Director, RDU IT - AI

Job Title: Director, RDU IT - AI

Introduction to role:

Are you ready to lead the charge in transforming digital landscapes with Generative AI? As the Director, RDU IT - AI, you will spearhead the technical delivery and implementation of cutting-edge AI solutions. Reporting to the Director, RDU IT – Data Science, you will guide and mentor engineering teams while actively contributing to the development and scaling of GenAI capabilities. Your mission is to integrate these advanced tools into real-world business and scientific applications, ensuring they meet the highest standards of technical excellence, operational reliability, and ethical alignment.

Accountabilities:

- Lead the development, deployment, and continuous improvement of Generative AI models and systems addressing business and scientific challenges.
- Manage regional teams of engineers and technical contributors working on GenAI initiatives.
- Oversee the architecture, automation, and scalability of infrastructure supporting Generative AI models and services.
- Drive the integration of GenAI capabilities into existing enterprise platforms, tools, and applications.
- Ensure smooth operation and governance of GenAI models in production, including monitoring, versioning, and performance optimization.
- Contribute to the design of APIs, UIs, and workflows that enable seamless interaction with GenAI systems.
- Build and maintain shared assets, templates, and frameworks to accelerate GenAI solution delivery across the region.
- Support multi-functional collaboration with data scientists, engineers, and customers to align on delivery goals and priorities.
- Promote responsible use of AI technologies and contribute to compliance with evolving governance and regulatory requirements.

Essential Skills/Experience:

- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related technical field
- 10+ years of experience in machine learning, data science, or software engineering, with a strong track record of delivering AI solutions in production
- Demonstrated expertise in Generative AI, including experience with large language models (LLMs), prompt engineering, fine-tuning, or building GenAI-powered applications
- Proven leadership experience managing technical teams, with the ability to coach, mentor, and guide engineers toward high-performance delivery
- Strong ability to translate technical concepts into actionable plans, communicate effectively with stakeholders, and align engineering efforts with organizational objectives
- Experience working across regions or distributed teams, with a collaborative and inclusive leadership style
- Hands-on experience with MLOps practices for GenAI, including model deployment, automation, monitoring, and lifecycle management
- Proficiency in Python and experience with libraries such as Hugging Face Transformers, LangChain, TensorFlow, or PyTorch
- Solid knowledge of cloud services relevant to GenAI, especially AWS based (e.g., SageMaker, Bedrock, Lambda, ECS)
- Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines and version control tools such as GitHub Actions, Jenkins, or Bitbucket Pipelines

Desirable Skills/Experience:

- Hands-on experience designing and deploying LLM-based systems in enterprise settings, including use cases such as content generation, summarization, document parsing, or chat-based interfaces
- Deep understanding of the unique challenges in managing GenAI models, including context window limitations, hallucination risks, and performance tuning
- Experience applying GenAI techniques within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or healthcare domains
- Understanding standard methodologies for responsible GenAI usage, including model explainability, timely safety, and ethical risk mitigation
- Contribution to GenAI-focused communities, open-source projects, or thought leadership (e.g., publications, hackathons, blog posts)

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.

At AstraZeneca's Alexion division, your work will be anything but ordinary. Here you will find an environment where innovation thrives alongside a commitment to transforming lives through science. Our dedication to rare diseases places us at the forefront of biomedical advancements. With a global reach and resources at your disposal, you'll be part of a team that is not only shaping the future of medicine but also making a tangible difference in patients' lives. Our culture is one of inclusivity and empowerment where your growth is aligned with our mission to meet unmet medical needs.

If you're ready to make an impact in a dynamic field that truly matters—apply now!

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.