Director Operations IT Frederick Supply Site

Introduction to the role

The role holder will act as the Director Operations IT for the Frederick, US site, covering customers, business processes and systems relating to the delivery of global and local business process and systems.  The key stakeholders for this role are the site/function leads and their leadership teams.  The role will be located in Frederick, US.

The IT Site Lead will be a part of the Site Leadership team as an integral team member.  This ensures the role is truly part of delivering business and IT strategy.  This is an exciting opportunity for an IT leader to engage with key business stakeholders at Frederick site in the development and delivery of the IT strategy and roadmap for the site, which will accelerate the transformation outcomes and align with our Operations Digital Transformation strategy, supporting growth through innovation at AstraZeneca. 

This role has the responsibility to develop strategic and operational relationships within the Frederick site, providing IT leadership, external perspectives and true business partnership to the critical functions within these Operations sites.  The IT Site Lead establishes and promotes the overall vision for how IT can support our business partners.

This resource will have a deep understanding of the Business area and IT industry, and the implications of emerging technologies especially AI for the wider business environment.  This will enable the role to proactively identify opportunities for IT to deliver innovative solutions to customer issues/challenges and situations where leading-edge technological innovations can be deployed to business advantage

Working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, this is a hands-on role, requiring an individual who is driven to achieve clear, measurable results. You will constantly strive to improve key processes and simplify our ways of working. This will require a high level of collaborative working across functions.

Responsibilities, but not limited to:

• Single point of contact supporting key business areas at the Frederick site, representing Global IT functions.  Accountable for all IT services delivered on the site. This includes BAU and / or project services, delivered through local IT resources or global AZ IT teams.

• Build strong strategic relationships with large and complex customer groups and senior partners, developing a deep understanding of short-term and long-term business direction, changes and needs, lead key engagement initiatives to understand demand.

• Collaborate with Operations IT Functions to align on the strategic IT solution roadmap for Operations sites and deployment to the Frederick site.

• Facilitate focus groups, business partner meetings, and other ‘idea generators’ to stimulate the creation of ideas among colleagues and staff, as well as gain feedback regarding IT services.

• Present and gain commitment to IT initiatives through informing and presenting established, changed, or new IT services to customer groups.

• Propose and deliver solutions to achieve agreed outcomes, ensure that solutions fulfil the future strategic needs and challenges of the business. Shape and define business cases, producing detailed business justification for investment including ROI and benefits realization.

• Work with colleagues across the BTG and C4Es, (e.g., architects and engineers) across functions or internationally to identify the capabilities required to ensure outcomes/requirements are clearly understood and can be delivered.

• Ensure business partners are fully engaged in IT Capability initiatives and future business trends, as well as the implications of IT enabled change on the business, processes and customers. 

• Accountable for the IT demand portfolio and lifecycle management of IT Assets for the sites.  Manage associated budgets, ensuring business value, fit for purpose, and costs balanced for the Frederick site. 

• Lead high-level investigations on requirements specifications, ensuring alignment with Business and IT strategy, and advise on practical alternatives when necessary.

• Lead business impact assessments, identifying risks and issues that may affect current and future business units and roles, and create business readiness plan.

• Align and engage global compliance and data integrity initiatives at the site. Partner with business teams to mitigate compliance and data integrity risks.

• Takes full responsibility for the level of customer satisfaction, at regular intervals, or after each significant delivery of product or service.  Respond to customer queries and complaints - ensures that corrective action is being taken.

• Develop and maintain customer satisfaction plan, to ensure all IT interfaces to the business are operating effectively, manage overall satisfaction with IT services and proactively identify risks, issues, as well as improvement areas.

• Lead and mentor other Business Analysts to develop their skills, drive consistent ways of working across our organization and share best practices in relevant communities of practice.

• Assess BA team workload, ensuring effective management of high priority projects, resource allocation, and workload distribution.

• Accountable for the performance and quality of work delivered by BA team

Work collaboratively with:

• Business and IT leadership teams and other senior stakeholders to build their understanding of IT strategy, programs and challenges, and manage expectations by effectively aligning needs with IT delivery capacity

• Business and IT Finance Leads to prepare, manage and deliver budgets and ensure finance processes are adhered to

• IT Strategy, Planning & Innovation, Architecture, Portfolio Management and Project/Programme Management to agree the future shape of proposed solutions and initiate projects in partnership

• Collaborate with the GERE team to deliver the expansion projects at site

• Other customer area Business Relationship Managers to ensure identification of synergies and cross-business innovative opportunities, local Automation and Engineering, Operations Computing Specialists and Campus IT.

• Portfolio/Project Managers to initiate projects, clearly define scope and monitor the delivery of project value compared to the promised benefits

• Site automation team to delivery the IT/OT strategy

• Service and Support Delivery to ensure the IT services plans are established for the customer group and are operating effectively

• Support Business analysts to manage requirements, build business cases  and deliver IT projects for the site

• Lead the creation of business case driven IT projects that contribute to the strategic business and IT goals

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Minimum 10+ years relevant experience; regulated environment exposure.

• Education: Bachelor’s degree

• Experience defining the business strategies and influencing the vision of senior leaders

• Experience leading high value business cases & mobilizing high value investments

• Strong relationship building skills, in a global environment, with the ability to influence others to achieve objectives

• Ability to bring alternative perspectives and experience, challenging the status quo

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills including presenting

• Excellent influencing, networking and team working skills

• Able to manage negotiations, expectations and solutions across complex groups

• High level awareness of developments in the Information Technology marketplace

• Ability to partner and work well in and across diverse global teams and a matrix organization

• Experience using LEAN tools and practices

Desirable skills and experience:

• Strong knowledge of bio-pharma leading edge trends, relevance for adoption and implementation of Digital, IT & AI innovative solutions

• Knowledge of Biologics manufacturing is desirable

The annual base pay for this position ranges from 151,177.60 - 226,766.40 USD Annual (80% - 120%). 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.

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.

Why AstraZeneca:
Here, technology and science come together to move faster for patients. You will join a community that values ownership and experimentation, where hackathons, modern data platforms and real manufacturing challenges create meaningful outcomes. We blend ambition with kindness, placing unexpected teams in the same room to spark new ideas, and we back that with the scale and investment to deliver across the enterprise. Your leadership will be visible—from streamlining batch release to enabling AI-powered decisions—while you grow alongside colleagues who share a curiosity to learn and the courage to challenge the status quo.

Call to Action:
If you are ready to set the digital direction, lead delivery at scale and turn data into decisive action for our Philadelphia biologics operations, we want to hear how you will make an immediate impact!

Date Posted

Closing Date

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.