Position summary

AstraZeneca is seeking a Director, Sustainability Reporting & Communications to strengthen how the company delivers local statutory and voluntary sustainability disclosures across its global footprint. The role supports the development and implementation of AstraZeneca’s approach to local sustainability reporting, providing subject matter expertise, practical direction, and coordination for subsidiaries and local Finance teams to ensure disclosures are controlled, consistent, compliant, and aligned with Group sustainability reporting standards.

Why this role matters

As a global, science-led pharmaceutical company operating across many jurisdictions, AstraZeneca faces a fast-evolving landscape of sustainability disclosure requirements. This role builds the practical processes, governance, and controls that keep local disclosures compliant and audit-ready while aligned to Group narratives, methodologies, and reputation.

Key responsibilities

• Design the operating model for local sustainability reporting, including roles, governance, review points, and escalation paths for statutory and voluntary disclosures.
• Monitor emerging requirements by interpreting standards for subsidiaries, including IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards, CSRD-related requirements, AASB S2, BRSR, and other local frameworks.
• Provide subject matter expertise and practical guidance to subsidiaries and Group teams on local reporting regulations, designing reports and processes to aid compliance across jurisdictions.
• Build a knowledge hub to share local sustainability data and best practices on voluntary disclosures, with communications expertise on meeting local goals while maintaining Group and local compliance and reputation.
• Develop standards and documentation by maintaining SOPs, templates, guidance, timelines, controls, and documentation standards for subsidiary reporting.
• Ensure Group alignment so local disclosures align with Group commitments, narratives, materiality, data definitions, methodologies, and reporting policies.
• Coordinate cross-functionally with Group Financial Reporting, Sustainability Reporting, Internal Controls, Corporate Affairs, Legal, and other teams to support review and approval.
• Assure quality by overseeing consistency, completeness, and audit-readiness of reporting documentation, including evidence, approvals, and control performance.
• Drive continuous improvement through simplification, automation, knowledge sharing, and capability building, and act as escalation support for complex reporting matters.

Team and stakeholders

The role works closely with Sustainability Reporting, Group Financial Reporting, Sustainability Data, Local Finance teams, Company Secretariat, Legal, Corporate Affairs, SHE, Internal Controls and Governance, Enterprise Risk Management, and local sustainability, Finance, and business leadership, and may engage external assurance providers, local accounting firms, reporting advisors, regulatory bodies, and technology partners.

Key details

This is a Director-level role based in Luton, UK (Job ID R-261991), within a global pharmaceutical organisation.

Requirements

Essential

• Extensive experience in sustainability, finance, ESG, audit, risk, controls, or a related discipline in a complex global organisation.
• Strong knowledge of sustainability reporting regulations, standards, and frameworks, and the ability to translate requirements into practical processes.
• Experience leading cross-functional, multi-market projects with senior stakeholders, local teams, and external advisors.
• Strong understanding of governance, controls, documentation, assurance readiness, and disclosure review processes.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, including advising senior leaders and supporting teams through ambiguity and change.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, able to turn complex technical matters into clear guidance and decision-ready recommendations.
• Strong programme management skills, including prioritisation, timeline management, multiple workstreams, and high-quality delivery under reporting deadlines.
• Graduate degree or equivalent experience in sustainability, finance, accounting, business, law, environmental management, economics, or a related field.

Preferred

• Experience with CSRD/ESRS, IFRS S1/S2, TCFD, EU Taxonomy, BRSR, AASB S2, or similar national reporting requirements.
• Experience with Group Reporting, Company Secretariat, Legal, Corporate Affairs, Internal Controls, or external assurance providers.
• Experience in pharmaceuticals, healthcare, or another highly regulated sector.
• Experience building reporting processes, operating models, SOPs, RACIs, controls, and capability programmes across jurisdictions.
• Familiarity with reporting systems, data platforms, workflow tools, or disclosure management tools such as Workiva.
• Familiarity with XBRL, digital tagging, or structured data for sustainability, financial, or corporate reporting.
• Understanding of how AI, automation, or analytics can improve reporting processes, data quality, review workflows, and insight generation.
• Fluency or strong working proficiency in multiple languages, such as Chinese, Spanish, or others relevant to in-scope jurisdictions.