Director, IT Business Partner, China RD

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITES

1. Strategic Business Partnership & Demand Leadership 

• Act as the trusted advisor to R&D China leadership; take part in business leadership forums and understand their strategy, priorities, pipeline and operating challenges 

• Shape and prioritise IT demand across clinical development, bioinformatics, PPM, RA and therapy areas, balancing business value, risk and capacity 

• Turn business strategy into clear investment cases and set realistic expectations with senior stakeholders 

• Bring an outside-in view of industry and technology trends to challenge and inspire the business 

2. Digital, Data & GenAI Strategy and Roadmap 

• Define and own an integrated digital, data and AI strategy and roadmap for R&D China, aligned with global R&D IT strategy and AZ China priorities 

• Lead the GenAI agenda for R&D China: build and manage a use-case portfolio (e.g. regulatory writing and Chinese/English translation for submissions, protocol and CSR authoring support, medical and safety review, site feasibility and patient recruitment, portfolio insights, bioinformatics assistants), and move proven use cases from pilot into production and adoption 

• Promote reuse of enterprise AI and agent platforms (e.g. LLM gateway, MCP, memory) and global products before building locally; select appropriate models and hosting options for China 

• Make data a strategic asset: drive data quality, integration and FAIR principles across clinical, omics and portfolio data 

3. Domain Leadership across R&D China 

• Clinical development: clinical trial systems and data flows (e.g. CTMS, EDC, eTMF, RTSM, eCOA, risk-based monitoring), decentralised and digital trial approaches, and seamless China participation in global MRCTs 

• Bioinformatics: scientific computing and cloud/HPC, omics and biomarker data pipelines, and compliant management of human genetic resources data 

• PPM: portfolio planning, project scheduling, resource and budget management, and portfolio analytics and dashboards for decision-making 

• Regulatory affairs: regulatory information management, NMPA submissions (eCTD) and health authority interactions, and alignment with global regulatory platforms 

• Therapy areas: understand the priorities of each TA and tailor digital solutions to their development strategies 

4. Product Organisation & People Leadership 

• Lead, coach and develop a team of Product Owners; set clear goals, manage performance and build career paths and succession 

• Embed a product operating model: each product has clear ownership, vision, roadmap, backlog and value metrics, delivered with Agile methods 

• Build team capabilities in R&D domain knowledge, product management and GenAI; create an inclusive, high-performing and accountable culture 

• Attract and retain top digital and domain talent in a competitive China market 

5. Portfolio Governance, Budget & Value Realisation 

• Own the R&D China IT portfolio and budget: annual planning, Mid-Term Plan (MTP), investment prioritisation, forecasting and variance management 

• Run portfolio governance with business and IT leadership; track delivery, risks and decisions 

• Define and report value realisation (e.g. cycle-time reduction, productivity, quality, cost) for the portfolio, and apply FinOps discipline to cloud and AI spend 

• Own the vendor and OSP strategy for the portfolio, including partner selection, contracts and performance management 

6. Compliance, Risk & Global Connectivity 

• Ensure solutions meet GxP and CSV/CSA, information security and data privacy requirements, and support audit and inspection readiness 

• Lead compliance with China regulations on personal information (PIPL), data security, human genetic resources, cross-border data transfer and generative AI services, in partnership with Legal, Privacy and Compliance 

• Represent R&D China in global R&D IT leadership forums; make sure global platforms are fit for China (e.g. hosting, network, local requirements) and that China innovations can scale globally 

JOB REQUIRMENTS & COMPETENTICES:

Job requirements

• Academic / Professional qualification

• Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Pharmacy, Medicine, Bioinformatics, Computer Science, Information Technology or a related field (essential)

• Master’s degree, MBA or PhD in a relevant scientific, technical or business field (desirable)

Technical / skill training

• Leadership development training; product management or Agile certification (e.g. SAFe, CSPO) preferred

• AI/GenAI training or certification; PMP, ITIL or change management certification is a plus

Working experience

• 12+ years in pharma, biotech or CRO with IT/digital roles, including 5+ years in IT business partnering or digital leadership for R&D, and 3+ years leading teams as a people manager

Essential

• Strong R&D domain knowledge: deep understanding of clinical development (phases, MRCTs, China regulatory landscape) and solid knowledge of at least two of bioinformatics, PPM and regulatory affairs; exposure to multiple therapy areas

• Proven track record as an IT business partner or digital leader trusted by senior business leaders

• Experience leading and developing product owner or business analyst teams, and running a product operating model

• Sound GenAI knowledge: LLMs, RAG, agents, evaluation and risks; has led GenAI use cases from idea to adoption and can explain trade-offs clearly to executives

• Strong soft skills: executive communication, influencing, negotiation, storytelling and conflict resolution; works effectively across cultures in a global matrix

• Fluent business English (written and spoken), able to present to and negotiate with global leadership

• Experience managing IT portfolios, budgets and strategic vendors

• Working knowledge of GxP, CSV/CSA and China data regulations (PIPL, Data Security Law, human genetic resources)

Desirable 

• Experience in a multinational pharma company in both China and global or regional roles

• Familiarity with key R&D platforms (e.g. clinical trial management, EDC, RIM, portfolio management tools such as Planisware) and the China digital ecosystem (local cloud and SaaS, digital patient engagement)

• Experience with real-world data/evidence and decentralised trials in China

• Experience building AI or agent solutions on enterprise platforms, including China-available models

• Network in the China pharma digital and AI ecosystem

Language ability

• Fluent business English (essential); native or fluent Mandarin Chinese

Computer literacy

• Confident user of collaboration, BI (e.g. Power BI) and product tools (e.g. Jira, Confluence)

• Everyday, hands-on use of GenAI tools and assistants

Others

Key competencies:

• Strategic thinking and business acumen in pharma R&D

• Executive presence and influence

• People leadership and talent development

• GenAI and digital fluency

• Customer focus and change leadership

• Integrity and compliance mindset; lives AstraZeneca’s values 

Date Posted

Closing Date

AstraZeneca 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.