influence decisions within different business disciplines. You will also spend a period of time living and working overseas, to gain broader perspective and understanding of our business and our culture. As you learn more about AstraZeneca, the placement roles will hold an increasing level of responsibility. Subject to performance, you will spend the final year of the programme focused on a role that will consolidate your capabilities and help you transition into a substantive role in our business. Opportunities exist for graduates across each of our global and regional supply and quality functions, as well as our two corporate functions (Procurement and IT) and engineering.
- 6. Don’t just take our word for it Why did you decide on a career in the pharmaceutical industry? The variety of roles available in the industry is vast. Working for a company that spans the globe and employs 50,000 people means that there is so much opportunity to gain business and cultural awareness. What do you do in your current placement? As part of a global graduate programme, my current role is working within the external sourcing department. We source active pharmaceutical ingredients, formulation and packaging materials used in the manufacture of our products and manage how those products make it into pharmacies around the world. What does your typical day involve? Typically, there is a request for demand for the team, which we’ll be assigned to. We work in a plan, do, check, act cycle to ensure that benefits are continually seen with each initiative. This would involve running progress meetings, guiding teams through workshops and coaching members to consider new ways to solve old issues. How has your career developed since you left school, college or university? I was lucky enough to join a graduate programme after my pre-reg training. This has been a great opportunity to rotate around different business areas over two years, both in office and manufacturing environments, with an international assignment integrated into the programme. I’ve had roles including working at a manufacturing site in Quality, managing global projects that affect how we supply medicines around the world, and now my current role in our sourcing team. What is it like socially where you work? Very sociable – most nights of the week there’s something going on, which means that you can meet with people outside of the office environment. What are you most proud of in your career? Gaining an international assignment to Sweden as part of my current role. It’s giving me a cultural education and shows that the company is willing to invest in my development. What possibilities are there for your career in the future? I have opportunities across the industry with the transferrable skills I’ve picked up so far. I’m currently interested in production (actually making the products!). What is the one piece of advice you would give to someone seeking a career in the pharmaceutical industry? A CV isn’t just qualifications. It’s what you choose to do with the rest of your time that speaks much more about you. If 100 recent graduates submit their CV for review, how will yours stand out? “Coming straight from university, you have the educational background, but you don’t necessarily have the business acumen, so being able to rotate around different areas of business is vital.” Ben joined our Global Graduate Associates Programme in 2014 having obtained an MPharm degree at the University of Nottingham in the UK. We think our graduate programme is great. But we would, wouldn’t we? The best people to describe our programme are those individuals who are part of it. Here’s what some of our current graduates say about the AZ Operations & IT Global Graduate Associates Programme. You can see and hear more from them by watching our graduate video at astrazenecacareers.com/globaloperationsandit
- 7. “I wanted a career that allowed me to enjoy my work while making a positive contribution to people’s lives.” Making a difference Studying at Masters level helped me to identify my real interests and realise that I wanted a career that allowed me to enjoy my work while making a positive contribution to society. In India, I was involved in a social enterprise scheme aimed at reducing rural to urban migration and the resulting poverty. Participating in the scheme highlighted my interest in seeing the difference that my work made to people’s lives. I had these interests in mind when researching graduate roles, and I found that I could really relate to AstraZeneca’s values. Although the company is grounded in science, the work is focused on improving patients’ lives, which really appealed to me. My role The global graduate scheme is a series of three eight-month rotations. I completed my first two rotations in India before coming to the UK for the third. Currently, I work in a project management role, helping to solve problems within the global supply chain operation. My three main day-to- day tasks are troubleshooting, problem solving and stakeholder management. It is a diverse role that doesn’t just focus on one area of the business, so I get to work on all aspects of the supply chain and talk to people working at each stage. As a result, I get a bird’s-eye view of the whole process. In a previous rotation, I led a nine-member operational excellence team, focusing on increasing product turnover. This was both the highlight and the most challenging aspect of the graduate programme so far, giving me an understanding of how the people and technical aspects involved in the company work together. Understanding the company A strong understanding of the company is important. Not only does it help you to understand your own motivations for choosing this career path, but it can help set you apart from other candidates. One of the questions in my interview asked where I saw myself in five years’ time – having researched the company in detail, I was able to answer this question with specific focus on both the demands of the role and what I wanted to achieve as an individual. An understanding and appreciation of what the business does and the direction in which it is moving is essential. All employees are aware of the business’ focus on the patients using our products – they are the end point of the business operation. It is also important to know where the company fits within the larger pharmaceutical landscape. “The great thing about the programme is that we can personalise the experience we get – and are able to influence the roles that we are allocated throughout. Harish joined our Global Graduate Associates Programme in 2013, having obtained his Masters from the Instituto de Empresa in Madrid. International relations This is a global company, so international experience is viewed favourably. I have studied in India and Spain, and I think that the diversity of my background was advantageous when applying for my role. Although this is a largely English-speaking industry, I work alongside people from all over the world and international experience has helped improve my ability to understand and communicate with people from different cultures. This sort of knowledge is useful in a global company. For example, emerging markets such as those in South America, Turkey and Africa are having an increasing impact on the business. Know your ambitions The key to being a successful applicant is having good knowledge and understanding of your own drives and ambitions. It is important to have a logical explanation for why a business should invest their time and resources in you and why you want to be there. Make sure that you research the company well and know that you are choosing them for the right reasons. It is easy for graduates to seek short-term gratification, but it is important to be focused on the long-term prospects of a particular career path. A learning curve? Enthusiasm is great, but it’s important not to get carried away. Be prepared to learn and explore. Trying to develop too quickly will result in you burning out and being unable to keep up the pace at the end of the graduate scheme. The journey from university to a graduate scheme is not like starting a normal job – you are still looked upon as someone who is there to learn. One of the reasons that I chose the scheme is because it lets you learn and develop in a safe environment. “Understanding what the business does and its direction is essential.”
- 8. You should have graduated within the last two years, or be graduating by next September, hold a University Degree equivalent of BA, BSc or MSc degree in any degree discipline, and a valid passport. You must also be geographically mobile and comfortable spending time working and living overseas. As we are a global organisation, you will also need to be fluent in English. Additional language skills are desirable. This is a rotational programme, and not all functional areas will be available in all countries as first placements. You must be willing to work across all functions within Operations & IT. You will be expected to quickly understand the AstraZeneca environment. In addition, it’s crucial you have strong business acumen, plus the ability to develop great leadership and change management capabilities. What we are looking for What’s next? For more information about the programme and how to apply, please visit our website www.astrazenecacareers.com/globaloperationsandit or use your smartphone to scan the QR code.