Director, Site IT lead and Business Partner

Role Summary

Director, Site IT Lead and Business Partner specialized in Robotics and Process Orchestration to drive digital transformation across AstraZeneca’s Cell Therapy Development & Operations (CTDO). You will bridge CTDO business stakeholders and next-generation IT capabilities, leading the design and execution of polyfunctional robotics, process orchestration, and data strategies that underpin mission-critical cell therapy operations. This role reports to the Executive Director, Ops IT and may be based in Santa Monica or Tarzana, CA.

Responsibilities

• Polyfunctional Robotics program: Lead the IT scope of the process robotics program, covering connectivity, hosting, data management and protection, monitoring and alerting, authentication, cybersecurity, compliance, availability, and BC/DR.
• Own IT delivery, including requirements gathering, integrated planning, team formation, execution steps, test plans, documentation and process development; ensuring successful delivery of the program to meet critical business objectives.
• Process orchestration and integration: Lead the process orchestration program across MES, LIMS, automated process execution, and integration with external systems (e.g., SAP/ERP, cell orchestration, historian).
• Define capabilities, interface design, data integrity, and interoperability across IT/OT boundaries; ensure performance, scalability, and close alignment with business objectives.
• Manufacturing data strategy: Define and execute the data strategy for manufacturing and QC systems, including instrument data capture, contextualization, preservation, archival, protection, and accessibility for AI / analytics use cases.
• Operations IT ‚Äì business partnership: Serve as the primary IT Business Partner for Cell Therapy Operations, aligning platforms, processes, and roles with business priorities; act as a trusted advisor and key member of the site SLT. Shape investment cases, KPIs, and value realization; present status, risks, and decisions; capture feedback to refine roadmaps and execution.

Qualifications

• 12+ years in enterprise IT, with 5+ years in biopharma or advanced therapies; direct experience with robotics/automation and MES/LIMS integration in cell therapy preferred.
• Bachelor‚Äôs degree in engineering, computer science, data/analytics, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• Proven leadership delivering complex programs spanning IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, data platforms, and manufacturing applications.
• Direct experience with platforms such as MES/eBR, LIMS/QMS, ERP/SAP, automation/PLC/robotics, historians, integration middleware/APIs, and cloud data/analytics.
• Strong understanding of data strategy and governance (master data, lineage, retention, protection), and hands-on experience enabling analytics and operational use cases.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and vendors; excellence in stakeholder management, executive communication, and translating technical complexity into business value.
• Financial acumen in shaping business cases, managing budgets, and tracking value realization.