Digital & Tech Business Partner - Category & Advanced Research

About the Role

Haleon is hiring a Director, IT Business Partner – Category Growth & Future Horizons to translate category ambition into technology reality. You will partner with Global Category Leads, R&D, Markets and D&T to build multi‑year digital and data roadmaps that accelerate innovation and growth across Oral Health, VMS, Pain, Respiratory, Digestive Health and Skin.

You’ll lead Future Horizons technologies (RWD, AI/ML, sensory/virtual testing, external innovation systems), shape portfolio investments with Strategy and Finance, and act as the enterprise integrator across scientific, commercial and technology teams. We’re looking for a senior techno‑functional leader with deep experience in digital products, data/AI and consumer health/R&D ecosystems—someone who can influence executive stakeholders, drive adoption and deliver measurable business impact.

• Category Strategy & Tech Enablement
  • Serve as the primary IT Business Partner and unified owner at the category interface in enabling capabilities required to support whitespace identification, innovation prioritization, consumer insights integration, and functional investments.
  • Translate category strategies into multi‑year digital & technology roadmaps spanning platforms, data assets, AI/ML, automation, and advanced analytics.
  • Identify digital enablers, capability gaps, and cross‑category reuse opportunities needed to power innovation pipelines across categories.
  • Shape category specific value cases integrating consumer, scientific, and technology insight.
  • Ensure all roadmaps align with enterprise architecture, cybersecurity, and data governance standards.
• Breakthrough and Competitive Business‑Technology Innovation Thought Leadership
  • Connect breakthrough sciences to scalable tech to minimize fragmentation and maximize value creation.
  • Lead the identification and evaluation of category enabling futuristic digital platforms and services including Rx to OTC switch opportunities (AI/ML, digital health, advanced data platforms, sensors, virtual testing, etc.) that support Real World Data, Consumer Sensory, and External Innovation.
  • Partner with RWD and Data Science teams to define technology needs for acquisition, integration, and analysis of real‑world data.
  • Support Consumer Sensory and Insights teams with digital tools for sensory panels/Observatory, experiment design, virtual shelves, and preference modelling.
  • Work with External Innovation team to define systems supporting opportunity scouting, evaluation, due diligence, and partnership management.
  • Ensure future‑horizon insights are incorporated into category strategies, R&D and Digital & Tech planning cycles, and enterprise technology roadmaps.
• Cross‑Functional Stakeholder Influence and Techno‑Functional Leadership
  • Act as the “connective tissue” across R&D, Category, Commercial, Regulatory, Medical, Supply Chain, and Digital & Tech to align on technology‑enabled innovation priorities.
  • Facilitate and chair cross‑functional forums to assess technical feasibility, digital readiness, data requirements, and resource implications for key initiatives.
  • Negotiate platform prioritization, sequencing, and trade‑offs with senior leaders, balancing short‑term delivery and long‑term strategic investments.
  • Build strong, trust‑based relationships across scientific, commercial, and technology stakeholders to drive adoption of digital and data‑enabled ways of working.
• Portfolio, Investment & Roadmap Governance
  • Provide senior governance required to harmonize platform strategies, avoid duplicative investments, improve sequencing and prioritization, strengthening interoperability across categories and markets.
  • Partner with R&D Portfolio, Digital & Tech Portfolio Management, Finance, and Strategy to shape a category‑aligned technology investment portfolio across Growth and Future Horizons.
  • Apply consistent evaluation frameworks that consider business value, technical complexity, re‑use of platforms, risk, and time‑to‑impact.
  • Contribute to annual operating plans and long‑range planning with clear technology and data perspectives for each category and Future Horizons initiative set.
  • Define, track, and communicate…