Order & Distribution to Cash; Contracting Lead

Order & Distribution to Cash; Contracting Lead

Luton UK, Macclesfield UK, Gartuna, Sackvixen SWE, Warsaw POL

Competitive Salary + Benefits

Job Description

We are one purpose-led global organisation. The enablers and innovators, ensuring that we can fulfil our mission to push the boundaries of science and discover and develop life-changing medicines. We take pride in working close to the cause, opening the locks to save lives, ultimately making a meaningful difference to the outside world.

AstraZeneca (AZ) has been through a sustained period of strong pipeline growth and has united purpose to make a difference to patients around the world who need our medicines and the ongoing developments from our science. In this journey AZ need to continue to work across borders and with partners and new colleagues in a fast and seamless way.

The size and complexity of the organisation, coupled with the opportunities afforded by new technology, has led the Board to approve a large scale transformation of the process and technology landscape that underpins our entire supply chain and financial capability.

Our current technology is used by more than 20,000 employees daily, is foundational to all AZ entities and is central to most core business processes. This programme provides the opportunity for real transformation and to craft the way of working globally for many years to come.

This programme requires the best. Whether it be the technical skills, business understanding or change leadership, we want to ensure we have the strongest team deployed throughout. The programme seeks to deliver a world class change programme that leaves all employees with a better understanding of their role in the end-to-end nature of a fully global company.

This programme will provide AZ with a driven position, to the benefits of its employees and patients.

A key process in the company is Order and Distribution to Cash – taking orders from our customers (whether they be individual physicians and pharmacists, hospitals, health authorities or large global distributors).

A critical part of this process is ensuring appropriate contracts are in place, that we are clear where the patient needs the medicine, how much and at what cost. Getting this right starts with the commercial teams, flows through the dispatch and transport teams and ends with finance leading credit risk, ordering, billing, collecting and matching the cash.

Teams are in place to ensure our customer data is right and transport can be arranged effectively, so this role is to ensure we have the right contracts and pricing structures in place to enable the orders to be released, the invoice raised and the cash collected. This process needs to work equally well for internal product moves and intercompany pricing as for external trading partners or 3rd party customers.

Today this process is globally inconsistent, with multiple owners and a high level of variation. To simplify, automate and reduce any time lag and errors requires a different approach. The business will also benefit from the greater operational transparency, visibility of the net pricing and the quality of the contracts in place.

Typical Accountabilities

• Working as part of a larger team within the programme this role will lead the work that:
• Identifies how contracts can be more standardised and made more accessible
• Develops an approach to providing central oversight and maintenance of the contracts
• Defines and deploys the potential use of a menu of choices within contracts that can be supported by processes driven/delivered by Order and Distribution to Cash process
• Establishes an approach to see of prices globally to facilitate accurate rebates, royalties and credits
• Defines the data needed to run these processes
• Works with the external 3rd parities to identify the best operational model and technical approach to this capability for AZ, enabling data to be available for analytics on margins and pricing approaches to be available to appropriate partners
• Defines future organisation model of contracting
• Supports the deployment of the above.
• Keeps self and others up to date on recent developments and emerging trends on an internal and external basis.

Essential

• Able to challenge and be challenged while sustaining good relationships

  People management and influencing skills

• Demonstrated success working in a team environment and leading from the front.

• Proven success building cross-functional global networks and stakeholder management

• An understanding of the legal frameworks required to improve AZ position and retain appropriate levels of data protection and confidential scrutiny.

• Contract Law qualification and practical experience of contract implementation and contractual changes

• Strong analytical skills

• Commercial attitude – able to drive an appropriate level of commercial challenge into all projects ensuring pragmatic value.

  Strong written and verbal communication skills

  Ability to use a range of influencing techniques, building strong working relationships and leading without authority.

  Personal agility – ability to ‘turn your hand’ to issues and events as they arise.

Desirables

• Contract law changes and updates

• Change management and program management experience

  AZ knowledge and network

• Awareness of tax and pricing models in AZ

• Knowledge of current and emerging pharmaceutical pricing pressures and approaches

• Knowledge of royalty agreements both receivable and payable related to divestments and join ventures

So, what’s next?

• Are you already imagining yourself joining our team? Good, because we can’t wait to hear from you.
• Are you ready to bring new ideas and fresh thinking to the table? Brilliant! We have one seat available and we hope it’s yours.

Where can I find out more?

Our Social Media, Follow AstraZeneca on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/1603/

Follow AstraZeneca on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/astrazenecacareers/

Follow AstraZeneca on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/astrazeneca_careers/?hl=en

Date Posted

19-Sept-2023

Closing Date

02-Oct-2023

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.