Introduction to role: Are you ready to set the digital North Star for end-to-end technical operations and turn Industry 4.0 into tangible benefits for patients and customers? Based in Dublin with a global remit, this role leads the digital agenda across manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and IT/OT to accelerate supply of new modalities, improve reliability, and strengthen our driven edge in rare disease. You will define the vision, strategy, and roadmap for end-to-end digital capabilities and orchestrate execution across sites and functions. How would you connect factory floors, labs, planning, and customer touchpoints into a single, real-time view that anticipates demand and prevents disruption? You will cultivate an innovation ecosystem, embed digital ways of working, and unlock the data foundation that powers advanced analytics and AI—so teams can make faster, better decisions that serve patients sooner. Accountabilities: Digital North Star: Define a clear, dedicated end-to-end digital strategy aligned to business goals, with a compelling narrative that inspires followership and sets priorities. Portfolio and Roadmap: Build and maintain an integrated, sequenced portfolio of digital investments that balances speed, risk, capacity, and value realization to create sustainable advantage. Value Metrics and Governance: Establish success factors and critical metrics; maintain a transparent scorecard and outcomes narrative; report quarterly progress to executive management and governance forums. Cross-Functional Orchestration: Lead connected factory and supply chain initiatives end-to-end; align manufacturing sites, quality, supply chain, and IT/OT to deliver real-time visibility and value. Operating Model and Funding: Evolve the operating model, funding approach, and resource strategy (including MTP/LTP planning) to scale and integrate digital and data capabilities across technical operations. Change and Adoption: Sponsor change networks, training, communications, and value attainment to drive adoption and sustain new ways of working. Innovation Ecosystem and Partnerships: Forge strong partnerships across internal collaborators, enterprise teams, technology vendors, and industry groups to bring outside-in insights and accelerate innovation; integrate with site strategies and master plans. Data, IT/OT and Advanced Analytics: Identify and close gaps across IT/OT, data, systems, and infrastructure; shape investments that enable autonomous manufacturing, connected factory, and advanced analytics across the value chain. Storytelling and Momentum: Communicate achievements, lessons, and ambitions across the network to build momentum and reinforce a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. External Influence and Benchmarking: Represent the rare disease organization on enterprise programs and national forums; collaborate with industry bodies such as BioPhorum and ISPE to benchmark and adopt standard methodologies. Grants and Co-Funding: Partner with external agencies, including the Industrial Development Agency (IDA), to secure digital grants and ensure compliant, timely landmark delivery. Data Strategy and Governance: Ensure consistent data governance, integrity, and accessibility across the enterprise; maintain the roadmap of data products that enable our AI ambitions. Essential Skills/Experience: Experience: Minimum 15 years of progressive experience, with a consistent track record leading broad digital transformation, preferably across end-to-end supply chain, manufacturing, quality/QC in biopharma or highly regulated manufacturing. E2E Supply Chain Operations Expertise: Deep understanding of supply chain, planning, manufacturing, quality/QC, logistics, and customer connectivity, and how digital enables end-to-end value. Strategic Leadership: Demonstrated ability to set vision and strategy, translate into actionable portfolios and roadmaps, and deliver measurable outcomes at enterprise scale. Influence and Storytelling: Exceptional communication and executive presence; able to simplify complexity into compelling narratives that secure buy-in across senior leadership and cross-functional teams. Innovation Mindset: Entrepreneurial, outside-in orientation with strong awareness of industry trends and the ability to challenge the status quo and unlock new value pools. Transformation Delivery: Hands-on leadership of change management, adoption, and benefits realization; high bias for action and resilient in navigating organizational complexity. Operational Excellence and Data: Working knowledge of operational excellence, data ecosystems and governance, and the intersection of IT/OT in manufacturing and quality environments. Desirable Skills/Experience: Industry Engagement: Experience with BioPhorum, ISPE, or similar forums; participation in national or internal digital councils. Advanced Manufacturing and Analytics: Familiarity with autonomous manufacturing, connected factory, IT/OT convergence, and advanced analytics/AI in operations. Funding and Partnerships: Experience engaging with agencies such as IDA and handling external grants or co-funded initiatives. Why AstraZeneca: Join a mission-led team that blends the agility of a biotech with the scale of a global biopharma, where digital innovation translates directly into better, faster access to life-changing medicines for people with rare and devastating diseases. You will work with unexpected teams in the same room—manufacturing leaders, data scientists, supply planners, and quality experts—unleashing bold thinking on ground breaking technology and real-world operations. We value kindness alongside ambition, and we back crucial, thoughtful leaders who turn strategy into outcomes that matter for patients, customers, and colleagues. Call to Action: Seize the opportunity to architect the digital backbone of end-to-end technical operations from Dublin and deliver measurable impact for patients and the business today!
Date Posted
23-Jul-2026
Closing Date
19-Aug-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.
