Senior Director – IT Business Partner, Global Business Services & Global Corporate Affairs in Luton

This enterprise-level leadership role partners with Global Business Services and Global Corporate Affairs to define and deliver AI and technology-enabled transformation at global scale. Sitting at the intersection of business strategy, technology innovation and executive leadership, the position shapes how AI, data and platforms reimagine service delivery, governance, compliance and decision-making across the organisation. This is a business-embedded, outcome-led role for a senior leader who can influence at the top table, translate strategy into action, and scale AI and technology transformation with pace and discipline.

Accountabilities

• Act as the primary technology and transformation partner to senior leaders across Global Business Services and Global Corporate Affairs, building trusted executive relationships and influencing strategic priorities and investment decisions.
• Translate complex business challenges into clear, outcome-focused technology strategies that drive measurable value.
• Lead enterprise-grade AI and technology transformation initiatives from experimentation through to sustained value at scale.
• Identify, prioritise and scale high-impact AI, automation and analytics use cases, shifting the focus from proof of concept to proof of value with clear metrics and benefits.
• Modernise global service delivery models using AI and platform-led approaches, enabling data-driven operations across core Global Business Services processes.
• Drive the evolution from transactional delivery to insight-led services, accelerating progress towards an Autonomous GBS vision and delivering the GBS2030 strategy.
• Shape the technology and AI strategy for Corporate Affairs, ensuring responsible, ethical and compliant use of AI in regulated environments.
• Establish guardrails, governance and controls that protect reputation while enabling innovation.
• Own and govern a global technology investment portfolio, building investment-grade business cases with clear outcomes and benefits.
• Oversee delivery through outcome-based metrics, ensuring investments are aligned to strategic priorities and deliver tangible business impact.
• Lead and develop a high-performing, business-embedded technology leadership team with a strong culture of accountability, collaboration and innovation.
• Manage strategic partnerships with vendors and system integrators, bringing external market insight, best practice and innovation into the organisation to stay ahead of industry disruption.

Essential Skills/Experience

• Extensive senior technology leadership experience in large, global organisations.
• Proven executive partnership across GBS and Enabling Functions.
• Demonstrated success delivering large-scale AI and tech transformation.
• Strong experience with Global Business Services or shared services models.
• Experience owning significant investment portfolios, benefit cases and transformation roadmaps.
• Deep experience managing strategic vendors and consulting partners.
• Strong understanding of GBS and shared services processes.
• Ability to build technology strategy in alignment to business strategy.
• Experience with enterprise platforms such as SAP, ServiceNow, and automation tools.
• Deep understanding of AI, automation, and advanced analytics.
• Strong knowledge of data governance, privacy, and regulatory requirements.
• Executive presence with the ability to influence, challenge, and align senior partners.
• Strategic, commercial, and outcome-driven mentality.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and leading complex, global change.
• Proven people leader able to build and inspire high-performing teams.
• Recognised business and technology thought leader.

When we put unexpected teams 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. But that doesn't mean we're not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our outstanding and ambitious world.

AstraZeneca offers the chance to disrupt an industry while working on technology that directly impacts patients’ lives, combining ground breaking digital platforms, data, analytics and AI with world-class science to power a truly data-led enterprise. Teams operate with real ownership, experimenting with new solutions in a modern technology environment, collaborating across disciplines and geographies to drive simplicity, efficiency and scale. Learning never stops here: from hackathons to partnerships with start-ups and academics, there is constant opportunity to grow skills, broaden experience and contribute to bold digital ambitions that keep the company at the forefront of healthcare innovation.

If this role matches your experience and ambition, apply now to help lead this transformation!

Date Posted: 30-Apr-2026

Closing Date: 14-May-2026

Our mission is to build an inclusive and equitable environment. We want people to feel they belong at AstraZeneca and Alexion, starting with our recruitment process. We welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of characteristics. We offer reasonable adjustments/accommodations to help all candidates to perform at their best. If you have a need for any adjustments/accommodations, please complete the section in the application form.