Director, IT Business Partner – R&D Quality

AstraZeneca; Gaithersburg (MD); Hybrid; USD 153,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus program

Equity incentives

Retirement benefits

Health insurance

Job summary

AstraZeneca, located in the United States, seeks a Director – IT Business Partner – R&D Quality to connect business priorities with technology strategies, roadmaps, and investments. You will influence senior stakeholders across the Chief Medical Officer Organisation and drive scalable IT solutions at the interface of business, IT, and innovation.

The role emphasizes AI/ML-enabled improvements to quality and decision speed in a highly regulated environment, with a collaborative culture and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree.
• 7+ years of demonstrated experience.
• Proven client-facing IT experience with long-term planning, business case development, and client management.
• Experience with budgeting and risk management in a multi-stakeholder environment.
• Pharma R&D domain knowledge with understanding of business processes and drivers.

Responsibilities

• Act as an IT business partner for the Chief Medical Officer Organisation on R&D Quality.
• Develop local/area IT business partnering plans (18–24 months).
• Deliver and monitor budgets (including capacity planning/ utilization and capital).
• Identify, articulate, and champion strategic technology improvements to enhance performance; define IT capability roadmap.
• Partner with business leaders to evaluate proposals, build cases, plan joint initiatives, and assess feasibility.
• Oversee IT strategy development, service management, risk management, and relationship management.
• Educate the business on IT services, products, and capabilities; facilitate IT communication across functions.
• Build a comprehensive strategy to improve quality and speed of decision making by deploying AI/ML models.

Skills

Client-facing IT

Budgeting

Pharma R&D domain

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Job description

Are you ready to develop how technology accelerates quality, innovation, and decision-making across R&D? At AstraZeneca, we are driven by our purpose to push the boundaries of science to deliver life-changing medicines to patients. This is an outstanding opportunity to join a collaborative, ambitious environment where digital, data, and technology play an increasingly critical role in enabling scientific excellence and operational performance. As Director – IT Business Partner – R&D Quality, you will act as a strategic partner to the Chief Medical Officer Organisation, helping to connect business priorities with the right technology capabilities, roadmaps, and investments. You will work at the intersection of business strategy, IT, and innovation, building positive relationships across customers and finding opportunities to improve quality, efficiency, and speed of decision-making. This includes helping shape forward-looking solutions, including the use of AI/ML, to support evolving business needs in a highly regulated environment. This role is ideal for a leader who combines strong business understanding with technology insight, and who thrives on influencing senior collaborators, translating complex needs into practical solutions, and leading teams through change. You will be part of a company that champions bold thinking, empowered teams, and continuous learning — where your work can have meaningful impact across the enterprise and, ultimately, for patients.

Typical Accountabilities

• Act as an IT business partner for the Chief Medical Officer Organisation on R&D Quality business area.
• Develop local/ area-specific IT business partnering plans, managing delivery within a defined framework for functional area for the long term (18-24 months).
• Deliver and monitor budgets (including capacity planning/ utilization and capital) for own IT business partnering area to support the achievement of operational plans within budget.
• Identify, articulate, and champion strategic technology improvements to enhance business performance; collaboratively define the IT capability roadmap.
• Partner with business leaders within area to evaluate proposals, build cases, plan new joint initiatives, and assess feasibility and relevance.
• Oversee support to business functions around IT strategy development, service management, risk management, and relationship management.
• Educate the business on IT services, products, and capabilities, facilitating IT communication management across assigned business functions.
• Work closely with Business process and Business solutions leads within CMO function to Build a comprehensive strategy to improve quality and speed of decision making by deploying AI/ML models

As People Manager

• Lead, influence, and motivate IT business partnering team to achieve the stretch goals and contribute to success within area.
• Own performance measurement and associate metrics for delivery or functional targets and ‘Tier’ reporting.
• Facilitate capability development of IT business partnering professionals and managers through focused coaching and development plans.
• Facilitate successful recruitment for team positions through interviewing for skills and capabilities, against AZ values and behaviours, inclusivity and diversity.
• Drive future-focused skill development interventions within area through cross-functional/ regional/ external partnerships to equip and adapt IT business partnering workforce to evolving technologies.

Essential

Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor's Degree
• 7+ years of demonstrated experience
• Proven experience in a client-facing IT role, including long-term planning, business plan/case development, and client management
• Substantial experience with business models, operating models, financial models, cost-benefit analysis, budgeting, and risk management
• Substantial experience working with diverse business ecosystems, Cloud/SaaS models, business applications, and other technology aspects
• Substantial experience in Pharma R&D business domain with comprehensive understanding of business processes and drivers for success
• Experience working with regulatory aspects related to IT solutions in the relevant business domain. Proven experience to elicit complex business requirements through engagement with diverse sets of business and IT collaborators across levels

Desirable

• Experience co-working with cross-functional global leadership and senior customers preferred. Significant experience managing in a global organization with geographically dispersed teams and collaborators outcomes.
• Certification in business analysis practice, preferred; Experience managing managers preferred for people manager roles.

Key Relationship to Reach Solutions

• Internal: Global Strategy / Portfolio Managers; Service Delivery managers; Customer Service groups; Key commercial contacts.
• External: Technology leaders; peers in other pharma companies and industries.

When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash bold thinking with the power to encourage 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.

The annual base pay for this position ranges from $153,018.40 - $229,527.60 USD Annual. Hourly and salaried non-exempt employees will also be paid overtime pay when working qualifying overtime hours. Base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. In addition, our positions offer a short-term incentive bonus opportunity; eligibility to participate in our equity-based long-term incentive program (salaried roles), to receive a retirement contribution (hourly roles), and commission payment eligibility (sales roles). Benefits offered included a qualified retirement program [401(k) plan]; paid vacation and holidays; paid leaves; and, health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans. Additional details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment. If hired, employee will be in an “at-will position” and the Company reserves the right to modify base pay (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, Company or individual department/team performance, and market factors.

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 will be. We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics. We follow all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.

WHY JOIN US ?

We’re a network of high-reaching self-starters who contribute to something far bigger. We enable AstraZeneca to perform at its peak by delivering premier technology and data solutions.

Date Posted

05-Aug-2026

Closing Date

18-Aug-2026

Our mission is to build an inclusive environment where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees. In furtherance of that mission, we welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of their protected characteristics. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please complete the corresponding section in the application form.