Head of Clinical AI Portfolio, Senior Director, AI for Clinical Development

This role can be based at AstraZeneca hubs in Boston, US; Gaithersburg, US; or Barcelona, Spain.   We're building a connected, end-to-end Enterprise AI engine - uniting data foundations, AI technology, process reinvention, and business-facing AI to accelerate results across the whole value chain. Success depends on being exceptional connectors:   you'll   actively   leverage   existing capabilities, celebrate and promote reuse, export breakthrough ideas across geographies and functions, and obsess over scaling impact rather than building in isolation. If you thrive in high-collaboration environments where your role is to turn complex, cross-functional problems into reusable, enterprise-wide capabilities - and where the measure of success is adoption and scale, not just innovation - you'll have the platform (and sponsorship) to make it real.    About AISI    AI Science & Innovation (AISI) sits at the   centre   of AstraZeneca's R&D AI transformation. Our remit is to build, buy and deliver the AI models and agents that change pipeline outcomes, across discovery, translational science,   biomarkers   and clinical development.   Role Overview   AstraZeneca is building a world-class AI capability for Clinical Development within the Enterprise AI Unit to accelerate the design, conduct, and analysis of clinical trials across our enterprise pipeline. We are hiring a Head of Clinical AI Portfolio to set the strategy and own the portfolio that   turn   this ambition into delivered value.   This is a senior, strategic portfolio-owner role. You will   lead   the strategy for AI in Clinical Development , including   where it creates the most value, how the roadmap is sequenced, and how success is measured . You will   own the portfolio end to   end:   prioritizing demand, building   the business   cases, and   demonstrating   value. You will act as a trusted thought partner to AI for Clinical Development and AISI   leadership, and   keep the strategy   up-to-date   by scanning the external clinical AI landscape and translating what is   emerging   into implications for our roadmap.   You will also   develop and own   the operating model that connects the function’s work to clinical impact: how clinical questions become well-posed,   prioritized   problems for our research and applied AI teams, and how research capabilities reach clinical and study teams and change decisions.    We’re   looking for someone equally credible in a room of clinicians framing a trial decision, in a room of AI researchers scoping a method, and in front of senior leaders setting direction.   What   you'll   do   Set and own the strategy for AI in Clinical Development: define where AI creates the most value across Phases I–III and clinical operations, articulate the multi-year vision and the outcomes that define success, and keep the strategy current as the science, the pipeline, and the technology evolve.   Own the clinical AI portfolio end to   end:   prioritize and sequence demand,   maintain   the roadmap of AI-enabled clinical capabilities, and balance short-term delivery against long-term capability-building.   Build the business cases for clinical AI initiatives; define, track, and quantify value and ROI, and use that evidence to guide investment and prioritization decisions.   Lead portfolio governance, prioritization, resource planning, cross-project dependencies, deliverable tracking, and executive reporting. Establish a consistent project management framework, governance model, and delivery processes across the team so we scale effectively.   Serve as a strategic thought partner to AI for Clinical Development and AISI leadership   by   framing options, surfacing trade-offs, and shaping the decisions that set direction for the function.   Scan the external clinical AI landscape   to   translate emerging methods, tools, and precedents into implications and recommendations for the strategy and portfolio.   D efine the intake, prioritization, and triage frameworks that govern how demand is scoped and sequenced at   portfolio   scale.   Provide build / buy / partner recommendations: survey internal and external capability, pressure-test vendor claims and the underlying data, and shape the sequenced execution plans the business will fund.   Plan and lead portfolio review and governance meetings with clear agendas, documentation, and follow-up actions.   Serve as the senior   point of contact   across research and engine leadership, clinical development, translational science, clinical operations, biometrics, and regulatory.   Represent the clinical AI portfolio, its strategy, and its value to senior leadership and governance.   Essential for the role   Bachelor’s degree in business administration, life sciences, engineering, or a related field; a Master’s or MBA is a plus.    Demonstrated experience setting strategy and owning a portfolio or major program at a senior level in a biopharmaceutical, digital health, or technology-driven environment.   8+ years across clinical development, R&D, informatics, or applied AI in life sciences, including   a track record   of leading cross-functional programs to delivery.   Demonstrated ability to translate between scientific/clinical needs and technical teams, turning ambiguous clinical questions into scoped, fundable, executable work.   Portfolio, program, or alliance leadership: prioritization, sequencing, business cases, value/ROI, and stakeholder governance at an executive level.   Working awareness of the external clinical AI landscape and the ability to translate emerging developments into strategy and portfolio decisions.   Working fluency in modern AI/ML (foundation models, LLMs, agentic systems)   sufficient   to shape and pressure-test solutions and their evaluation.   Strong command of the clinical development and operations lifecycle across Phases I–III and how decisions get made across f