Rx Pod Lead (Digital Product Manager)

Astellas Canada – Rx Pod Lead (Digital Product Manager)

At Astellas, we strive to become a cutting-edge, value-driven life science innovator. This means working at the forefront of healthcare change to turn innovative science into VALUE for patients.

What sets us apart is our focus on patients, our pioneering innovation, our collaborative culture, and the passion of our talented people.

Making a positive impact on patients’ lives is the purpose behind everything we do. At Astellas, we are relentless in our pursuit of scientific progress and in tackling unmet medical needs, demonstrated by our legacy in oncology, overactive bladder and transplant and our impressive pipeline in women’s health, blindness and regeneration, genetic regulation, immuno-oncology, mitochondria and targeted protein degradation.

About Us

We are a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Japan, with a team of more than 14,000 managing operations in approximately 70 countries around the world. We are in the Top 30 global biopharma company based on global revenues and are predicted to be one of the Top 10 Cancer Drug Makers of 2024 by Fierce Pharma.

In Canada, we are growing to meet the exciting opportunities realized by our legacy brands and rich pipeline of innovative treatments.

We are looking for candidates who will thrive in our entrepreneurial and empowering environment where talent and leadership flourish. Do your values align with our Astellas Way – patient focus, ownership, results, openness, and integrity? Then we would love to hear from you.

From the first day in role, everyone at Astellas has a responsibility for creating a brighter future for patients around the world. We nurture exceptional relationships with our employees to allow them to thrive, foster innovation, and deliver exceptional business results. We work to create a culture where our people feel empowered to pursue brave ideas and ambitious outcomes, to have the confidence to be accountable for a higher standard of performance and embody a competitive and solutions-oriented mindset.

Our expertise, science and technology make us a pharma company. Our open and diverse culture is what makes us uniquely Astellas.

Purpose:

The Rx Pod Lead holds a strategically core position in Digital Health within Astellas, responsible for growing and overseeing multiple value teams under the HealthX hub. This role involves leading and managing these teams, steering the Pod’s strategic and tactical goals, and ensuring alignment with the aspirations of the HealthX leadership team. Essential duties include coordinating value teams, developing and implementing roadmaps, coaching team captains, guiding backlog grooming, leading Pod management standups and retrospectives, consolidating value team statuses at the Pod level, and working closely with the hub leadership team.

This individual will have a strong background in Digital Health product development and significant experience in Digital Product Management. Digital Health expertise will ground the individual in the HealthX hub, but their knowledge and experience as a Digital Product Manager will enable them to strategically input to the development of the Digital Product Management chapter within the CDTO Office.

This is an exciting opportunity to be at the forefront of digital health at Astellas. To be successful in the role the individual will need to work closely with the Head of HealthX and the Digital Health Strategy Lead, champion and develop growing interest in Digital Health across Astellas pharmaceutical teams (early pipeline and strategic brands), balance priorities, manage internal and external resources, and help develop world class digital health products for the Rx business.

Essential Job Responsibilities:

This role is expected to work flexibly, as job responsibilities will evolve as the hub and pod are established, grow and scope is refined. The role is expected to be able to adapt based on evolving findings and learning and work according to the overall direction of the Head of HealthX. Some of the expected core responsibilities are outlined below.

Rx Pod Lead – HealthX / Digital Product Manager

• As a member of the HealthX management team, help establish, develop, and grow the HealthX hub as the home of Digital Health product design and development in Astellas.
• Support development and delivery of the overall strategy for Rx focused Digital Health in Astellas.
• Help develop the ‘Digital Health playbook’ (innovation and development framework) for within Astellas.
• Engage with strategic brands and early asset teams to integrate Digital Health product opportunities into brand strategies, tactics, and operational plans. Manage demand for support and engagement with HealthX Rx Pod and support talent pipeline activities to deliver against these demands and the wider HealthX strategy.
• Support definition of objectives and key results for the Pod including budget tracking and planning.
• Set-up, lead, and guide Value Teams and team captains, assisting in the planning and execution of tasks.
• Where appropriate and necessary, act as Value Team Captain for a team(s) within the Rx Pod. As a digital product manager, define and own the product strategy and roadmap, manage the end-to-end product lifecycle from ideation and prototyping to deployment and post-launch optimization, driving clear definition of product requirements, prioritized features, and an agile development approach.
• Foster a Pod culture that values experimentation, ownership, progress, and success, along with innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Drive a steady state of high performance, creating a unified team within the Pod, ensuring everyone works together towards their objectives.
• Collaborate and coordinate with employees across all levels and functions to prioritise and align Pod activities and deliverables.
• Facilitate meetings including brainstorming, problem identification, and solution development discussions.
• Identify and address any risks or issues related to the Pod.
• Adhere to and promote the DigitalX operating model along with its processes and policies.
• Offer input on people development and performance to relevant DigitalX leaders.
• Report Pod progress to HealthX and wider DigitalX leadership.
• Champion, promote, and support development of world class Digital Product Management capabilities for the enterprise in support of both internal and external products. Help foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Encourage and lead innovative approaches and solutions to drive best practice in Digital Product Management with a focus on Digital Health product development.

Qualifications Required:

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Minimum of 8-10 years related experience.
• Significant demonstrable experience and in-depth knowledge of digital product management, including strategic thinking, strategy and road map creation, program and project strategy and management in a related field (e.g. pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices, diagnosis, digital health or other healthcare industry).
• Specific product management experience in digital health and/or digital therapeutics.
• Proven experience in leading a product management team and digital health focused team(s).
• Proven experience in managing and executing digital health programs from idea conception through development and ideally to launch. Experience in leading front-end innovation phases of work to determine opportunity potential and strategic product roadmaps.
• Experience with mobile app development and SaMD (Software as a Medical Device) development.
• Experience in developing written requirements for technical designs following early innovation explorations, with a strong ability to translate technical and non-technical content to senior stakeholders.
• A genuine passion for providing value to patients through digital healthcare innovations. Must be driven to make a positive impact in the healthcare domain.
• A strong understanding of the healthcare industry, including healthcare delivery systems, clinical workflows, healthcare challenges, and the digital health environment and industry.
• Strong leadership, management, communication, collaboration, organization, judgement, and interpersonal skills for working with diverse global teams, functions, stakeholders, and senior leadership.
• Demonstrated experience of successfully sourcing, engaging, and working with external partners/suppliers.
• Proactive problem solver who is adaptable to changes in technology and regulations.
• Ability to tactically and proactively operate as a team leader and team member, ability to adapt to address challenges and unknowns with structure and an enthusiastic approach.
• Strong sense of ethics and responsibility, understanding the importance of prioritizing patient safety, data privacy, and ethical considerations in all decisions.

Qualifications Preferred:

• Experience in working in a global organization.
• In-depth experience and use of agile project management methodology and tools.

Working Environment

Hybrid work arrangements (on-site/work from home) from certain locations may be permitted in accordance with Astellas’ Responsible Flexibility Guidelines.

This position is remote and is based in Canada (Ontario).

Additional Information

Astellas Pharma Canada welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the hiring process.

Astellas Pharma Canada requires full Vaccination against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Reasonable accommodation to this policy may be granted for a valid accommodation request under human rights legislation.

No telephone inquiries, in-person applications, or agencies please. While we appreciate all applications, only candidates under consideration will be contacted.

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Category HealthX

Astellas is committed to equality of opportunity in all aspects of employment.

EOE including Disability/Protected Veterans

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