Senior Director – EUIT Data & AI Forward Engineering Lead
AstraZeneca
This listing was originally posted on AstraZeneca's careers page. Formulate is an equal opportunity job aggregator and is not involved in the hiring process. Where salary information is estimated, it is derived from BLS industry benchmarks and may differ from actual compensation.
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Upgrade to Pro — $25/moSenior Director – EUIT Data & AI Forward Engineering Lead
Location: Chennai or Bangalore, India
Reports to: Head of Enabling Units IT
Intelligent data solutions and machine learning are changing how we work, make decisions and deliver value across AstraZeneca. We seek a Senior Director, Enabling Units IT Data & AI Forward Engineering Lead to help build that change.
You will guide and manage a team that brings data, AI and forward engineering closer to the business. Working across Finance, HR, GBS, Legal, Compliance, M&A and EUIT, your team will turn business opportunities into trusted data products, AI solutions and measurable improvements in productivity, cost, speed and decision-making.
This is a broad technology leadership role combining strategy for data and AI, engineering, product leadership, transformation and operational excellence. You will collaborate with senior business and technology leaders and develop talent in India and the UK. You will invent an environment where teams can experiment, learn, and turn promising ideas into solutions that make a difference.
You will define and deliver the EUIT Data & AI Forward Engineering strategy, connecting technology investment to business priorities.
You will partner with senior leaders across Finance and enabling functions to identify opportunities where data, AI and automation can improve decisions, simplify work and create measurable value.
You will also bring relevant external perspectives into AstraZeneca, translating developments in AI, data and engineering into practical opportunities for the organisation.
You will build a forward engineering model where multidisciplinary teams work closely with business colleagues to understand problems, test ideas and rapidly develop solutions.
Your organisation will develop trusted, reusable data products and AI capabilities that support analytics, automation and decision-making.
You will work with enterprise teams to establish strong engineering, architecture, security and governance practices, with privacy, responsible AI and data quality incorporated from the beginning.
You will shape how AI agents are developed, deployed, managed and improved across EUIT.
Working with technology, security and governance teams, you will establish clear approaches for ownership, human oversight, observability, evaluation and cost management.
You will encourage reuse and interoperability while reducing unnecessary duplication. Solutions will be measured against clear outcomes including productivity, quality, adoption and cost.
You will create practical ways for teams to experiment with new technology, quickly test promising ideas and scale solutions that deliver value.
Rather than focusing only on proofs of concept, you will help teams establish proof of value, linking investments to measurable improvements in productivity, cost, speed, risk reduction and decision-making.
You will establish clear baselines and measures with Finance and business partners so that the impact of technology investment is visible and understood.
A significant part of the role will be helping colleagues across EUIT build confidence and capability with AI.
You will develop learning opportunities that bring AI to life through hackathons, demonstrations, speaker sessions, communities of practice and role-based learning.
You will create opportunities for colleagues to experiment safely and help promising ideas progress from demonstrations into useful products, tools and AI agents.
You will build and develop a diverse team of forward engineers, data product leaders, AI specialists and technology leaders, with a significant talent base in India.
You will help evolve EUIT towards persistent, product-focused teams that are accountable for outcomes, adoption and continuous improvement.
You will also shape future skills and career pathways across forward engineering, data products, AI and agent engineering, platform architecture and value management.
You will work with strategic partners and managed service providers to strengthen operational performance, resilience and cost effectiveness.
You will encourage greater automation and increasingly self-healing operations while maintaining business continuity across critical EUIT services and delivery locations.
You will also promote strong commercial and FinOps practices across data, cloud and AI investment.
Success in this role means:
We are looking for a senior technology leader who has operated in a complex, global organisation and can connect technology strategy with business outcomes.
You will bring significant leadership experience in data, analytics, AI, engineering or digital transformation, with evidence of building and developing technology teams.
You should also have experience in several of the following areas:
Experience working with Finance, HR, Legal, Compliance, shared services or M&A would be valuable.
You understand modern data and AI ecosystems and can engage effectively with both technical teams and business leaders.
You do not need to be the deepest technical specialist in every area. You should be able to bring together business, product, engineering and technology perspectives to make sound decisions and enable teams to succeed.
We value leaders who combine strategic thinking with curiosity, collaboration and a willingness to challenge assumptions.
You will be comfortable influencing senior stakeholders, navigating complexity and making decisions when the path is not always obvious.
You will create an environment where people can contribute different perspectives, experiment responsibly, learn quickly and grow their careers.
Most importantly, you will keep teams focused on the people and business outcomes technology is intended to serve.
A bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, Information Technology or a related subject area would be valuable. A master's degree or MBA may also be beneficial.
Experience across different industries, including pharmaceuticals, consumer goods or technology, can bring useful perspective.
External engagement with Data, AI, engineering or technology communities would also be welcomed.
This role offers an opportunity to shape how Data & AI is used across some of AstraZeneca's most important global business functions.
At AstraZeneca, different perspectives help us innovate. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where people can contribute, develop and succeed. We welcome applications from people with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives and provide reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process.
Date Posted
21-Oct-2026Closing Date
29-Oct-2026AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics. We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.
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