Director, Software Development & AI Engineering
In AstraZeneca's Cell Therapy division, we follow the science to explore and innovate. We are working towards treating, preventing, modifying, and even curing some of the world's most complex diseases. We have the potential to grow our pipeline and positively impact the lives of patients around the world. We are committed to making a difference and have built our business around our passion for science. Now we are fusing data and technology with the latest scientific innovations to achieve the next wave of breakthroughs. This role is part of the Operations team tasked with supporting Clinical and Commercial production across multiple sites.
The Director of Software Development for Cell Therapy Operations IT is a transformative leadership role responsible for shaping and building a scalable technology strategy that supports AstraZeneca's Cell Therapy Operations across Development, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain. You will lead the design, development, and delivery of enterprise-grade software solutions like Cell Orchestration platform, robotics integration, and advanced Agentic AI automation, driving operational excellence and innovation at industrial scale.
You will work with IT Business Partners, Cell Therapy Operations leadership, and external stakeholders to define a modern, AI-native technology stack aligned with strategic outcomes. The leader will guide the industrialization of custom software solutions and integration of Agentic AI agents to autonomously orchestrate complex workflows across labs, manufacturing lines, and digital platforms—enabling next-generation cell therapy delivery. You will report to the Executive Director, Ops IT and may be based in Santa Monica, CA or Gaithersburg, MD.
You Will:
Lead end-to-end delivery across the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), from design to deployment and support, for the Cell Orchestration platform built on Salesforce and AWS
Lead the Salesforce development and engineering teams to deliver robust, scalable, and secure Cell Orchestration platform.
Oversee integration of Salesforce Service & Health Cloud with platforms such as MuleSoft and mobile-first applications.
Embed DevSecOps and compliance in every phase of development, ensuring regulatory readiness (e.g., GxP, HIPAA, FDA, GDPR).
Improve adoption of Agentic AI systems to create autonomous, goal-driven software agents that can perform high-level tasks across operations.
Lead the technical roadmap for Salesforce platform – Health cloud and life sciences cloud
Maintain deep expertise in Salesforce Health Cloud, robotics integration, and next-gen AI technologies to provide strategic and hands-on guidance.
Lead industrialization of custom software and seamless integration with laboratory and manufacturing equipment, robotics, and AI platforms.
Establish best practices for full-stack software engineering, including the use of GenAI for code generation, testing, and software development lifecycle automation.
Foster a high-performing, innovative engineering culture, mentoring a global team of software engineers and solution architects.
Manage vendor relationships and ensure quality and compliance of outsourced development efforts.
Stay ahead of evolving technologies (e.g., Large Language Models, autonomous agents, cloud-native platforms) to continually modernize IT systems.
You Have:
Bachelor's degree in computer science, Software Engineering, or a related field.
12+ years of software development experience, including 5+ years in a leadership role within life sciences, biotech, or manufacturing IT environments.
Experience managing complex Salesforce environments and multi-cloud implementations.
Experience building and deploying software solutions in regulated environments (GxP, HIPAA, FDA).
Expertise in modern development tools and platforms: AWS, Azure, Python, Salesforce (Health Cloud and Life Sciences), MuleSoft.
Expertise delivering digital solutions across patient engagement, R&D, and product commercialization.
Nice to have:
Salesforce certifications (e.g., Salesforce Application Architect, System Architect, Platform Developer II).
Familiarity with AI/ML features within Salesforce ecosystem (Einstein, predictive analytics).
Understanding of GenAI use cases in software development and automated testing.
Hands-on experience with Agentic AI tools and frameworks
Solid background in system architecture, secure coding practices, and cloud-native design.
The annual base pay for this position ranges from $153K to $229K. 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. 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.
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Date Posted
16-Jul-2025Closing Date
30-Jul-2025Our 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.We’ll keep you up to date
