Senior Director, AI Governance & Enablement

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.

Introduction to role

The Senior Director, AI Governance & Enablement provides enterprise leadership for the governance, oversight, and assurance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across its full lifecycle. The role ensures AI solutions are developed, deployed, and operated in a way that is compliant, ethical, reliable, and aligned to risk appetite, while enabling innovation at scale. Acting as both a governance authority and a trusted partner to delivery teams, this position embeds right‑sized governance and offers best‑practice guidance so AI model outcomes are performant, explainable, and trusted by the business, regulators, and external stakeholders. Ready to shape how AI is used with confidence and impact?

Accountabilities

• Lead and inspire diverse, global teams to define and evolve enterprise AI governance processes across a wide range of emerging needs, including internally developed models, third‑party and vendor AI solutions, foundation models, generative and agentic AI, and citizen‑developed AI.
• Embed proportionate, risk‑aligned governance across the end‑to‑end AI lifecycle, ensuring regulatory, ethical, and enterprise risk expectations are met while enabling innovation.
• Drive enterprise-wide adoption of AI governance in a federated environment through strong stakeholder influence and clear engagement strategies.
• Own and enhance enterprise processes for AI model inventory, accountability, and ongoing oversight, ensuring transparency of AI use across the organisation
• Ensure AI models are subject to appropriate classification, review, and lifecycle controls based on a tiered risk profile that reflects business impact and regulatory expectations.
• Partner closely with business and delivery teams to navigate end‑to‑end AI governance, supporting assessment, approval, and operationalisation of AI use cases from idea to production.
• Provide assurance and best‑practice guidance to strengthen AI model performance, reliability, robustness, and trustworthiness across multiple domains.
• Promote good practice in model development and operation, including validation, monitoring, explainability, bias management, and performance drift management.
• Establish and lead the enterprise operating model for Data & AI Governance and Enablement, defining clear accountabilities, decision rights, escalation paths, and governance forums with strong stakeholder engagement across business units, regions, and functions.
• Drive continuous improvement of governance processes by simplifying workflows, reducing friction, and removing unnecessary barriers to responsible AI adoption.
• Serve as an advisor on complex or novel AI solutions, enabling proportionate governance decisions rather than default escalation or risk avoidance.
• Raise awareness of relevant governance processes through targeted education, guidance materials, and engagement sessions that build confidence in responsible AI use.
• Contribute to a culture of confident, responsible AI adoption across the enterprise by role‑modelling balanced decision‑making and evidence‑based risk management.
• Build strong relationships across Legal, Compliance, IT, and Privacy to ensure aligned and consistent governance approaches that support strategic objectives.
• Partner effectively with colleagues across functions and levels, actively listening, resolving conflicts constructively, and co‑creating solutions that achieve shared goals.
• Synthesize complex issues into concise narratives for senior stakeholders, anticipating concerns, navigating ambiguity, and driving alignment and decisions in high‑stakes forums.
• Demonstrate executive presence with the ability to build credibility quickly, communicate with clarity and confidence, and influence senior executive leadership at forums such as Audit Committee or enterprise data councils to promote responsible and confident Data & AI use.

Essential Skills/Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Information/Data Science, Informatics, Computer Science, Economics, or related discipline – or equivalent number of years of experience.
• Strong understanding of AI lifecycles, model risks, and governance expectations, including regulatory and ethical considerations.
• Ensure governance is applied in a way that enables innovation rather than creating unnecessary friction.
• Proven ability to balance governance rigour with delivery speed and innovation enablement. 
• Experience partnering with senior stakeholders and delivery teams on complex AI initiatives.
• Significant senior experience in governance and model performance within a complex organisation.
• Demonstrated ability to build and lead a high‑performing team with deep expertise in governance and model performance.
• Champion a culture of responsible, compliant, and value‑focused use of data and AI across the organisation.
• Demonstrated project leadership skills.
• Demonstrate effective communication skills with the ability to influence others to achieve objectives.
• Proven change management, collaboration, and negotiation skills. 

Desirable Skills/Experience

• Master’s or PhD in Business Administration, Information/Data Science, Informatics, Computer Science, Economics, or related discipline. 
• Experience in life sciences and healthcare.
• Intimate knowledge of relevant key business processes in the Pharma industry.
• Data and / or AI Governance and Data Management education and certifications.
• Familiarity with relevant data and AI regulations and compliance requirements (e.g. GxP, GDPR, EU AI Act, NIS2, etc.). 
• Applied data management, data science, AI development, or AI governance skills, including experience with related tools. 
• Exposure publishing relevant AI governance and /or model performance topics in peer-reviewed journals, conferences, and other scientific proceedings.

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 offers an environment where data, analytics and AI are central to transforming how medicines are discovered, developed and delivered; where partnerships across global functions drive efficiency; where modern platforms are already in place and ready to be leveraged; where experimentation with leading-edge technology is encouraged; where diverse experts collaborate across boundaries; where learning never stops; and where every improvement in how information is governed can ultimately help improve outcomes for patients worldwide.

If this sounds like the next challenge to own and shape, apply now to join us!

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Closing Date

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 comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.