Director, Strategy & Innovation, Commercial AI

AstraZeneca; Barcelona; On-site; EUR 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

AstraZeneca is seeking a Director of Strategy & Innovation to lead cross-functional AI transformation within the Commercial AI unit. You will partner with executive leadership to implement the endorsed AI strategy, drive adoption, and scale initiatives across markets and central teams.

You will design tailored upskilling programs, oversee change management, and ensure measurable value delivery, including governance and reporting.

Qualifications

• Master's degree or higher in a relevant subject such as life sciences, technology, economics, business, or similar.
• 7+ years' experience in life sciences management, strategy consulting, technology, or fast-paced development setting.
• Experience leading high-profile digital/AI projects.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Ability to influence decision makers at all levels.

Responsibilities

• Execute the endorsed Commercial AI strategy in partnership with CAI LT and Head of Strategy & Innovation.
• Lead cross-commercial transformation programmes from concept to scaled adoption.
• Collaborate with internal customers to identify scalable solutions for the wider organisation.
• Design and deliver tailored upskilling across roles and commercial functions to accelerate AI adoption.
• Apply programme and change management to drive adoption, governance, and value reporting.
• Stay updated on emerging technologies (including quantum computing) and contribute to innovative workplace enhancements.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Communication

Influence decision makers

Project leadership

Ambiguity handling

Education

Master's degree or higher (life sciences/tech/economics/business)

Job description

We're building a connected, end-to-end Enterprise AI engine - uniting data foundations, AI technology, process reinvention, and business-facing AI to accelerate results across the whole value chain. Success depends on being exceptional connectors: you'll actively leverage existing capabilities, celebrate and promote reuse, export breakthrough ideas across geographies and functions, and obsess over scaling impact rather than building in isolation. If you thrive in high-collaboration environments where your role is to turn complex, cross-functional problems into reusable, enterprise-wide capabilities - and where the measure of success is adoption and scale, not just innovation - you'll have the platform (and sponsorship) to make it real.

We now have an outstanding opportunity to join us as Director, Strategy & Innovation and play a meaningful role in driving cross-commercial AI transformation.

The Strategy & Innovation team sits within the Commercial AI function, in the newly established Enterprise AI unit (EAI), reporting to the CEO. The team is accountable for implementation of the endorsed Commercial AI strategy, with a particular focus on AI innovation, adoption, upskilling and business-led transformation. We partner closely with our key stakeholders across the globe at market, area, and central HQ levels. When needed, the team provides tactical digital and AI leadership, acting as subject matter experts across Oncology, BioPharma and International business units.

As we take the next steps in redefining our organization with Artificial Intelligence, we are growing the Strategy & Innovation team. In this highly visible role, you will report to the Head of Strategy & Innovation, Commercial AI, and partner with other Enterprise AI leads to apply your expertise and experience in leading change to prioritized digital technology and AI projects.

In line with our focus on fueling efficiency with AI, you will work closely with our business stakeholders and play a critical role in designing and delivering tailored upskilling across roles and commercial functions.

Acting with an entrepreneurial mindset, you will actively look to embed new digital capabilities and innovative ways in our team, maintain a culture of continuous learning, and focus on the value unlocked through implementation of new solutions.

As Artificial Intelligence and quantum computing advance at a rapid pace, you will also contribute to the broader work of the Strategy & Innovation team, actively reimagining the workplace through cutting-edge technologies that empower our people to work smarter, faster, and more collaboratively.

Finally, as a team player, you will ensure that we continue to develop and maintain a culture of inclusion, speaking up and development within our Commercial AI function.

What You'll Do

• Commercial AI strategy execution: In partnership with the Head of Strategy & Innovation and CAI LT, drive execution of the endorsed Commercial AI strategy, shaping the roadmap and supporting prioritisation across cross-commercial initiatives, with an initial focus on generative and agentic AI.
• Transformation programmes: Lead and support cross-commercial transformation programmes from concept to scaled adoption, partnering with markets, areas and central teams to ensure measurable value delivery.
• Stakeholder collaboration and scalable solutions: Collaborate with internal customers and stakeholders to find opportunities for accelerating prioritised projects, as well as identifying solutions that are suitable for the wider organisation.
• Upskilling and adoption: Partner with the Commercial AI upskilling lead and business stakeholders to design and deliver tailored upskilling across roles and commercial functions, accelerating AI adoption and efficiency.
• Programme and change management: Apply strong programme and change management approaches to drive adoption, including communications, change impacts, stakeholder engagement and ways of working.
• Delivery coordination and value reporting: Coordinate delivery against agreed scope, timelines and outcomes, supporting governance, dependencies and decisions across multiple stakeholder groups.
• Emerging technologies and innovation: Maintain a high degree of understanding of new technologies (including quantum computing) and contribute to reimagining the workplace through new digital capabilities and innovative ways.

Requirements

• Master's degree or higher in a relevant subject such as life science, technology, economics, business, or similar.
• 7+ years' experience in life sciences management or strategy consulting or technology or a fast-paced development setting, with experience in business planning, operations and strategy.
• Experience in leading high-profile projects, including digital technology and AI.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Ability to influence decision makers on all levels.
• Ability to succeed in an environment that often involves ambiguity.
• It is desirable if you have experience from across drug commercialization and/or discovery and development.

Office Working Requirements

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 unique and ambitious world.

AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work is. We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics. We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.