Associate Director Strategic Planning & Operations - Drug Substance Technologies

Career Category

Project Management

Job Description

Join Amgen’s Mission of Serving Patients

At Amgen, if you feel like you’re part of something bigger, it’s because you are. Our shared mission—to serve patients living with serious illnesses—drives all that we do.

Since 1980, we’ve helped pioneer the world of biotech in our fight against the world’s toughest diseases. With our focus on four therapeutic areas –Oncology, Inflammation, General Medicine, and Rare Disease– we reach millions of patients each year. As a member of the Amgen team, you’ll help make a lasting impact on the lives of patients as we research, manufacture, and deliver innovative medicines to help people live longer, fuller happier lives.

Our award-winning culture is collaborative, innovative, and science based. If you have a passion for challenges and the opportunities that lay within them, you’ll thrive as part of the Amgen team. Join us and transform the lives of patients while transforming your career.

Associate Director Strategic Planning & Operations (SP&O) - Drug Substance Technologies (DST)

What you will do

Let’s do this. Let’s change the world! In this vital role you will be a member of the Drug Substance Technologies Senior Leadership Team (DST) and reporting to the VP of DST, this leader will orchestrate strategic planning, operational excellence, cross-functional alignment, and organizational readiness across DST. The incumbent will lead the organization’s strategic planning across a diverse set of activities and engineering disciplines and serve as a business liaison across DST sub-functions, while managing cross-functional priorities and enabling crisp decision-making. The role is responsible to deliver operational excellence, improve organizational efficiency, and build high-impact governance structures. A proven ability to synthesize data into actionable insights, aligning diverse functions to shared goals, and fostering collaborative, high-performance cultures is an important aspect of the role. 

This position will be based out of Cambridge, Massachusetts or Thousand Oaks, California and is ideal for someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment and can move seamlessly between strategy, operations, communications and delivery.

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Strategic Leadership & Planning 

• Serve as a thought partner to executive leadership; drive execution on departmental priorities and long-range plans.
• Lead planning activities, including portfolio strategy, headcount forecasting, and budgeting.
• Design and run annual operating rhythms (Business reviews, portfolio reviews, leadership offsites, staff meetings, and readouts), including action tracking and follow-through.
• Lead and manage the DST Lab Ops Team and a Sr. Project Management Coordinator.
• Partner with the DST Leadership Team to plan and facilitate DST SLT/XLT meetings and strategy sessions; capture minutes and track action items.

Chief of Staff 

• Serve as chief of staff to the Vice President, Drug Substance Technologies (DST).
• Drive day-to-day execution of departmental strategy by coordinating cross-functional priorities, decision-making, and follow-through.
• Drive and deliver functional transformation workstreams to optimize the business.
• Translate strategy into clear narratives and materials for leadership forums, including executive communications and readouts.
• Manage and track organizational compliance.
• Develop and deliver executive-level presentations.
• Serve as the connective tissue across DST leaders by tracking key initiatives, surfacing risks/dependencies, and ensuring alignment.
• Drive internal communications and cultural rituals that strengthen engagement across DST.
• Support organizational operations, design and change efforts, including role clarity, transitions, and capability mapping.

Cross-Functional Collaboration 

• Partner with Finance, HR, IT, and Communications to align on operating plans (budget, resourcing, talent, and engagement).
• Own DST resource forecasting (data analysis, administration, and ongoing sustainment) in partnership with functional leaders.
• Manage DST capital and expense budgets (target setting, performance tracking, and forecasting).
• Establish and track progress toward goals, objectives, and key results (OKRs); surface risks and mitigations.
• Provide project management for high-priority DST initiatives from intake through delivery.

Communications & Enablement 

• Lead departmental communications strategy and content calendar (newsletters, events, and executive updates).
• Partner with Product and Program Leads on intake, prioritization, and delivery oversight for key initiatives.
• Build capacity and scenario analyses that inform resource decisions and planning tradeoffs.
• Drive adoption of digital tools and standard ways of working to improve collaboration and efficiency.

What we expect of you
 

We are all different, yet we all use our unique contributions to serve patients! The highly motivated professional we seek is a collaborative leader with these qualifications.

Basic Qualifications:

Doctorate degree and 3 years of project management, and/or strategic planning operations experience

Or

Master’s degree and 7 years of project management, and/or strategic planning operations experience

Or

Bachelor’s degree and 9 years of project management, and/or strategic planning operations experience

Or

Associate’s degree and 12 years of project management, and/or strategic planning operations experience

Or

High School Diploma / GED and 14 years of project management, and/or strategic planning operations experience

And

In addition to meeting at least one of the above requirements, you must have a minimum of 3 years experience directly managing people and/or leadership experience leading teams, projects, programs, or directing the allocation of resources. Your managerial experience may run concurrently with the required technical experience referenced above.

Preferred qualifications:

• 5+ years in pharma/biotech/healthcare, with CMC or Design Controls experience.
• Experience in Process Development, Tech Operations, and/or Manufacturing Strategy/Operations.
• Executive presence; strong judgment, influence, and communication across levels.
• Experience leading strategic initiatives in matrixed environments, navigating ambiguity with diplomacy.
• Skills developing executive-level storytelling and presentations that drive cross-functional alignment.
• OpEx/CapEx budget management and forecasting experience.
• Lean and operational excellence mindset.
• Strong project management skills and experience using tools such as MS Project, Excel, Teams, and SharePoint; structured problem-solver with a results-oriented approach.

What you can expect of us
 

As we work to develop treatments that take care of others, we also work to care for your professional and personal growth and well-being. From our competitive benefits to our collaborative culture, we’ll support your journey every step of the way.
 

The expected annual salary range for this role in the U.S. (excluding Puerto Rico) is posted. Actual salary will vary based on several factors including but not limited to, relevant skills, experience, and qualifications.
 

In addition to the base salary, Amgen offers a Total Rewards Plan, based on eligibility, comprising of health and welfare plans for staff and eligible dependents, financial plans with opportunities to save towards retirement or other goals, work/life balance, and career development opportunities that may include:

• A comprehensive employee benefits package, including a Retirement and Savings Plan with generous company contributions, group medical, dental and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, and flexible spending accounts
• A discretionary annual bonus program, or for field sales representatives, a sales-based incentive plan
• Stock-based long-term incentives
• Award-winning time-off plans
• Flexible work models where possible. Refer to the Work Location Type in the job posting to see if this applies.

Apply now and make a lasting impact with the Amgen team.

careers.amgen.com
 

In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.
 

Application deadline

Amgen does not have an application deadline for this position; we will continue accepting applications until we receive a sufficient number or select a candidate for the position.

Sponsorship

Sponsorship for this role is not guaranteed.

As an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for people around the world, Amgen fosters an inclusive environment of diverse, ethical, committed and highly accomplished people who respect each other and live the Amgen values to continue advancing science to serve patients. Together, we compete in the fight against serious disease.
 

Amgen is an Equal Opportunity employer and will consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or any other basis protected by applicable law.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

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Salary Range

164,019.40USD -221,908.60 USD