Senior Director, AI Governance & Enablement

Senior Director, AI Governance & Enablement

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.

Introduction to role

The Senior Director, AI Governance & Enablement provides enterprise leadership for the governance, oversight, and assurance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across its full lifecycle. The role ensures AI solutions are developed, deployed, and operated in a way that is compliant, ethical, reliable, and aligned to risk appetite, while enabling innovation at scale.

This role acts as both a governance authority and a trusted partner to delivery teams, embedding right-sized governance. It also provides best-practice guidance to ensure AI model outcomes are performant, explainable, and trusted by the business, regulators, and external stakeholders.

Accountabilities

Demonstrated leadership of diverse, global teams to achieve the following objectives, consistently exhibiting AZ values:

Maintain and evolve enterprise AI governance processes across various types of emerging needs (e.g. internally developed models, third-party and vendor AI solutions, foundation models, generative and agentic AI, and citizen-developed AI).

Embed right-sized, proportionate governance across the end-to-end AI lifecycle, aligned to regulatory, ethical, and enterprise risk expectations.

Drive enterprise-wide adoption of AI governance effectively in a federated environment through stakeholder influence. Own enterprise processes for AI model inventory, accountability, and ongoing oversight, ensuring transparency of AI use across the organisation.

Ensure AI models are subject to appropriate classification, review, and lifecycle controls based on tiered risk profile.

Partner with business and delivery teams to navigate end-to-end AI governance, supporting teams through assessment, approval, and operationalisation of AI use cases.

Provide assurance and best-practice guidance to strengthen AI model performance, reliability, robustness, and trustworthiness.

Promote good practice across model development and operation, including validation, monitoring, explainability, bias management, and performance drift.

Establish and lead the enterprise operating model for Data & AI Governance and Enablement, defining clear accountabilities, decision rights, escalation paths, and governance forums, with well-defined stakeholder engagement across business units, regions, and functions.

Own the measurement, reporting, and analytics of the AI Governance lifecycle, and drive continuous improvement of governance processes by reducing friction in AI governance processes.

Serve as an advisor on complex or novel AI solutions, enabling proportionate governance decisions rather than default escalation or risk avoidance.

Raise awareness of relevant governance processes through targeted education and guidance.

Contribute to a culture of confident, responsible AI adoption across the enterprise.

Build strong relationships across Legal, Compliance, AZ IT, and Privacy to ensure aligned and consistent governance approaches.

Demonstrated ability to partner effectively with colleagues across functions and levels, actively listen, resolve conflicts constructively, and co-create solutions to achieve shared goals.

Demonstrated ability to synthesise complex issues into concise narratives, anticipating stakeholder concerns, navigating ambiguity, and driving alignment and decisions in high-stakes forums.

Executive presence with the ability to build credibility quickly, communicate with clarity and confidence, and influence senior executive leadership at forums such as Audit Committee, the Data Enablement Council, or SET-area Data Office (SEDO), promoting a culture of responsible and confident Data & AI use.

Essential Skills/Experience

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Information/Data Science, Informatics, Computer Science, Economics, or related discipline – or equivalent number of years of experience.

Strong understanding of AI lifecycles, model risks, and governance expectations, including regulatory and ethical considerations.

Ensure governance is applied in a way that enables innovation rather than creating unnecessary friction.

Proven ability to balance governance rigour with delivery speed and innovation enablement.

Proven ability to develop strong partnerships with other areas of the business such as Legal, Compliance, Cyber Security, Enterprise Risk Management, Data Offices, etc.).

Proven ability to partner with senior stakeholders and delivery teams on complex AI initiatives.

Significant senior experience in governance and model performance within a complex organisation.

Demonstrated ability to build and lead a high-performing team with deep expertise in governance and model performance.

Champion a culture of responsible, compliant, and value-focused use of data and AI across the organisation.

Demonstrated project leadership skills.

Demonstrate effective communication skills with the ability to influence others to achieve objectives.

Proven change management, collaboration, and negotiation skills.

Desirable Skills/Experience

Master’s or PhD in Business Administration, Information/Data Science, Informatics, Computer Science, Economics, or related discipline.

Experience in life sciences and healthcare.

Intimate knowledge of relevant key business processes in the Pharma industry.

Data and / or AI Governance and Data Management education and certifications.

Practical knowledge of ISO/IEC 42001 (Artificial Intelligence Management Systems)

Practical knowledge of NIST AI Risk Management Framework.

Familiarity with relevant data and AI regulations and compliance requirements (e.g. GxP, GDPR, EU AI Act, NIS2, etc.).

Applied data management, data science, AI development, or AI governance skills, including experience with related tools. Exposure publishing relevant AI governance and /or model performance topics in peer-reviewed journals, conferences, and other scientific proceedings.

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.

AstraZeneca offers an environment where data, analytics and AI are central to transforming how medicines are discovered, developed and delivered; where partnerships across global functions drive efficiency; where modern platforms are already in place and ready to be leveraged; where experimentation with leading-edge technology is encouraged; where diverse experts collaborate across boundaries; where learning never stops; and where every improvement in how information is governed can ultimately help improve outcomes for patients worldwide.

If this sounds like the next challenge to own and shape, apply now to join us!

#EAI

Date Posted

06-may-2026

Closing Date

12-may-2026

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 authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.