Director, RDU IT Data Management

This is what you will do: 

Alexion is seeking a dynamic and visionary Data Leader to drive the development and execution of data strategies that support the delivery of AI-ready data. This role is pivotal in aligning data architecture and management with the company’s long-term goals, emphasizing the creation of high-quality, FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data assets. The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise in data information architecture, master data management, data governance, metadata management, and data marketplaces, particularly within the biopharmaceutical industry. They will bring a value orientation to the Alexion Data Office to align strategic AI initiatives to the development of a data and information foundation based on Data Products.  

The position demands a strategic thinker with a strong global and cross-functional background, capable of leading a team of data professionals and collaborating across departments to enhance data-driven decision-making. This leader will be responsible for ensuring data integrity and compliance while fostering a culture of data excellence. Their work will directly influence innovation and business success by unlocking the full potential of Alexion’s data assets for advanced analytics and AI applications. 

The successful candidate will be expected to drive efficiency in their organization by infusing AI into all aspects of their jobs.  

This highly visible role requires a confident, energetic, assertive, and client-oriented individual who can engage with all levels of leadership. The successful candidate will demonstrate corporate leadership competencies such as attracting top talent, managing complexity, driving engagement, and delivering results. They must be an innovative collaborator, passionate about leveraging healthcare data to create meaningful value and transformative outcomes in a rapidly evolving industry. 

You will be responsible to : 

• Co-shape the data strategy and contribute significantly to the delivery of Alexion Data Office objectives, developing and executing data management strategies that standardize processes and tools enterprise-wide, ensuring alignment with the overall information architecture and Alexion Data Office goals.  

• Lead and mentor a team of data management professionals is also a key responsibility, with a focus on Master & Reference Data Management and Data Product Strategy to drive continuous improvement and value creation. 

• Define and execute an AI-ready Data strategy that incorporates FAIR principles, model risk management, and responsible AI requirements throughout the data lifecycle—from ingestion and curation to analytics consumption.  

• Translate priority AI use cases into actionable data requirements and roadmaps for AI-ready datasets, feature stores, and knowledge graphs. 

• Integrate AI-powered catalog and lineage services to curate the data marketplace, promoting certified AI-ready products, and phasing out outdated assets. 

• Ensure data quality, compliance, and governance is fundamental. The role aligns with the Alexion Data Office to support data governance frameworks, policies, and procedures while promoting a data-driven culture through education and guidance on best practices.  

• Implement AI-led policy enforcement mechanisms to continuously evaluate data usage against consent, purpose, and geography, with automated access revocation and alerts for non-compliance. 

• Oversight of Master Data Management (MDM) strategy ensuring data accuracy, consistency, and interoperability across the organization. 

• Provide guidance on data architecture, including data modeling, database design, and integration processes, ensuring scalability and flexibility to meet evolving business needs. 

• Lead efforts to optimize and streamline data models to enhance accessibility, performance, and scalability within the broader information architecture strategy. 

• Deliver conceptual data models optimized for AI consumption, including feature schemas and ontology mappings. 

• Drive the creation and management of a data marketplace that facilitates seamless discovery, access, and sharing of data assets, enabling self-service capabilities for business users while maintaining governance and security. 

• Align with the Enterprise Architecture and AZ IGNITE team to identify opportunities to leverage new technologies and methodologies to improve data management practices and drive business success. 

• Deploy AI-assisted data management features such as automated metadata extraction, schema discovery, and semantic tagging to support AI-readiness.  

• Implements AI-driven data quality services that detect anomalies, drift, and outliers, triggering self-healing rules with human-in-the-loop approvals for high-risk changes. 

• Introduce AI copilots to assist Data Information Architects, Data Stewards, and Product Managers in generating data documentation, architecture, and lineage narratives. 

You will need to have:  

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a major in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business, or other related scientific or technical discipline is preferred. 

• Minimum of 8 years of experience in more than one of the following: Data Governance, Data Architecture, Master Data Management, Data Products 

• Demonstrated experience building AI-ready data foundations 

• Knowledge of taxonomies, ontologies and semantic standards for data integration 

• Proven track record operationalizing FAIR principles and responsible AI requirements across data pipelines 

• Highly motivated and energetic self-starter who can work in matrix environment with the confidence and ability to present complex information concisely and effectively to all audiences, including senior leaders and groups 

• Experience in driving data transformation initiatives with strong change management components 

• Experience designing models to consolidate and analyze structured and unstructured data, from diverse sources including “big data” sources 

• Expertise in data modeling and governance tools, such as Snowflake, Collibra, IDERA/ERwin, ER/Studio, or similar, with an understanding of how they fit into the broader information architecture landscape 

• Strong analytical, logical thinking and organizational skills, backed by a logical approach, and capable of managing multiple projects simultaneously  

• Data warehousing methodologies and modelling techniques (Kimball, 3NF, Star Schema, Dimension modelling, Data Marts, Operational Data Stores) 

• Exceptional verbal and written communication and creative problem-solving skills and the ability to convey data design insights in actionable business terms  

We would prefer you to have: 

• Master’s degree in a technical or healthcare-related field of study 

• Prior experience of 10+ years as a Data/Information Management leader in a global/cross-functional biotech/pharma industry  

• Prior experience delivering AI-ready data capabilities in biopharma or healthcare, enabling use cases across R&D, clinical, pharmacovigilance, medical, and commercial. 

• Experience with standards and ontologies relevant to life sciences and healthcare