Global Innovations Labs Lead

The AstraZeneca Global IT organization is responsible for defining and executing digital and data strategies across the corporation in support of AstraZeneca’s bold ambitions to provide cures for cancer in every form, to transform the lives of people affected by rare diseases and devastating conditions, and to change the lives of billions of people living with chronic diseases for the better.We are looking for a visionary and innovative leader to take on the role of **Global** **Innovation Labs Lead** **leading teams in Guadalajara (Mexico) and Chennai (India). In this pivotal position, you will be responsible for identifying and harnessing the power of cutting-edge technologies to drive innovation and transformation within AstraZeneca.As the **Global** **Innovation Labs Lead **within the **Insights & Technology Excellence (IGNITE)** organization you will be expected to have a broad knowledge of Technology, staying abreast of key technology trends. Subject matter experts are expected to provide globally meaningful tech leadership for AstraZeneca in a constantly evolving landscape, rapidly specializing in the latest areas of new technologies. You will showcase, deliver, and prove business value through Proof of Technology (PoT) assessments, work with business stakeholders to deliver Proof of Value (PoV) projects, and where success has been proven help scale the technology into the relevant production teams.The role will focus on the identification, rapid assessment, validation and acceleration of innovative ideas and emerging technologies, in the 3-5 year time horizon. We provide insight and recommendations based upon insights and research from within the life sciences industry, but also non-compete industries.The role will have hands on experience with a vast number of technologies to deliver Proof of Concept projects, as well as to partner directly with vendors to draw outcomes as part of the technology evaluation. We work with everyone from academia to start-ups and open-source technologies, and the tech giants where we get early visibility and access to innovative technologies prior to being announced.This role is about more than just building prototypes. You will be expected to be able to distil technical information into formats consumable by senior leaders within the company, influencing where future investment should go. Where the business does not have the existing skills for a new technology, you will need to help shape how that capability will be put together. Creating a proof of concept is easy, scaling it into a production business capability is where our team truly offers value.Working in partnership with Head of Digital Services, Emerging Technology Lead and Enterprise Architecture to educate, and subsequently enable them to chart a course to adopt emerging technologies will be a critical part of your role.**Responsibilities** will **include**- Lead and manage a global team, who are responsible for scouting, prototyping, and piloting new technologies and solutions in various domains such as drug discovery, clinical trials, manufacturing, supply chain, and customer engagement.- Define and communicate the vision, strategy, and roadmap for emerging technology labs, aligning with the overall innovation and technology strategy and the business objectives.- Establish and maintain strong relationships with senior leaders, key stakeholders, and external partners to understand the business needs, challenges, and opportunities, and to advocate for the value and impact of emerging technologies.- Oversee the end-to-end delivery of emerging technology projects, ensuring that they are executed with agility, quality, and compliance, and that they deliver measurable outcomes and value to the business and the patients.- Monitor and evaluate the performance and impact of emerging technology labs, using data-driven metrics and feedback, and continuously optimize and improve the processes, practices, and capabilities.- Build and nurture a high-performing, diverse, and inclusive team of emerging technology experts, providing them with clear direction, coaching, feedback, and recognition.- Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence within the emerging technology labs team and across the organization, promoting best practices, knowledge sharing, and learning opportunities.**Skills and Competencies**- ** Storytelling** is a critical skill for this role, you will be accountable for translating and articulating complex technical and visionary themes, into simple and relevant narratives to ensure comprehension and understanding of the most senior executives in the organisation.- An **entrepreneurial mindset** and the ability to navigate Senior Stakeholders through uncertainty.- Able to work with external partners **to influence, extract and deliver** timely product innovation.- You will be proficient at **producing Executive briefings, White **Papers** and articulating str