Astellas Canada – Platform Engineer – Market Access and Pricing 

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. 

Astellas Pharma Canada (APCA) is currently searching for a Platform Engineer – Market Access and Pricing. 

Description 
As a Platform Engineer in a specific area of digital expertise, you will be a crucial player in driving our digital initiatives forward in our agile organization. Our agile operating model consists of two components – Digital Capability and Digital Execution. Digital Execution are about aligning multiple missions around business goals and facilitating collaboration on a larger scale. Digital Capability, on the other hand, focus on the growth and development of individuals within a specific expertise area. This dual structure enables us to scale agile practices efficiently while maintaining a focus on both product development and individual skill enhancement. 

A Platform Engineer is responsible for end-to-end management of market access and pricing related applications in the commercial space. The role acts as a system owner and a liaison between business and third-party vendors in the development, deployment, and integration of software platforms that support our business processes and operations. This role involves a blend of technical expertise, business acumen, and a deep understanding of the relevant platforms. The goal is to ensure these platforms are optimized to support business goals, enhance efficiency, and drive growth. You will be at the forefront of implementing innovative solutions and will have the opportunity to work on cutting-edge technologies in your field. 

Essential Job Duties 

Stakeholder Collaboration: Serve as a liaison between business units and technical teams to ensure clear communication and understanding of project goals, requirements, and constraints. Facilitate meetings and discussions to gather feedback and consensus.  Products Roadmaps: Collaborate with stakeholders across business and DigitalX to define the strategy and roadmaps for the systems in your scope.  Business Requirements Analysis: Collaborate with business stakeholders to understand their needs, goals, and objectives. With help from a Business Analyst, analyse business processes and workflows to identify improvement opportunities and define requirements for solutions.  Technical Specification Development: Translate business requirements into detailed technical specifications that guide the development of software applications, systems, or processes. Ensure that these specifications meet both the business needs and technical standards.  Solution Design and Recommendation: Work with Digital and software development teams, both internal or at vendor side, to design solutions that fulfil business requirements. Evaluate potential technical solutions for feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and alignment with business objectives.  Test Planning and Execution: Develop and maintain test strategies and plans that align with the sprint goals and overall project objectives. Create detailed, effective test cases and scripts based on user stories and acceptance criteria. Execute manual and automated tests during sprints to ensure continuous integration and deployment readiness. Defect Management: Identify, log, and track defects and inconsistencies. Work closely with the development team to facilitate quick resolutions. Provide feedback and recommendations to vendors on software usability and functionality. Compliance: Coordinate the Compliance team to ensure adherence to the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) standards through the entire life of the business application.
Project Management Support: Assist in project management tasks, such as planning, scheduling, and tracking progress. Ensure that projects stay on track to meet deadlines and budget constraints.  Training and Support: Work with business analyst and/or Leaning and Development team to develop training materials and provide support to users on new systems or applications. Ensure that end-users are equipped to use the new solutions effectively.  Cross-Cultural Experience:  Work experience across multiple cultures and regions, facilitating effective collaboration in diverse environments.  Innovation and Creativity: Ability to think innovatively and propose creative solutions to complex technical challenges.