Astellas Pharma

Global Network & Call Center Technologies Lead

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:

We are seeking a visionary and technically skilled Global Network & Call Center Technologies Lead to oversee the design, transformation, and secure operation of our global network infrastructure and enterprise contact center technologies. This strategic leadership role will be responsible for delivering high-performance, scalable, and secure connectivity across all users, sites, and critical business functions, including manufacturing and research operations.

As the POD lead for global networking, this role will drive a major network transformation initiative and ensure that our architecture and operations align to our enterprise-wide Zero Trust strategy. The successful candidate will also lead innovation in call center technologies, applying AI, analytics, and automation to modernize and enhance global customer engagement capabilities.

Essential Job Responsibilities:

Network Leadership & Transformation

• Lead the Global Network POD responsible for delivering all enterprise networking services (LAN, WAN, SD-WAN, wireless, cloud, hybrid connectivity).
• Execute a global network transformation roadmap that emphasizes security, agility, and cloud readiness.
• Design and implement network architecture that enables our Zero Trust security model, ensuring authentication, segmentation, and least-privilege access across all environments.
• Oversee secure, reliable connectivity across corporate, manufacturing, and research facilities, supporting critical operations without disruption.
• Manage and operate enterprise-grade network security tools and infrastructure:
• Palo Alto firewalls
• Zscaler ZIA/ZPA
• VPN, DNS security, micro segmentation, and secure remote access
• Use telemetry, AIOps, and automation to drive proactive monitoring, incident response, and root cause analysis.

Call Center Technology & Innovation

• Own and evolve the global architecture and support model for all call center and customer engagement platforms (voice, IVR, CTI, omnichannel).
• Lead digital transformation of the contact center through the deployment of:
• AI-driven voice and sentiment analytics
• Virtual agents, intelligent routing, and automation
• Enhanced self-service and knowledge management tools
• Partner with business teams to improve operational efficiency, customer experience, and insight generation using advanced analytics and AI/ML.

Strategic & Cross-functional Leadership

• Serve as a key influencer in global infrastructure and security architecture initiatives.
• Ensure all network and voice platforms meet regulatory, privacy, and data protection requirements—especially in regulated and GxP environments.
• Collaborate with information security, digital workplace, cloud, and business technology teams to deliver secure, integrated, and future-ready capabilities.
• Lead vendor and service provider relationships to deliver on SLA, innovation, and cost efficiency.

Qualifications Required:

• 10+ years of progressive experience in global network and voice infrastructure roles, with 3+ years in technical leadership.
• Deep experience with network architecture and security in manufacturing and R&D environments, including compliance and uptime sensitivity.
• Demonstrated leadership in network modernization, including SD-WAN, cloud connectivity, and secure hybrid designs.
• In-depth knowledge of Zero Trust principles and the ability to apply them across network and access domains.
• Strong hands-on and architectural expertise in:
• Network security platforms (Palo Alto, Zscaler)
• Call center technologies (Genesys, NICE, Cisco, Avaya, Five9, etc.)
• AI/ML applications in networking or contact centers
• Strong collaboration, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

Preferred:

• Palo Alto Networks (PCNSE)
• Zscaler Certified Professional (ZCP)
• Contact center certifications (Genesys, NICE, Cisco, etc.)
• Zero Trust or cloud architecture certifications (e.g., AWS, Azure, CISSP)

Working Environment:

At Astellas we recognize the importance of work/life balance, and we are proud to offer a hybrid working solution allowing time to connect with colleagues at the office with the flexibility to also work from home. We believe this will optimize the most productive work environment for all employees to succeed and deliver. Hybrid work from certain locations may be permitted in accordance with Astellas’ Responsible Flexibility Guidelines.

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

Category TechX

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

EOE including Disability/Protected Veterans

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