VP, Head of IT Rare Disease Unit

VP, IT Rare Disease Unit Boston, USA About the role Reporting to the Enterprise CIO, the VP, IT, Rare Disease Unit will be charged with developing and establishing an information technology vision, strategy and innovation agenda to support the goals and objectives of the Rare Disease Unit. The candidate will be an active member of the AstraZeneca IT Leadership Team and contribute to the overall vision of the IT 2030 Strategy adoption and engagement across the Rare Disease Unit.

You will be expected to work closely with senior business and technology leaders across the enterprise to ensure that investments and the technology portfolio are aligned to the current and future needs of the business.  They will be expected to immediately focus on developing a comprehensive technology roadmap/strategy and lead innovation activities that balance immediate business needs with forward-looking disruptive plans.

The leader will need to work with Alexion and AZ stakeholders to balance the needs of both organizations, with an emphasis of innovating for the Alexion business.

Key Responsibilities Leadership:
Provide expert counsel and guidance to senior management and key stakeholders on all IT related issues. Apply strong leadership and thinking to a diverse set of opportunities and challenges ensuring that the IT organization serves as a true strategic partner and enabler to all facets of the enterprise.

Technology

Innovation: Lead the facilitation and collaboration of innovation platforms that connect business-level innovation with emerging technology and long horizon, disruptive effortsIT Vision and Strategy:
Develop long-term technology vision and strategic plans based on alignment with and support for the organization’s strategies and goals. Seek funding for innovative IT initiatives that have strategic value.

IT Governance:
Provide cost effective management, rationalization, and simplification of the company’s portfolio of systems and projects. Establish and enforce appropriate IT policies, best practices, processes, systems and technology portfolio and lifecycle management, program and project management (PMO), development standards, methodologies, and the like.

Management:
Hire, develop, appraise, reward, and retain a highly qualified IT team. Motivate and mentor IT management and staff. Lead by example through appropriate participation and involvement in, and oversight of all IT activities. Plan and provide continuity and succession for all IT management.

Budgeting:
Create the IT budget that meets synergy targets and delivers innovative new solutions.  Monitor performance against the budget and act to ensure budget compliance. Create effective partnerships and negotiate advantageous agreements with service providers and hardware and software vendors.

Systems:
Direct the definition, architecture, development, implementation, maintenance and support of application systems, which drive and enable organization objectives. Ensure performance to all related elements - cost, schedule and budget - as they relate to the existing plan and forecast; continuously improve unit cost performance while maximizing existing as well as new information technology capability and innovation.

Technology, Infrastructure & Telecommunications:
Work with key IT partners across AstraZeneca IT to maintain knowledge of state-of-the-art information technologies. Identify appropriate technologies for IT initiatives, and drive innovation programs to further facilitate business objectives.

Operations:
Working with IT partners across AstraZeneca IT, direct the continuous and secure operation, administration and maintenance of the organization computing, networking cybersecurity infrastructure.  Ensure health information privacy and…