Commercial Head WESE (Western & Southern Europe)
Oncology Business Unit (OBU)
Location: Baar (Switzerland)
Reports to: SVP OBU EUCAN
About the Role
The Commercial Head WESE is a critical enterprise leadership role responsible for driving Oncology performance across Western & Southern Europe. The role ensures delivery of revenue, profitability, and strategic objectives while translating global strategy into local execution across diverse healthcare systems.As a member of the OBU EUCAN Leadership Team, this role acts as a key interface between global and local teams, ensuring alignment, focus, and execution excellence across markets.
Key Responsibilities
- Represent WESE countries within the OBU EUCAN Leadership and Management Teams
- Shape and align regional strategy with global Oncology priorities
- Drive consistency in ambition, investment decisions, and execution across WESE markets
- Lead and coordinate the team of WESE Oncology BUDs to foster strong collaboration and drive capabilities in the Areas.
- Establish and communicate a clear vision and mission aligned with OBU strategy
- Support teams in achieving Oncology demand revenue targets in WESE by providing strategic guidance, ensuring alignment with market plans, and monitoring performance to drive corrective actions when necessary.
- Ensure WESE representation in Quarterly Performance Reviews with OBU SVP EUCAN.
- Ensure markets are performing launch readiness, ensuring local and regional markets meet performance standards and review priority indications.
- Review and input to the DS/MSD alliances and alliance forecasting (AF1/AF2) for WESE to prepare regional AZ/Alliance reviews.
- Define and implement launch readiness strategies across WESE
- Ensure excellence in go-to-market planning and rapid uptake of new indications
- Coordinate cross-functional readiness (Commercial, Medical, Access)
- Support launches in new tumor types and indications with strong execution frameworks
- Enhance value of existing portfolio through lifecycle management
- Drive prioritization of high-impact assets across markets
- Analyze market dynamics, product performance, and competitive positioning
- Develop the oncology care environment and drive AZ’s Growth Through Innovation agenda
- Lead collaboration across Commercial, Medical, Market Access, Diagnostics, and Government Affairs
- Ensure early integration of Medical and Access into commercial planning
- Facilitate alignment across markets and functions to deliver consistent execution
- Leverage best practices and insights across EUCAN regions
- Build strong relationships with key external collaborators (HCPs, policymakers, patient groups)
- Strengthen Key External Expert (KEE) networks and testing ecosystem integration
- Anticipate healthcare system evolution and its impact on Oncology access and delivery
- Position AstraZeneca as a trusted leader in Oncology
- Provide direction, coaching, and development opportunities for Oncology BU members in WESE.
- Coordinate and guide the group of WESE oncology champions, ensuring strong leadership alignment.
- Contribute to talent succession plans for key roles, assist in recruiting, and ensure the right people are in place to meet marketplace needs.
- Support efficient organizational structuring for current and future portfolios.
- Drive adoption of innovative commercial models and digital solutions
- Leverage data, analytics, and AI to improve performance and efficiency
- Enable new approaches to patient engagement and healthcare delivery
- Ensure full compliance with internal policies, external regulations, and Code of Conduct
- Embed ethical and compliant behavior across all activities
- Act as an ambassador of AstraZeneca values internally and externally
YOUR EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
- University degree or equivalent experience required
- 15+ years pharmaceutical industry experience
- Strong background across Commercial, Medical, and/or Market Access
Deep Oncology expertise across multiple therapeutic areas (- 5 years)
- Proven leadership experience in senior roles with strategic responsibility
- Strong track record of launch excellence
- Experience managing multi-country or regional roles
- Demonstrated ability to influence without authority in a matrix environment
KEY LEADERSHIP CAPABILITIES
- Strategic approach and enterprise thinking
- Strong financial and P&L skill
- Ability to drive execution and results
- Cross-functional leadership and collaboration
- Talent development and team leadership
- Influencing and external engagement
When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash bold thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions. That's why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office. But that doesn’t mean we're not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our unique and ambitious world.
AstraZeneca offers an environment where learning is constant, curiosity is encouraged and diverse perspectives are actively sought out. Teams work at pace on meaningful challenges, using digital innovation, data and design thinking to reimagine how the enterprise operates while staying grounded in ethics and transparency. Colleagues collaborate across functions and geographies, sharing ideas openly, taking smart risks and turning concepts into reality with real impact for patients worldwide. Career paths are varied, performance is recognised, and there is space to stretch skills, build an outstanding reputation and explore new directions over time.
Ready to shape how the world’s best talent discovers AstraZeneca and turn bold attraction ideas into measurable impact? !
Date Posted
01-Jun-2026
Closing Date
13-Jun-2026
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.
