Executive Director, R&D Advanced Analytics, Automation, and AI Lead

CSL Plasma; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global biotherapeutics company in the UK is seeking an R&D Advanced Analytics, Automation, and AI Lead. This pivotal role focuses on executing the R&D digital acceleration roadmap with a strong emphasis on automation and AI. Candidates should have extensive experience in R&D within the pharmaceutical industry, knowledge of life sciences, and a proven ability to deliver AI-enabled tools in regulated environments. Excellent collaboration and leadership skills are essential for driving innovation and partnering with stakeholders.

Benefits

Health care benefits

Financial protection resources

Support for mental health resources

Flexible family support

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in digital leadership or advanced analytics/AI roles within R&D-driven pharmaceutical industry.
• Deep knowledge of life sciences and experience applying AI/ML and automation in scientific or regulatory domains.
• Expertise in digital product lifecycle, from experimentation to scale.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and execution of the R&D digital acceleration roadmap focused on automation, AI, and advanced analytics.
• Partner with business stakeholders to develop scalable, production-ready digital solutions.
• Oversee partnerships with AI/ML vendors, academic collaborators, and industry consortia.

Skills

Digital leadership

Advanced analytics

AI/ML

Cross-functional collaboration

Change leadership

Education

Master’s or PhD in Data Science, Engineering, Computer Science

Job description

The Position

The R&D Advanced Analytics, Automation, and AI Lead is responsible for executing the R&D digital acceleration roadmap, with a primary focus on delivering business value through advanced and emerging technologies. In close collaboration with I&T, this role oversees the design, development, and deployment of analytics, automation, and AI/ML solutions across the R&D value chain. The leader partners with RDLT, TES LT, I&T, and external innovation ecosystems to identify and apply disruptive technologies that enable measurable transformation. Acting as a strategic bridge between R&D and I&T, this role ensures digital acceleration initiatives are technically robust, operationally impactful, and fully aligned with enterprise architecture and capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and execution of the R&D digital acceleration roadmap focused on automation, AI, and advanced analytics
• Identify disruptive technologies and use cases (e.g., generative AI, intelligent automation, simulation, digital twins)
• Partner with business stakeholders to develop scalable, production-ready digital solutions
• Lead agile teams to develop models, tools, and platforms aligned with R&D needs
• Drive rapid experimentation and innovation, ensuring feasibility, compliance, and user adoption
• Establish metrics to measure the impact of digital interventions on cycle times, quality, and outcomes
• Oversee partnerships with AI/ML vendors, academic collaborators, and industry consortia
• Build internal capabilities and talent pipelines for digital and analytics functions
• Ensure that all AI, automation, and advanced analytics solutions are implemented in a compliant manner, supporting readiness for regulatory audits and inspections involving emerging technologies
• Provide thought leadership in AI, including the development and implementation of AI governance frameworks, ethical AI practices, and active engagement with industry consortia such as Pistoia Alliance, CIOMS, TransCelerate, and other relevant forums to shape standards and best practices

Education & Requirements

• Master’s or PhD in Data Science, Engineering, Computer Science, or related fields
• 15+ years of experience in digital leadership or advanced analytics/AI roles within R&D-driven pharmaceutical industry
• Deep knowledge of life sciences and experience applying AI/ML and automation in scientific or regulatory domains
• Demonstrated ability to deliver AI-enabled tools in regulated environments
• Strong cross‑functional collaboration and change leadership skills
• Expertise in digital product lifecycle, from experimentation to scale
• Experience supporting regulatory audits and inspections involving emerging technologies, including AI and automation, in a GxP or highly regulated environment

Our Benefits

CSL employees that work at least 30 hours per week are eligible for benefits effective day 1. We are committed to the wellbeing of our employees and their loved ones. CSL offers resources and benefits, from health care to financial protection, so you can focus on doing work that matters. Our benefits are designed to support the needs of our employees at every stage of their life. Whether you are considering starting a family, need help paying for emergency backup care or summer camp, looking for mental health resources, planning for your financial future, or supporting your favorite charity with a matching contribution, CSL has many benefits to help achieve your goals.

Please take the time to review our benefits site to see what’s available to you as a CSL employee.

About CSL Behring

CSL Behring is a global biotherapeutics leader driven by our promise to save lives. Focused on serving patients’ needs by using the latest technologies, we discover, develop and deliver innovative therapies for people living with conditions in the immunology, hematology, cardiovascular and metabolic, respiratory, and transplant therapeutic areas. We use three strategic scientific platforms of plasma fractionation, recombinant protein technology, and cell and gene therapy to support continued innovation and continually refine ways in which products can address unmet medical needs and help patients lead full lives.

CSL Behring operates one of the world’s largest plasma collection networks, CSL Plasma. Our parent company, CSL, headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, employs 32,000 people, and delivers its lifesaving therapies to people in more than 100 countries.

We want CSL to reflect the world around us

At CSL, Inclusion and Belonging is at the core of our mission and who we are. It fuels our innovation day in and day out. By celebrating our differences and creating a culture of curiosity and empathy, we are able to better understand and connect with our patients and donors, foster strong relationships with our stakeholders, and sustain a diverse workforce that will move our company and industry into the future. Learn more Inclusion and Belonging | CSL.

Do work that matters at CSL Behring!