Lead Consultant

Job Title: Lead Consultant

Career Level: E

Introduction to role

Are you ready to disrupt an industry and change lives? Join our Data Analytics and AI (DA&AI) team within Operations IT to drive innovation in a leading pharmaceutical company. As the Technical Lead, you'll oversee the technical delivery of products and projects within DA&AI, driving successful outcomes aligned with business goals. You'll apply your expertise to lead and coordinate across technical workstreams (Data & Cloud Engineering, Software Engineering, AI) and collaborate with key partners to transform our ability to develop life-changing medicines.

Accountabilities

Bridge business needs with technical solutions by leading IT application design and implementation. Collaborate with partners to define and deliver requirements, translating them into detailed specifications. Own the technical vision of products and compile detailed technical designs, refining user Epics/stories. Optimize performance, mitigate risks, and ensure alignment to timelines and resource allocations. Advise on industry trends and standard methodologies to enhance performance and business outcomes. Provide technical direction and guidance to IT teams and business units. Contribute to Data & Software Engineering standards and best practices. Research new technologies to boost system performance and scalability. Lead and mentor technical teams (Data Engineering, Cloud Engineering, Software Engineering) and work with AI/GenAI leads to foster collaboration and innovation. Ensure platform stability, scalability, and simplicity while adhering to regulatory requirements and data security standards. Foster continuous improvement and innovation. Oversee technical leadership throughout the software development lifecycle and provide hands-on support in development, technical delivery, review, and testing while collaborating with global teams. Apply central Enterprise Data Platforms and guide DevOps, DataOps, and MLOps teams to ensure standard methodologies. Ensure data solutions stay in sync with FAIR principles and support end-to-end data science and machine learning.

Essential Skills/Experience

• Minimum 10+ years in developing and delivering software engineering and data engineering solutions.
• Strong problem-solving skills with a focus on high-quality solutions.
• Deep technical expertise in data engineering, cloud patterns (e.g., microservices, serverless), and software engineering principles.
• Proficiency in containerization (Docker, Kubernetes), databases (SQL, NoSQL), CI/CD pipelines, and automated deployment tools.
• Leadership experience in mentoring and team management.
• Fluency in Python and Java; knowledge of security and data protection.
• Familiarity with DevOps tools, DataOps principles, and Data Mesh concepts.
• Hands-on experience with AWS Compute Services, Apache Airflow, Snowflake, Power BI, and NodeJS.
• Strong understanding of AI Engineering and implementation of AI/ML models using Amazon SageMaker.
• Experience in Agile methodologies and product development/management.

Desirable Skills/Experience

• Bachelor's or master's degree in health sciences, Life Sciences, Data Management, IT, or a related field.
• Experience in the pharmaceutical industry or a similar multinational environment.
• AWS Cloud or relevant data/software engineering certifications.
• Awareness of use case specific GenAI tools available in the market and their application in day-to-day work scenarios.
• Working knowledge of basic prompting techniques and commitment to continuous improvement of these skills.
• Ability to stay up to date with developments in AI and GenAI, applying new insights to work-related situations.

When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash bold thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions. That's why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office. But that doesn't mean we're not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our unique and ambitious world.

At AstraZeneca, we leverage technology to impact patients' lives directly! Our purpose-led global organization is committed to pushing the boundaries of science to discover life-changing medicines. We empower our teams to innovate with cutting-edge digital technology platforms and data analytics. Here, you can explore new solutions in a dynamic environment that encourages experimentation with leading-edge technology.

Ready to make a difference? Apply now to join our team!

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 authorisation and employment eligibility verification requirements.