Executive Director, AI Enterprise Process & Innovation

AstraZeneca•Gaithersburg, MD

3d•$249,618 - $374,428•Hybrid

About The Position

Accountabilities: Redesign critical end-to-end processes to move from functionally optimized workflows to decision-centric models. Embed AI at the point of work. Eliminate structural bottlenecks, manual handoffs, and decision delays to develop intelligent, streamlined operations that improve patient impact. Act as a cross-functional integrator by incubating and scaling AI-enabled use cases across functions. Develop consistent processes to move ideas from pilot to scaled enterprise capability that delivers measurable business value. Advisory Role within the Organization and Value Realization: Partner with senior leaders to compose problem statements, outline benefit scenarios, and align AI solutions with business outcomes. Collaborate alongside Finance and enterprise leaders to develop metrics, track benefits, and confirm return on investment. Advise on areas where AI impacts operating leverage compared to where traditional optimization meets needs. Collaborate with AI, data, technology, risk, quality, and legal/compliance teams to ensure solutions are scalable, secure, compliant, and ethical. Codify governance that speeds delivery without compromising safety or trust. Lead adoption using innovative operational methods. Redefine roles and improve decision-making accountability. Build enterprise understanding of AI through leadership narratives, education, and hands-on engagement. Develop talent and communities of practice passionate about process innovation, AI product thinking, and system development. Plan effectively for succession. Lead or coordinate complex, high-value AI-enabled business improvement initiatives. Orchestrate cross-functional squads to remove blockers and embed AI into daily operations. Socialize strategic outcomes by demonstrating cost, quality, and financial improvements. Essential Skills/Experience: - Lead the redesign of important enterprise processes across the entire workflow. Transition from workflows optimized for functionality to AI-enabled, decision-focused operating models. Identify structural bottlenecks, manual handoffs, and slow decision points. Build intelligence into workflows rather than layering additional tools. - Serve as an integrator across functions by connecting business, technology, data, and change capabilities to achieve enterprise-wide innovation. Incubate and expand AI-enabled use cases in areas such as R&D, Manufacturing, Quality, Commercial, Medical, Legal, Finance, and Procurement. Develop repeatable methods to progress ideas from pilot to broad organizational capability. - Internal Consultancy & Value Realization: Operate as a strategic internal consultancy to senior business leaders, shaping problem statements, defining value cases, and aligning AI solutions to business outcomes; partner with Finance and business owners to define clear value metrics, track benefits realization and ROI, and ensure sustained impact; advise executives on where AI can change operating leverage vs. where traditional optimization is sufficient. - AI Operating Model & Governance: Partner with Enterprise AI, Data, IT, Risk, Quality, Legal/Compliance to ensure AI solutions are scalable, secure, compliant, and ethically deployed - Change Leadership & Capability Building: Drive adoption through new ways of working, role redesign, and decision accountability—not just technology deployment; build enterprise understanding of AI’s role in process transformation via executive storytelling, education, and hands on engagement; develop talent and communities of practice committed to process innovation, AI product thinking, and architectural planning; prepare thoughtfully for leadership continuity. - Delivery & Scale: Lead or oversee the most complex and crucial AI enabled Business Improvement initiatives to improve quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of business processes; orchestrate cross functional squads to remove blockers and embed AI capabilities into day to day operations; share strategic outcomes of key projects, outlining benefits from cost and quality perspectives and demonstrating the function’s return on investment (ROI). Desirable Skills/Experience: - Proven track record leading enterprise-scale AI-driven process transformation in complex, regulated environments. - Executive-level advisory experience, turning ambiguous problems into clear value cases and operating leverage. - Deep expertise in decision-centric operating models, process engineering, and systems design; familiarity with Lean, Six Sigma, or similar approaches. - Proficiency in AI product thinking, ML engineering and MLOps, large language models and orchestration, and data platform integration. - Experience establishing governance for responsible, secure AI in partnership with risk, quality, and legal/compliance functions. - Strong storytelling and education skills to engage senior leaders and mobilize groups of expertise; demonstrated succession planning and talent development. - Ability to orchestrate cross-functional squads and deliver from idea to pilot to scaled capability with measurable ROI. - Comfort setting direction in early-stage, ambiguous environments through experimentation and rapid learning. 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, your leadership directly influences how quickly and reliably we deliver therapies to patients. You will work at the intersection of cutting-edge science and advanced digital technologies, shaping early-stage approaches and turning uncertainty into pragmatic, scalable solutions. We bring unexpected teams together to unleash bold thinking, valuing kindness alongside ambition, and empower you to build partnerships and ecosystems that create new ways of working. With the investment and autonomy to succeed, you will drive cross-company change at pace, learn fast, and see the impact of your decisions across the enterprise. Call to Action: Bring your leadership to rewire our enterprise and turn AI into everyday operating leverage—step forward and shape how life-changing medicines reach patients faster.

Requirements

Lead the redesign of important enterprise processes across the entire workflow.
Transition from workflows optimized for functionality to AI-enabled, decision-focused operating models.
Identify structural bottlenecks, manual handoffs, and slow decision points.
Build intelligence into workflows rather than layering additional tools.
Serve as an integrator across functions by connecting business, technology, data, and change capabilities to achieve enterprise-wide innovation.
Incubate and expand AI-enabled use cases in areas such as R&D, Manufacturing, Quality, Commercial, Medical, Legal, Finance, and Procurement.
Develop repeatable methods to progress ideas from pilot to broad organizational capability.
Operate as a strategic internal consultancy to senior business leaders, shaping problem statements, defining value cases, and aligning AI solutions to business outcomes; partner with Finance and business owners to define clear value metrics, track benefits realization and ROI, and ensure sustained impact; advise executives on where AI can change operating leverage vs. where traditional optimization is sufficient.
Partner with Enterprise AI, Data, IT, Risk, Quality, Legal/Compliance to ensure AI solutions are scalable, secure, compliant, and ethically deployed
Drive adoption through new ways of working, role redesign, and decision accountability—not just technology deployment; build enterprise understanding of AI’s role in process transformation via executive storytelling, education, and hands on engagement; develop talent and communities of practice committed to process innovation, AI product thinking, and architectural planning; prepare thoughtfully for leadership continuity.
Lead or oversee the most complex and crucial AI enabled Business Improvement initiatives to improve quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of business processes; orchestrate cross functional squads to remove blockers and embed AI capabilities into day to day operations; share strategic outcomes of key projects, outlining benefits from cost and quality perspectives and demonstrating the function’s return on investment (ROI).

Nice To Haves

Proven track record leading enterprise-scale AI-driven process transformation in complex, regulated environments.
Executive-level advisory experience, turning ambiguous problems into clear value cases and operating leverage.
Deep expertise in decision-centric operating models, process engineering, and systems design; familiarity with Lean, Six Sigma, or similar approaches.
Proficiency in AI product thinking, ML engineering and MLOps, large language models and orchestration, and data platform integration.
Experience establishing governance for responsible, secure AI in partnership with risk, quality, and legal/compliance functions.
Strong storytelling and education skills to engage senior leaders and mobilize groups of expertise; demonstrated succession planning and talent development.
Ability to orchestrate cross-functional squads and deliver from idea to pilot to scaled capability with measurable ROI.
Comfort setting direction in early-stage, ambiguous environments through experimentation and rapid learning.

Responsibilities

Redesign critical end-to-end processes to move from functionally optimized workflows to decision-centric models.
Embed AI at the point of work.
Eliminate structural bottlenecks, manual handoffs, and decision delays to develop intelligent, streamlined operations that improve patient impact.
Act as a cross-functional integrator by incubating and scaling AI-enabled use cases across functions.
Develop consistent processes to move ideas from pilot to scaled enterprise capability that delivers measurable business value.
Partner with senior leaders to compose problem statements, outline benefit scenarios, and align AI solutions with business outcomes.
Collaborate alongside Finance and enterprise leaders to develop metrics, track benefits, and confirm return on investment.
Advise on areas where AI impacts operating leverage compared to where traditional optimization meets needs.
Collaborate with AI, data, technology, risk, quality, and legal/compliance teams to ensure solutions are scalable, secure, compliant, and ethical.
Codify governance that speeds delivery without compromising safety or trust.
Lead adoption using innovative operational methods.
Redefine roles and improve decision-making accountability.
Build enterprise understanding of AI through leadership narratives, education, and hands-on engagement.
Develop talent and communities of practice passionate about process innovation, AI product thinking, and system development.
Plan effectively for succession.
Lead or coordinate complex, high-value AI-enabled business improvement initiatives.
Orchestrate cross-functional squads to remove blockers and embed AI into daily operations.
Socialize strategic outcomes by demonstrating cost, quality, and financial improvements.

Benefits

qualified retirement program [401(k) plan]
paid vacation and holidays
paid leaves
health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage

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