Senior Director, Semantic Platform Enablement

AstraZeneca; Cambridge; Hybrid; GBP 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

AstraZeneca is seeking a Senior Director to lead the design and enterprise enablement of its semantic platform, ensuring data is consistently interpreted and reusable by humans and AI. You will define models, canonical entities, and reference data patterns to create a scalable semantic mesh that spans domains and platforms.

You will work with senior leaders to drive adoption, governance, and interoperability, delivering measurable value through cross-functional collaboration and external

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in enterprise data architecture and semantic platforms.
• Experience applying semantic technologies and knowledge graphs at scale.
• Deep understanding of ontologies, taxonomies, and canonical data models.
• Ability to align architecture with business and technology priorities across domains.
• Proven track record delivering platform-wide adoption and governance.

Responsibilities

• Lead the semantic platform strategy and enterprise enablement across AstraZeneca's data products and platforms.
• Define and scale an enterprise semantic mesh with federated operating models.
• Partner with product, program, domain leaders to align semantic architecture with real-world use cases.
• Drive integration of structured and unstructured data to enhance context and usability.
• Provide governance and architectural leadership for semantic enablement and standards.

Skills

Enterprise data architecture

Semantic technologies

Knowledge graphs

W3C data stack

Federated data mesh

Cross-functional leadership

External partner management

Influencing senior stakeholders

Tools

Graph databases

Ontology tools

Reference data platforms

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 outstanding connectors: you'll actively harness 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 sophisticated, 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!

Introduction to role

This Senior Director role leads the design and enterprise enablement of AstraZeneca’s semantic platform so data is consistently understood, reliably connected, and reusable by both human and AI consumers. The position establishes the capabilities needed to translate core data products into context-rich, machine-readable meaning, enabling interoperability across platforms, domains, and critical initiatives. The remit is to deliver a scalable semantic foundation that starts with priority core data entities and expands into a federated enterprise semantic mesh across AstraZeneca. Outcomes will be seen in accelerated AI and agentic innovation, greater consistency in how data is interpreted and used, and the ability for data products, projects, and programmes to connect through shared semantics and reusable standards.

Lead the definition and execution of the semantic platform strategy, setting a clear direction that enables shared meaning, interoperability, and reuse across core data products, platforms, and enterprise initiatives. Deliver the core semantic layer by establishing initial semantic models, canonical entities, reference data approaches, and implementation patterns that support priority business and technology use cases. Build and scale an enterprise semantic mesh, defining the target operating approach and evolving toward a federated model that supports growth across domains over time. Partner closely with product, programme, project, and domain leaders to align semantic architecture and implementation with real-world use cases, ensuring adoption is driven by business value and practical integration needs. Drive integration of structured and unstructured information into the semantic platform to unlock richer context, discoverability, and usability of enterprise information assets. Ensure interoperability across data products and platforms through shared semantics, common standards, canonical models, and reusable reference data patterns. Provide architectural leadership and governance for semantic enablement, maintaining consistency with enterprise data architecture, design principles, and evolving platform standards. Manage external partner engagement and delivery in coordination with partnership teams to harness specialist capability, accelerate implementation, and secure high-quality outcomes.

Essential Skills/Experience

• Extensive experience in enterprise data architecture, semantic technologies, or knowledge-based platforms, with a strong track record of implementing scalable data capabilities in complex organisations.
• Experience applying the W3C semantic data stack to the development of semantic knowledge graphs within an enterprise, with evidence of scaling across domains.
• Deep understanding of semantic layer design, including ontologies, taxonomies, canonical modelling, reference data, and approaches to machine-readable representation of business meaning.
• Experience enabling interoperability across data products, platforms, and domains, including aligning architecture to cross-functional business and technology priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to lead platform delivery and scale adoption, from establishing core foundations through to enterprise rollout in federated or multi-domain environments.
• Strong partner leadership and influencing skills, with experience working across senior business, product, data, and technology communities to drive alignment and execution.
• Evidence of enabling and influencing a federated community of data and domain experts to contribute to a single, centrally governed capability.
• Experience managing strategic external partners and sophisticated delivery ecosystems, ensuring that internal and partner teams work effectively to deliver measurable outcomes.

Desirable Skills/Experience

Experience in large-scale AI or agentic systems enablement, particularly where semantic layers underpin discovery, reasoning or automation; background in life sciences or biopharma data domains; familiarity with modern data mesh concepts; proven track record of evolving central platforms into federated operating models; experience with knowledge graphs or graph databases; exposure to regulatory or compliance considerations for enterprise data platforms.

When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash ambitious thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challengeperceptions! 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 brings together science, data and technology to transform how medicines are discovered, developed and delivered to patients worldwide. Teams work on real problems that matter: crafting humanised models, groundbreaking new clinical engagement approaches and incorporating patient insights to improve experiences and outcomes. Digital and data are embedded in every role, supported by strong investment in tools, learning and teamwork so people can keep growing while tackling complex challenges. Colleagues connect across subject areas and geographies to share ideas, experiment, learn from setbacks and push boundaries in an environment that values curiosity, diverse perspectives and meaningful impact on patients and society.

Ready to shape the semantic backbone of a digital- and data-led enterprise that is redefining the future of healthcare!

Date Posted

11-Sept-2026

Closing Date

01-Oct-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.