VP Compliance International Markets

Role Overview

VP Compliance International Markets at AstraZeneca. This strategic leadership role is based across AstraZeneca's International Commercial Markets, encompassing Latin America, Middle East & Africa, Russia/Eurasia, and Asia-Pacific (excluding China and Japan).

Company Overview

AstraZeneca is a biopharmaceutical company united by a shared purpose to push the boundaries of science and deliver life-changing medicines. The company prioritizes diversity, with workforce composition reflecting the people it serves and perspectives embedded across all operations. The International Markets region represents one of AstraZeneca's most dynamic and rapidly growing commercial territories, characterized by significant compliance complexity across diverse regulatory environments and business models ranging from country-based legal marketing affiliates in mature markets to primarily distributor-based models in smaller and emerging markets.

Role Purpose

Own and evolve the Global Ethics & Compliance Programme across AstraZeneca's International Commercial Markets. Lead a geographically dispersed team of 30+ compliance professionals as the primary compliance voice for the International Markets, balancing robust risk management with agility to support AstraZeneca's growth ambitions across Oncology, Respiratory, CVRM, Vaccines & Immunotherapy, and Rare Disease therapy areas.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Governance

• Own and evolve the International Markets compliance strategy, ensuring alignment with global programme objectives while addressing unique risk profiles of mature and emerging markets operating under diverse commercial models
• Serve as an active, trusted member of the Global Compliance Leadership Team and International Leadership Team
• Provide strategic compliance counsel on business initiatives, innovative models (digital health, expanded screening, personalised medicine, guideline-driven patient care), and market expansion across primarily public-pay and self-pay healthcare systems
• Act as the primary compliance point of contact for International Markets, including interactions with external regulators, agencies, industry bodies (e.g., IFPMA), and law enforcement in collaboration with Legal partners

Risk Management & Controls

• Drive effective risk awareness and mitigation across routine business activities and innovative approaches
• Apply learnings for enterprise-wide improvement
• Ensure robust compliance controls are embedded by design within key business processes and incentive structures
• Evolve the control framework to address emerging local, regional, and global risks
• Partner with Global Compliance Assurance to implement proactive monitoring and reporting systems that provide ongoing assurance of adherence to compliance standards and ethical decision-making
• Remediate known gaps timely and apply related learnings across the region and globally

Business Partnership & Enablement

• Empower the business as the first line of defence, providing pragmatic, solutions-oriented advice that enables agile decision-making
• Deliver strategic compliance guidance to senior leaders, distilling complex regulatory and risk issues into business-friendly language and actionable recommendations
• Constructively challenge where needed while maintaining credibility as an independent advisor with deep understanding of commercial realities, risks and opportunities
• Collaborate closely with EUCAN, Biopharma, Oncology, and Rare Disease compliance teams as well as Global Assurance, Global Compliance Investigations, Enterprise Compliance, Data Ethics and the Strategy & Operations centre to drive consistency, avoid duplication and leverage innovation

Culture, Training & Communications

• Champion AstraZeneca's Values-based culture, starting with "We do the right thing"
• Ensure International Market leaders set appropriate tone-at-the-top and cultivate an environment where individuals feel empowered to speak up
• Drive implementation of compliance training and develop business-relevant case studies, tools, and innovative communication resources that support principles-based decision-making
• Foster accountability at all levels, ensuring employees understand minimum expectations and possess the capabilities to operate with integrity

People Leadership & Development

• Lead, develop, and inspire a diverse team of 30+ compliance business partners and Area leads across multiple geographies and time zones
• Build a collaborative, nimble, and high-performing team culture
• Develop future leaders and drive simplification, efficiency, and digital ways of working across the function
• Establish deep networks across support functions (HR, Legal, IT, Procurement, Global Business Services, Internal Audit, Media Relations) as an ambassador for the broader Ethics & Compliance strategy

Qualifications & Experience

• Advanced degree required: JD, MA/MS, or MBA
• 8–10 years in the biopharmaceutical industry (AstraZeneca experience preferred)
• 3–5 years leading area, regional, or global teams
• Significant compliance, legal, audit, and/or risk management experience with deep understanding of compliance challenges confronting the biopharmaceutical or healthcare industry
• Demonstrated effectiveness in complex, global organisational and regulatory environments, including both mature and emerging markets
• Practical experience implementing and enhancing effective compliance programme elements
• Established track record of collaboration in a matrix organisation and continuously improving compliance frameworks across business units and/or markets
• International role experience strongly preferred, including exposure to diverse commercial models (direct affiliate operations through to distributor-based markets)

Skills & Competencies

Business Partnership & Commercial Acumen

• Proactive business partner mindset — trusted and credible advisor at all levels who balances appropriate risk management with enabling commercial objectives
• Solution-oriented thinker with pragmatic approach; delivers simple, business-driven solutions to complex challenges
• Makes well-reasoned decisions in ambiguous situations guided by AstraZeneca's Values
• Comfortable operating at pace in a fluid environment

Compliance & Risk Expertise

• Deep understanding of compliance risks and the operation of effective compliance programmes across all stages of late-stage development, commercialization and the broader supply chain
• Demonstrated expertise in bribery & corruption, healthcare fraud, data privacy, promotion of biopharmaceuticals, scientific exchange, and bioethics
• Strong capability in data analysis and leveraging data-driven insights for risk management and decision-making

Leadership & Influence

• Proven ability to operate at all levels of management, including senior executives
• Influence significant business decisions and strategy
• Courage to articulate contrary or unpopular positions when warranted
• Effective people leader who recruits, develops, and retains diverse talent
• Drives change within teams and cross-functionally
• Committed to creating a positive, inclusive working environment
• Passionate and resilient — motivated by AstraZeneca's mission to transform patient outcomes

Interpersonal & Cultural Agility

• Excellent relationship-building skills across different geographies, cultures, time zones, and virtual settings
• Global mindset with sensitivity to diverse cultural, local regulatory and health system contexts
• Multilingual capability and/or experience living in multiple countries are distinct advantages
• Active listener who is open to compromise and challenge
• Adapts communication style to different audiences and preferences

Personal Qualities

• Uncompromising professional ethics and integrity
• Scrupulously protects confidential information
• Self-motivated with strong learning agility
• Personally committed to continuous development
• Team-first orientation — prioritises collective success over personal achievement
• Confident in exercising independent judgment and identifying when to escalate or involve others with relevant expertise

Additional Information

• Position posted 04 September 2026; closing date 11 September 2026
• AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity and is committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds with as wide a range of perspectives as possible
• All qualified candidates are welcomed and considered regardless of characteristics; the company complies with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment and recruitment, as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements