Director, Senior Product Owner

About the Operations IT Team:AstraZeneca Operations IT is a global IT capability supporting the Global Operations organisation. We partner with Operations Business capability areas: Pharmaceutical Technology Development, Manufacturing & Global Engineering, Quality, Sustainability, Supply Chain, Logistics and Global External Sourcing and Procurement. We operate out of Operations hubs sites including in the UK, Sweden, US, and China; and out of our Global Technology Centres in India and Mexico.

What you'll do:The Director, Senior Product Owner, will use their IT expertise, bio-pharma industry trends/experience and in-depth understanding of AZ business priorities to lead the functional/capability IT/Digital strategy development, investment planning, and delivery. The role will develop and own strategic relationships with key parts of the AZ Global Quality aligned Business Process Owners identifying ways for IT to partner with the in achieving and exceeding their business objectives with regard to corporate quality assurance (PQS, QMS) and laboratory based IT processes and systems (i.e. Laboratory Information Management (LIMS), Laboratory Execution (LES), Chromatography (CDS), Environmental Monitoring (EM), Data Management (SDMS), etc...). This role will drive the development and own of the capability global strategy roadmap, sequencing, prioritization, and backlogs. The strategy will look at all aspects of IT/Digital for the capability area including the foundational and transformational solutions required to create maximum competitive advantage. The role will be accountable for the successful delivery of programs, projects, and products working with a multi-functional matrix team.

Key Accountabilities will include:

Be responsible for the strategic relationship with Operations Senior Leadership Team (OSLT-1) (or similar) senior leaders, Global Business Process Owners, and actively contribute to the functional leadership team (where applicable)

Partner with relevant IT Teams to ensure that all IT services used by the function meet the agreed performance outcomes and drive continuous improvement initiatives as required

Provide thought leadership to develop the business strategy, define the technology direction, and own the IT/Digital strategy and roadmap

Drive end-to-end IT satisfaction, return on investment and TCO improvements for the functional area

Main point of contact for the function to resolve and manage significant service issues/problems/incidents

Partner with the business to develop clear business cases linked to business and IT outcomes

Support the collation and own the prioritization of portfolio, balancing priorities and IT/Operations strategic principles and governance

Lead Ideation, Innovation, and MVPs to continually improve and/or transform capability area, including working with the Data, Analytics and AI team on relevant uses cases aligned to the strategic roadmap

Prioritisation of platform/product feature backlogs working closely with scaled delivery and external partners

Drive the collation of information from relevant sources for analysis and trends for informed decision making, using a high degree of domain area knowledge and expertise

Communicate, influence, and provide advice to relevant stakeholders to drive strategy and projects

Manage and inspire a multi-functional matrix team setting clear direction for the team and removing barriers

Develop strategic relationships with AZ IT Business Technology Groups (BTGs) and Centers for Enablement (C4E) colleagues, together with external partners to identify and deliver solutions that enable business objectives

Leadership, planning, coordination, and delivery of projects using both traditional and agile delivery approaches

Accountable for the delivery of Quality IT portfolio projects and programs including resolving issues, escalations, and identify ways to mitigate risks

Essential requirements for the role:

Rich experience of bio-pharma industry with strong knowledge and background in Quality Assurance, Quality Control and Laboratory systems

Strong background of partnering across IT and Business stakeholders, building trustworthy relationships and establishing common objectives

Strong experience in IT solution delivery to global functions in support of GxP business processes

Experience of identification and implementation of innovative technology solutions

A proven track record of delivering results

Experience of building high value business cases & mobilising high value investments

Experience of leading teams with a demonstrable track record of motivational and achievement oriented leadership

Experience of managing third party suppliers and have strong network and consulting skills

Strong verbal and written communication skills

Strong influencing, networking and team working skills

High level awareness of developments in the Information Technology marketplace

Demonstrate strong relationship building skills with the ability to influence others to achieve objectives

Proficiency in planning, change management and problem solving and able to resolve issues of a highly complex and strategic nature

Demonstrable ability to relate and respond to business needs in an IT environment

Ability to manage negotiations, expectations and solutions across complex groups

Bachelor Degree or equivalent level

Work policy:When we put people in the same room, we unleash bold thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions. That's why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office. This role is located in Södertälje, Sweden and is not available for remote work or with travel or commuting support.