Director, AI Product Owner
- Location: Warsaw, Poland
Hybrid model of work: 3 days in office, 2 remote per week
Transform clinical trials through AI. Join AstraZeneca's Emerging Technologies team to pioneer intelligent solutions that accelerate life-saving therapies, optimize global study delivery, and redefineClinical Operations.
As Director, AI Product Owner, you'll serve as the strategic bridge between R&D IT, Clinical Development, senior leadership, and cross-functional partners, ensuring AI technologies are adopted responsibly, compliantly, and with measurable impact. You'll operate at the intersection of product strategy, agile delivery, and regulatory compliance, translating cutting-edge AI capabilities (GenAI, NLP, predictive analytics, agentic systems) into practical, scalable solutions that drive business value and scientific innovation.
This role demands deep expertise in AI product management, agile methodologies tailored to regulated environments, and proven ability to influence executive stakeholders while navigating complex organizational dynamics. You'll champion the end-to-end lifecycle of AI products from ideation and roadmap development through deployment, continuous improvement, and governance, ensuring alignment with AstraZeneca's strategic priorities, regulatory obligations, and ethical AI principles.
You'll drive transformative improvements in clinical study delivery, operational efficiency, and patient outcomes while safeguarding the company's license to operate in a highly regulated environment. Success requires balancing innovation velocity with compliance rigor, stakeholder needs with technical feasibility, and strategic vision with tactical execution.
Typical Accountabilities,
Drive AI Product Strategy & Innovation
- Define product vision for AI-powered solutions in R&D Clinical Operations, aligning organizational goals withcutting-edgeAI capabilities (GenAI, NLP, predictive analytics, agentic systems)
- Build and own product roadmaps that prioritize high-impact use cases, balancing innovation velocity with feasibility and stakeholder needs
- Translate business challenges into actionable features, user stories, and acceptance criteria within agile frameworks
- Identifytransformative AI opportunities that revolutionize clinical study delivery, operational efficiency, and patient outcomes
- Champion experimentation by piloting emerging AI technologies and scaling proven solutions across global studies
- Stay ahead of AI innovation by integrating frontier technologies (multimodal models, reinforcement learning) and industry best practices into product strategy
Lead Agile Delivery & Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Apply agile methodologies (Scrum,SAFe, Kanban) tailored to regulated biopharma environments, delivering iteratively and compliantly
- Partner with R&D IT, Clinical Development, Data Science, and Engineering to co-create scalable AI solutions aligned with enterprise architecture
- Influence senior leadership by securing buy-in, navigating organizational complexity, and driving AI adoption through strategic updates and executive engagement
- Facilitate sprint planning and backlog refinement to ensure transparency and alignment across multidisciplinary teams
- Act as the customer voice by synthesizing feedback from clinical operations and end-users to continuously enhance AI products
- Build strategic partnerships with external technology vendors and industry consortia to accelerate innovation
Enable Compliant AI Adoption
- Ensure regulatory compliance with ICH/GxP, FDA, EMA standards by embedding validation strategies and risk mitigation throughout the product lifecycle
- Collaborate with QA and Regulatory Affairs toestablishgovernance frameworks that enable rapid, safe AI deployment
- Develop comprehensive AI product documentation including validation plans, risk assessments, user requirements, and SOPs to support audit readiness
- Champion responsible AI by proactively addressing ethics, bias mitigation, transparency, explainability, and privacy (GDPR, HIPAA)
- Support regulatory inspections by providingexpertise, documentation, and evidence of compliant AI development and deployment
- Pioneer industry-standard governance by shaping AI frameworks in collaboration with regulatory bodies and industry leaders
Measure Impact & Drive Continuous Improvement
- Define KPIs to track product performance, user adoption, business impact, and compliance adherence
- Analyzeusage data and trends toidentifyoptimization opportunities and drive Lean Six Sigma initiatives
- Deliver measurable outcomes including efficiency gains, accelerated insights, improved trialenrollment, and operational excellence
- Monitor emerging trends by staying current with AI technologies, regulatory developments, and competitive landscape
Develop Talent & Foster Innovation
- Mentor product owners and cross-functional teams to build agile excellence and AI literacy across the organization
- Promote a culture of innovation, collaboration, and accountability by empowering teams to experiment, learn, and deliver exceptional results
- Share knowledge and best practices to contribute to the growth and capability-building of the Emerging Technologies team
Essential
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, Life Sciences, or equivalent discipline (or equivalent experience).
Extensive experience (8+ years) in product management or product ownership, with a proventrack recordof delivering AI/ML-powered products or digital solutions.
Deepexpertisein agile delivery methodologies (Scrum,SAFe, Kanban) withdemonstratedability to apply these frameworks in complex, regulated environments.
Strong understanding of AI/ML technologies, including generative AI, natural language processing, predictiveanalytics, and their application to biopharmaceutical R&D or clinical operations.
Proven experience in regulated industries (pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical devices, or healthcare), with knowledge of ICH/GxP, FDA, EMA, or equivalent regulatory standards.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with R&D IT, Clinical Development, Data Science, and senior leadership teams, driving alignment and delivering strategic outcomes.
Exceptional communication and influencing skills, with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear, actionable insights for diverse stakeholders.
Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, with experience using data to inform product decisions, prioritize features, and measure impact.
Experience managing product backlogs, writing user stories, and defining acceptance criteria within agile frameworks.
Proven ability to navigate ambiguity, manage competing priorities, and deliver results in fast-paced, dynamic environments.
Desirable
- Advanced degree (Master'sor PhD) in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, Life Sciences, or related field.
- Recognized agile certifications (Certified Scrum Product Owner,SAFeProduct Owner/Product Manager, or equivalent).
- Experience with AI governance frameworks, responsible AI practices, and ethical AI principles, including bias mitigation, transparency, and explainability.
- Hands-on experience with AI/ML tools, platforms, and frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow,PyTorch, Azure AI, AWS SageMaker, Databricks).
- Knowledge of clinical trial processes, clinical data standards (CDISC, SDTM, ADaM), and electronic data capture (EDC) systems.
- Experience with Lean Six Sigma or similar process improvement methodologies, including root cause analysis and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Proventrack recordof leading large-scale, transformative AI initiatives from concept to deployment, with measurable business impact.
- Experience working with external technology vendors and partners, including contract negotiation, vendor management, and issue escalation.
- Strong understanding of data privacy regulations (GDPR, HIPAA) and their implications for AI product development.
- Expert reputation within the biopharmaceutical industry or AI product management community, with thought leadership contributions (publications, speaking engagements, etc.).
Date Posted
13-kwi-2026Closing Date
29-kwi-2026AstraZeneca 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.
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