R&D AI Finance Lead

Roche•Mississauga, ON

3d•$156,800 - $291,200

About The Position

The R&D AI Finance Lead is a director-level, business-savvy professional responsible for driving R&D productivity and smart investment decisions to enhance the value of the company's portfolio. This role involves catalyzing cross-collaboration between R&D units and bringing a holistic, end-to-end view across the enterprise. The individual will leverage finance excellence, communication, and storytelling skills to challenge the status quo and guide stakeholders through complex challenges. With Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a core strategic priority in R&D, this finance professional will serve as a dedicated partner for these pivotal initiatives.

Requirements

10+ years of international finance experience with a proven track record in financial stewardship and governance (or deep technical/data science expertise with a strong affinity for finance).
Strong passion for AI and digital solutions.
Visionary mindset and strategic agility to anticipate changing landscapes, envision the future of finance and the business, and lead teams in developing and executing long-term initiatives with adaptable solutions.
Proven track record of architecting innovative solutions and operational frameworks (including process design and systems engineering).
Demonstrated excellence in influencing decision-making at senior management levels, supported by strong communication and collaboration skills.
Ability to handle high-level strategy while also thinking through details and connecting the dots.
End-to-End ownership: Capable of driving efforts across the R&D value chain with broad impact.
Relationship builder: Proven success in establishing and maintaining trustful partnerships with stakeholders in a global environment.

Responsibilities

Serve as a strategic thought partner to senior stakeholders for Agentic AI projects in R&D, ensuring alignment on business case assumptions and financial strategy.
Lead the definition of financial performance measurement (investments, savings tracking, ROI) for such projects, including ongoing KPI reporting and actionable recommendations.
Architect and co-create future-state financial workflows (Forecasting, governance reviews) for an agentic operating model.
Own the business case for R&D AI investments, including updates on investments, savings reporting, and funding strategies.
Work closely with Accounting and RDT Finance to define accounting treatments of AI-related investments.
Drive key finance deliverables, including preparation for senior leadership updates.
Proactively develop headcount plans and resource allocation strategies to ensure successful portfolio delivery and alignment with organizational goals.