Director, Innovation Product Owner

Job Title: Director Innovation Product Owner
Location: Durham Emperor

At AstraZeneca we put patients first and strive to meet their unmet needs worldwide. Working here means being entrepreneurial thinking big and working together to make the impossible a reality. If you are swift to action confident to lead willing to collaborate and curious about what science can do then youre our kind of person.

Recognizing the importance of individualized flexibility our ways of working allow employees to balance personal and work commitments while ensuring we continue to create a strong culture of collaboration and teamwork by engaging face-to-face in our offices 3 days a week. Our head office is purposely designed with collaboration in mind providing space where teams can come together to strategize brainstorm and connect on key projects.

Our dedication to sustainability is also central to our culture and part of what makes AstraZeneca a great place to work. We know the health of people the planet and our business are interconnected which is why were taking ambitious action to tackle some of the biggest challenges of our time from climate change to access to healthcare and disease prevention.

Introduction to Role:

Redefine clinical trials through innovation.Join AstraZenecas Emerging Technologies team to pioneer breakthrough solutions that accelerate therapeutic development optimize global study delivery and revolutionize Clinical Operations.

AsDirector Innovation Product Owner youll serve as the strategic catalyst between R&D IT Clinical Development senior leadership and cross-functional partners ensuring emerging technologies are adopted responsibly compliantly and with measurable impact. Youll operate at the nexus of product strategy agile delivery and regulatory compliance translating powerful innovations (digital health wearables decentralized trials and AI-enabled applications) into practical scalable solutions that drive business value and scientific breakthroughs.

This role demands deep expertise in innovation product management agile methodologies tailored to regulated environments and proven track record to influence executive partners while navigating compsophisticatedanizational dynamics. Youll champion the end-to-end lifecycle of innovation products from ideation and roadmap development through deployment continuous improvement and governance ensuring alignment with AstraZenecas strategic priorities regulatory obligations and ethical innovation principles.

Youll drive transformative improvements in clinical study delivery operational efficiency and patient outcomes while safeguarding the companys license to operate in a highly regulated environment.Success requires balancing innovation velocity with compliance difficulty partner needs with technical feasibility and strategic vision with tactical execution.

Accountabilities:

Drive Innovation Product Strategy & Transformation

• Define product vision for emerging technology solutions in R&D Clinical Operations aligning organizational goals with frontier innovations (digital health platforms wearable devices decentralized trial technologies AI-enabled applications)
• Build and own product roadmaps that prioritize high-impact use cases balancing innovation velocity with feasibility and collaborator needs
• Translate business challenges into actionable features user stories and acceptance criteria within agile frameworks
• Identify transformative opportunities that redefine clinical study design patient engagement data capture and operational efficiency
• Champion experimentation by piloting emerging technologies and scaling proven innovations across global studies
• Stay ahead of technology trends by integrating frontier solutions 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 and Clinical Development to co-create scalable innovation solutions aligned with enterprise architecture
• Influence senior leadership by securing agreement navigating organizational complexity and driving technology 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 innovation products
• Build strategic partnerships with external technology vendors startups and industry consortia to accelerate innovation
  

Enable Compliant Innovation 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 to establish governance frameworks that enable rapid safe technology deployment
• Develop comprehensive product documentation including validation plans risk assessments user requirements and SOPs to support audit readiness
• Champion responsible innovation by proactively addressing ethics data privacy security and patient safety considerations (GDPR HIPAA 21 CFR Part 11)
• Support regulatory inspections by providing expertise documentation and evidence of compliant innovation development and deployment
• Pioneer industry-standard governance by shaping innovation frameworks in collaboration with regulatory bodies and industry leaders
  

Measure Impact & Drive Continuous Improvement

• Define critical metrics to track product performance user adoption business impact and compliance adherence
• Analyze usage data and trends to identify optimization opportunities and drive Lean Six Sigma initiatives
• Deliver measurable outcomes including efficiency gains accelerated insights improved trial enrollment enhanced patient experience and operational excellence
• Monitor emerging trends by staying current with technology innovations regulatory developments and competitive landscape
  

Develop Talent & Foster Innovation Culture

• Mentor product owners and cross-functional teams to build agile excellence and innovation 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 standard processes to contribute to the growth and capability-building of the Emerging Technologies team

Essential Skills/Experience:

• Bachelor of Sciencein Computer Science Engineering Life Sciences Health Informatics or equivalent discipline (or equivalent experience)
• Extensive experience (8 years)in product management or product ownership with a proven track record of delivering technology-enabled products or digital solutions in clinical research or healthcare
• Deep expertise in agile delivery methodologies(Scrum SAFe Kanban) with demonstrated ability to apply these frameworks in complex regulated environments
• Strong understanding of emerging technologiesapplicable to clinical trials including digital health wearables decentralized trials and AI-enabled applications
• 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 effectivelywith R&D IT Clinical Development and senior leadership teams driving alignment and delivering strategic outcomes

Desirable

• Advanced degree (Masters or PhD)in Computer Science Engineering Life Sciences Health Informatics or related field
• Recognized agile certifications(Certified Scrum Product Owner SAFe Product Owner/Product Manager or equivalent)
• Experience with innovation governance frameworks responsible innovation practices and ethical technology principles
• Hands-on experience with digital health technologies clinical trial management systems (CTMS) electronic data capture (EDC) wearables or decentralized trial platforms
• Knowledge of clinical trial processes clinical data standards (CDISC SDTM ADaM) and regulatory submission requirements
• Experience with Lean Six Sigmaor similar process improvement methodologies including root cause analysis and continuous improvement initiatives
• Proven track record of leading large-scale transformative innovation initiativesfrom 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 21 CFR Part 11) and their implications for innovation product development
• Expert reputation within the biopharmaceutical industryor innovation product management community with thought leadership contributions (publications speaking engagements etc.)
  

Where can I find out more

• Our Social Media Follow AstraZeneca on LinkedIn AstraZeneca on Facebook AstraZeneca on Instagram US Footprint: Powering Scientific Innovation - YouTube

AstraZenecais an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion and providing a workplace that is free from discrimination. AstraZeneca is committed to accommodating persons with disabilities. Such accommodation is available on request in respect of all aspects of the recruitment assessment and selection process and may be requested by emailing.

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Our mission is to build an inclusive environment where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and 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.