Do you want to be part of an inclusive team that works to develop innovative therapies for patients? Every day, we are driven to develop and deliver innovative and effective new medicines to patients and physicians. If you want to be part of this exciting work, you belong at Astellas!

Astellas Pharma Inc. is a pharmaceutical company conducting business in more than 70 countries around the world. We are committed to turning innovative science into medical solutions that bring value and hope to patients and their families. Keeping our focus on addressing unmet medical needs and conducting our business with ethics and integrity enables us to improve the health of people throughout the world. For more information on Astellas, please visit our website at www.astellas.com .

This position is based in Northbrook, Illinois. Hybrid work from certain states may be permitted in accordance with Astellas’ Responsible Flexibility Guidelines. Candidates interested in hybrid work are encouraged to apply.

Purpose:

The Congress Program Manager is a team member in the Congresses and Events global capability area team, supporting the strategic leadership for global congresses and events. The scope will cover all global in person, hybrid and virtual events including those that are region based and country events with global significance. Each specialist will have a primary TA/TAs and market but is expected to work flexibly to support other TA Events and markets.

Essential Job Responsibilities:

Non-Medical Final Signatory: This role is a Non-Medical Final Signatory. The incumbent is required, subject to qualifying training, to sign the separate document entitled “APEL Key Accountabilities” for Non-Medical Final Signatory. It outlines detailed responsibilities for a Non-Medical Final Signatory.

1. Compliance:

• Embed Compliance Culture across all Regions of the business ensuring Integrity in Action is actively applied in all initiatives.

• Ensure the Congresses and Events Function strictly adopts a culture of ethics and compliance; leading by example and appropriately challenging non-compliance.

• Ensure adherence to Astellas policies relating to Ethics and Compliance standards and interactions with Healthcare Professionals (HCPs), Healthcare Organizations (HCOs) and Patient Organizations (POs).

1. Essential Job Responsibilities:

• Lead the strategic leadership and execution of all global in-person, virtual or hybrid events within specific TAs and regions.

• Support other Managers in Congress Strategy and Engagement on delivery of events under the guidance of Head of Congress Channel Strategy and Engagement.

• Collaborate with affiliate Events team on region-based events and country congresses with global significance – supporting with event budget and execution as required.

• Support delivery in accordance with global brand strategy and objectives.

• Build external relationships and work closely with Health Care Organizations (HCO) in particular to ensure the event strategy is embedded externally to maximize event opportunities for Astellas.

• Build and maintain relationships and work closely with brand teams to drive use of congresses as a strategic channel and critical component of the overall brand plan.

• Broaden the internal stakeholder view from a congress as a single event to congresses as a strategic channel with a ‘before, during and after’ experience linked to the brand and its strategic direction, incorporating various channels and experiences.

• Drive continuous improvement and evolution of the Congress channel by working with Strategic Brand Marketing teams, Medical Affairs and Commercial divisions to gather insights and customer feedback on Congress experience, ensuring learnings and improvements are embedded into future events and/or processes.

• Understand the impact of and implement new approaches and influence Brand Teams to adopt new formats to support the Congress channel strategy.

• Enhance the impact and value of the Congress channel, improving customer experience and engagement and audience reach as well as longevity of congress impact.

• Partner with Digital Excellence, Omni Channel Operations, Commercial Insights and Commercial Communications colleagues to support the uptake of event and digital tools, ensuring best-in-class, seamless event delivery and reporting.

• Manage relationships with designated third-party resources for Global events (excl. region-based events and country events with global significance).

• Ensure Congress governance during development and implementation, and monitor all event-related activities to ensure compliance with Astellas policies, processes, and procedures, supporting the continuous improvement of standards globally.

• Co-create the TA-specific Congress Channel Strategy, working closely with Strategic Brand Marketing team, Brand Directors, Area Associate marketing Directors and wider brand teams to support event planning and execution globally.

• Monitor Congress KPIs developed with the Strategic Brand Marketing team, to ensure sustainable growth in congress excellence.

• Build and maintain an extensive internal and external contacts database for Global events (excl. region-based events and country events with global significance).

• Other such responsibilities as reasonably required.

Mandatory Compliance Requirements:

• To be aware of Astellas' Group Code of Conduct and associated policies and procedures and other applicable laws, codes and regulations.

• Clarify and seek guidance as required, and raise any concerns, in a timely manner, with relevant manager, which may include reference to the Ethics and Compliance Team and/or Ethics and Compliance Helpdesk.

• Undertake and comply with relevant mandatory Ethics and Compliance training and updates to maintain personal awareness; all training to be undertaken in a timely manner.

• Be aware of and comply with, the Astellas Way and Astellas Competences, in terms of expected values and behaviors, in addition to Astellas’ HR policies, procedures and guidelines.

Interpersonal Relationships:

Internal:

• Employees at all levels

• CD and Affiliate leads

• Medical Affairs global / regional / Affiliates

• Management/Colleagues in USA/Japan

External:

• External suppliers and consultants

• Professional and Regulatory bodies (sector, medical etc.)

Specific Physical Abilities:

• Willing and able to undertake international travel (including staying away)

Specific Environmental Factors:

• Reports to Director Congress Channel Strategy and Engagement

• Scope: Global Congresses and Events

• Peer group: Peer group: Manager, Congress Strategy and Engagement, Process and capabilities, Digital team, Market Access team, Operational marketing team, Manager Congress and Events Enablement

Competencies

Customer Focus:

• Fosters a culture where everything is done to enhance value to patients. Intentional about meeting/exceeding customer expectations (internal/external).

Strategic Orientation:

• Credible leader: engages colleagues/team to effectively deliver strategic plan and secure the confidence of key stakeholders.

• Considers broader picture and embeds a ‘best practice’ culture to increase operational performance within a multi-cultural, matrix and global organization.

Innovation and Change:

• Acts as ambassador for change; proactively fosters a continuous improvement and ideas generation culture.

• Secures commitment from peers/colleagues to adopt new work processes, systems, and approaches to embed change.

Results Orientation:

• Demonstrates personal accountability for business performance (unit/function); consistently delivers high performance results addressing risks in a constructive manner.

• Proactively supports team/colleagues to deliver effectively; sets clear expectations, priorities, and objectives utilizing resources for optimum performance.

• Demonstrates integrity, sound judgment and decision-making skills. Addresses non-compliance.

• IT literate; able to utilize MS Office and virtual collaboration tools, database, compliance systems/applications, online knowledge repositories etc.

Communication & Collaboration:

• Strong collaborative skills: able to work cross-functionally and with virtual teams, to build trust, commitment and engagement. Adjusts approach to secure a positive and respectful outcome.

• Regularly seeks and provides constructive feedback with due recognition for individual contribution.

• Ability to deliver management reports and metrics and give ‘formal’ presentations and updates to diverse audience(s), corrective actions, qualitative/quantitative updates etc.

Developing & Inspiring:

• Creates an environment, which fosters learning and development with appropriate stretch and ‘risk.’ Provides constructive feedback to utilize strengths and identify development needs.

• Adopts a coaching approach to develop others and build future leaders with due respect for diversity and inclusion.

Working as One Astellas:

• Acts as an ambassador of ethics and compliance; incorporates cross-cultural perspective when addressing challenging situations.

• Creates an environment, which fosters mutual respect, integrity, and value.

Qualifications Required:

Education:

• Business related or scientific degree.

Work experience:

• 10+ years’ work experience in congress environment (corporate or third-party agency)

• Minimum of (5) years project management in the industry.

• Experience working with LMR (Legal, Medical, Regulatory) teams is a must; An understanding of the different compliance requirements by geography is needed.

• Demonstrable international events management or marketing experience within a pharmaceutical business.

• Evidenced success in understanding customer needs and behaviors in delivering a compliant events program.

• Extensive experience of co-creating/delivering to stretch KPIs.

• Prior event management across a portfolio and events relevant to Astellas portfolio is desirable.

• Highly Flexible travel schedule for US and International (35%) to major events.

Skills, knowledge:

• Proven team management experience with a track record of developing and raising team capability.

• Exposure of working with digital and other event channels, to create a broader experience for the customer (desirable).

• Ability to navigate in matrix global organization, in a multi-cultural environment and leading through influence.

• Strong ability to negotiate and drive value for Astellas with event partners.

• Ability to maintain expenses and budgets.

• Demonstrates full and in-depth knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (i.e., Word, Excel, Power Point, Intranet/Internet, and department meeting management software (i.e., Cvent).

Preferred:

• Business related or scientific degree from a leading university (desirable).

• Experience with Ophthalmology business unit.

Benefits:

• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance

• Generous Paid Time Off options, including Vacation and Sick time, plus national holidays including year-end shut down

• 401(k) match and annual company contribution

• Company paid life insurance

• Annual Corporate Bonus and Quarterly Sales Incentive for eligible positions

• Long Term Incentive Plan for eligible positions

• Referral bonus program

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Category Congresses & Events

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

EOE including Disability/Protected Veterans