Senior Lean Coach with Global External Sourcing, AstraZeneca

Do you have expertise in, and passion for, process improvement and change leadership? Would you like to apply your expertise in delivering more life-changing medicines to more patients, more quickly and more affordably? Then a Lean role at AstraZeneca might be of interest to you!

At AstraZeneca we turn ideas into life changing medicines and strive to continuously meet the unmet needs of patients worldwide. Working here means being entrepreneurial, thinking big and working together to make the impossible a reality. If you are swift to action, confident to lead, willing to collaborate, and curious about what science can do, then you're our kind of person!

Global External Sourcing (GES) is a sourcing and supply organisation with over 200 suppliers across 40 countries. We support AstraZeneca's Operations strategy by establishing supply chains and managing suppliers across the world.

GES plays a key role in ensuring the external supply chains are robust and deliver value to AstraZeneca through driving continuous improvement. We also deliver new product introduction through external supply. We play a pivotal role in integrating companies and products that AstraZeneca acquires and bring innovation through supply chain, for example with market access programs.

You'll be working within a small team of experts who work closely with process owners, subject matter experts across the major GES hubs in Sweden, UK, USA, China and Japan and also with selected suppliers based in Europe and USA. As collaboration is a way of life for us, you'll be expected to travel to our own and our supplier's sites up to 25% of the time. Home will be in Gärtuna, Södertälje.

What you'll do

With an encouraging and solution-orientated mindset, the Senior Lean Coach translates Lean knowledge and experience into delivery of business opportunities that add value and reduce waste. Reporting to the Head of Lean, GES, this role is responsible for supporting the deployment, implementation and improvement of Lean principles within all aspects of the Global External Sourcing function. This is a key role with accountability to ensure our Lean transformation is delivered.

As our Senior Lean Coach you will be supporting the setting and execution of the overall lean strategy for GES. You'll also be applying and coaching on lean principles and tools to support delivery of the continuous improvement plans of the internal GES teams and strategic external suppliers from within the AZ commercial supply chain to deliver tangible business benefit across multiple brands.

Some typical accountabilities are:

* Coach and support Functional Extended Leadership teams to develop strategic and annual improvement plans that deliver required uplift in Lean maturity, Lean Capability and business value.
* Coach to develop effective scorecard, policy deployment and PDCA review process to drive execution, taking shared accountability for benefit delivery.
* Provide necessary coaching and deliver/organise Lean training as required to ensure colleagues build and maintain the required levels of Lean competence. Mentor to emerging Lean specialists.
* Support Strategic Supplier Management Processes through the assessment of supplier Lean capability, the identification of improvement plans and support process owners in the ongoing management of performance of suppliers, including involvement in on-site problem solving and issue resolution activities as appropriate.
* Lead Value Stream Mapping activities, working with process owners to identify and remove waste from end to end value chains, including with external suppliers.

Essential for the role

The Senior Lean Coach confidently coaches and train senior leaders within AstraZeneca and key suppliers. She/he provides outstanding training, coaching, support and technical leadership to global, regional and local teams in support of their Lean implementation.

* Educated to undergraduate degree level or higher in a Scientific, Manufacturing, Engineering or related technical/business discipline
* A track record of delivering business impact and sustained change through Lean/Six Sigma projects and programs with deep expertise in process, project and change management
* Experience of mapping of complex end to end processes, supply chains and value streams, including internally and externally managed process activities at Contract Manufacturing Organisations (CMOs)
* Experience of working collaboratively with geographically dispersed cross functional teams and building key networks across functions and regions
* Interacting with all levels of the business (shop floor to senior leader) & understanding of multi-site and multi-organisation challenges and how Lean principles support & drive continuous improvement
* Proficient communicator (written and verbal) in English and Swedish

Desirable requirements

* Six Sigma (or Lean Six Sigma) Black Belt certification and/or certification from an accredited external Quality program
* Experience of API manufacturing processes and/or current Good Manufacturing Practice and regulations as defined by local regulatory bodies

Are you already imagining yourself joining our team in Södertälje? Good, because we can't wait to hear from you.

For more information about the position please contact Richard.curtis1@astrazeneca.com.

Welcome with your application no later than March 29th, 2020.