Delivery and Change Director

In the Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DS&AI) Business Planning & Operations, we support DS&AI’s mission to use Data and AI to turn science into medicines more quickly, more cost-effectively and with higher success rate.
This is where you could come in. Working in Strategic Planning and Operations at AstraZeneca is fast-paced, dynamic and challenging. We are looking for people who want to seize the opportunity to take an exciting step in their personal development journey and play a fundamental part of delivering a world-class Data Science & AI organisation.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone to join the DS&AI Business Planning & Operations Department within DS&AI function with a focus on leading a team of expert project managers that support our key projects/services to drive deployment and change at scale. In particular, this role translates Data and AI capabilities into useful solutions for Therapeutic Areas (TA) customers therefore bringing the organisation along the journey and ensuring solutions are adopted by TAs. Leadership for this role will also extend to other operational experts to drive some aspects of the end-to-end operational activities. We are looking for a leader with strong project management background to lead a team of experts.

Reporting directly to the Data Science & AI Head of Business Planning & Operations, our Delivery and Change Director will have strong business acumen and experience working with senior stakeholders across AZ who wants to contribute towards embedding DS&AI in R&D.

**Typical Accountabilities**

Broad strategic and line management
- Sets the broad Project/Programme Management strategy for project/services delivery and deployment at scale.
- Leads a team of Project/Change Management experts and operational staff to drive projects’/services’ delivery and deployment at scale.
- Owns the collaboration with third parties providing Project/Change Management capabilities for the delivery and deployment of our projects/services.
- Ensures that the tangible and intangible values of projects/programmes/services is part of the normal routine of project management
- Ensures projects/services decisions are integrated with the DS&AI Governance.
- Leads and manages the strategy of the innovation portfolio across departments. Establishes and manages a process to generate new ideas at departmental level and to channel new ideas (e.g: from the innovation campaigns) into our governance and R&D processes’ workflows.

Project/Programme Management
- Manages projects/programme/services budgets and agrees projects/programme/srvices plans, including activities, resources, costs, roles, responsibilities, and quality.
- Establish projects/programme/services vision and an approach to its realisation.
- Offers the highest level of technical expertise in project management, project planning, budgets and methodologies.
- Defines project resources, performance reviews and post implementation evaluations and reviews high-level deliverables across business area.
- Provide overall direction, leadership, and decision-making to programme/project/services teams.
- Establish and manage relationships with key senior/executive stakeholders within AZ to ensure understanding and commitment to project objectives, and development and refinement of project deliverables.
- Manages the strategic aspects of large projects. Prepares mitigation plans and reports risk issues.
- Oversees senior managers and managers working on projects within business area.
- Manages interdependencies between programmes and ensure successful delivery and co-ordination of workstreams.
- Oversees the development of strategic risk analysis and subsequent control plans for programmes and actively uses these to assess the effect of changes in terms of risks, costs, timescales, and resources; involves other organisations/stakeholders when necessary.
- Ensures engagement reviews and quality assurance procedures take place for all programme activities.
- Oversee the development and implementation of communication strategies for different programmes.
- Takes ownership of the successful implementation of the projects
- Responsible for budget and resource allocation
- Manages Steering Committee expectations in line with project requirements.
- Ensure streamlined transition into business areas and ensure controlled hand-overs to users and business as usual processes

**Education, Qualifications, Skills and Experience**

Essential
- Data Science and Artificial Intelligence expertise and/or experiece - Experience of leading a global team of experts for projects/services delivery and deployment at scale - Experience of managing large complex projects/programmes or in a similar role.
- Evidence of leading and developing innovative solutions that have a major impact within the business area and organisation.
- Significant experience in AGILE programme/project management, with a proven track record
- Experience of defining