Senior Director, AI Governance & Enablement

Senior Director AI Governance & Enablement

Were building a connected end-to-end Enterprise AI engine - uniting data foundations AI technology process reinvention and business-facing AI to accelerate results across the whole value chain. Success depends on being exceptional connectors: youll actively leverage existing capabilities celebrate and promote reuse export breakthrough ideas across geographies and functions and obsess over scaling impact rather than building in isolation. If you thrive in high-collaboration environments where your role is to turn complex cross-functional problems into reusable enterprise-wide capabilities - and where the measure of success is adoption and scale not just innovation - youll have the platform (and sponsorship) to make it real.

Introduction to role

The Senior Director AI Governance & Enablement provides enterprise leadership for the governance oversight and assurance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across its full lifecycle. The role ensures AI solutions are developed deployed and operated in a way that is compliant ethical reliable and aligned to risk appetite while enabling innovation at scale.

This role acts as both a governance authority and a trusted partner to delivery teams embedding right-sized governance. It also provides best-practice guidance to ensure AI model outcomes are performant explainable and trusted by the business regulators and external stakeholders.

Accountabilities

Demonstrated leadership of diverse global teams to achieve the following objectives consistently exhibiting AZ values:

• Maintain and evolve enterprise AI governance processes across various types of emerging needs (e.g. internally developed models third-party and vendor AI solutions foundation models generative and agentic AI and citizen-developed AI).

• Embed right-sized proportionate governance across the end-to-end AI lifecycle aligned to regulatory ethical and enterprise risk expectations.

• Drive enterprise-wide adoption of AI governance effectively in a federated environment through stakeholder influence. Own enterprise processes for AI model inventory accountability and ongoing oversight ensuring transparency of AI use across the organisation.

• Ensure AI models are subject to appropriate classification review and lifecycle controls based on tiered risk profile.

• Partner with business and delivery teams to navigate end-to-end AI governance supporting teams through assessment approval and operationalisation of AI use cases.

• Provide assurance and best-practice guidance to strengthen AI model performance reliability robustness and trustworthiness.

• Promote good practice across model development and operation including validation monitoring explainability bias management and performance drift.

• Establish and lead the enterprise operating model for Data & AI Governance and Enablement defining clear accountabilities decision rights escalation paths and governance forums with well-defined stakeholder engagement across business units regions and functions.

• Own the measurement reporting and analytics of the AI Governance lifecycle and drive continuous improvement of governance processes by reducing friction in AI governance processes.

• Serve as an advisor on complex or novel AI solutions enabling proportionate governance decisions rather than default escalation or risk avoidance.

• Raise awareness of relevant governance processes through targeted education and guidance.

• Contribute to a culture of confident responsible AI adoption across the enterprise.

• Build strong relationships across Legal Compliance AZ IT and Privacy to ensure aligned and consistent governance approaches.

• Demonstrated ability to partner effectively with colleagues across functions and levels actively listen resolve conflicts constructively and co-create solutions to achieve shared goals.

• Demonstrated ability to synthesise complex issues into concise narratives anticipating stakeholder concerns navigating ambiguity and driving alignment and decisions in high-stakes forums.

• Executive presence with the ability to build credibility quickly communicate with clarity and confidence and influence senior executive leadership at forums such as Audit Committee the Data Enablement Council or SET-area Data Office (SEDO) promoting a culture of responsible and confident Data & AI use.

Essential Skills/Experience

• Bachelors degree in Business Administration Information/Data Science Informatics Computer Science Economics or related discipline or equivalent number of years of experience.

• Strong understanding of AI lifecycles model risks and governance expectations including regulatory and ethical considerations.

• Ensure governance is applied in a way that enables innovation rather than creating unnecessary friction.

• Proven ability to balance governance rigour with delivery speed and innovation enablement.

• Proven ability to develop strong partnerships with other areas of the business such as Legal Compliance Cyber Security Enterprise Risk Management Data Offices etc.).

• Proven ability to partner with senior stakeholders and delivery teams on complex AI initiatives.

• Significant senior experience in governance and model performance within a complex organisation.

• Demonstrated ability to build and lead a high-performing team with deep expertise in governance and model performance.

• Champion a culture of responsible compliant and value-focused use of data and AI across the organisation.

• Demonstrated project leadership skills.

• Demonstrate effective communication skills with the ability to influence others to achieve objectives.

• Proven change management collaboration and negotiation skills.

Desirable Skills/Experience

• Masters or PhD in Business Administration Information/Data Science Informatics Computer Science Economics or related discipline.

• Experience in life sciences and healthcare.

• Intimate knowledge of relevant key business processes in the Pharma industry.

• Data and / or AI Governance and Data Management education and certifications.

• Practical knowledge of ISO/IEC 42001 (Artificial Intelligence Management Systems)

• Practical knowledge of NIST AI Risk Management Framework.

• Familiarity with relevant data and AI regulations and compliance requirements (e.g. GxP GDPR EU AI Act NIS2 etc.).

• Applied data management data science AI development or AI governance skills including experience with related tools. Exposure publishing relevant AI governance and /or model performance topics in peer-reviewed journals conferences and other scientific proceedings.

When we put unexpected teams in the same room we unleash bold thinking with the power to inspire life-changing -person working gives us the platform we need to connect work at pace and challenge perceptions. Thats why we work on average a minimum of three days per week from the office. But that doesnt mean were not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our unique and ambitious world.

AstraZeneca offers an environment where data analytics and AI are central to transforming how medicines are discovered developed and delivered; where partnerships across global functions drive efficiency; where modern platforms are already in place and ready to be leveraged; where experimentation with leading-edge technology is encouraged; where diverse experts collaborate across boundaries; where learning never stops; and where every improvement in how information is governed can ultimately help improve outcomes for patients worldwide.

If this sounds like the next challenge to own and shape apply now to join us!

#EAI

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