Associate Director, Applied AI

AstraZeneca•Gaithersburg, MD

2d•$137,394 - $206,092•Hybrid

About The Position

Associate Director of Applied AI will lead the technical strategy and delivery of AI solutions across the COO organization, with a focus on agentic applications, enablement of AI Champions, scalable, compliant AI platforms! Partner with Enabling Functions, Site Operations, and IT to translate business needs into reliable AI solutions and to further the advancement of the COO AI strategy. Typical Accountabilities Takes a leading role in the delivery of COO Digital AI Solutions team objectives and roadmap, as advised by the team leadership, ensuring alignment with COO functions, and IT governance. Provide AI solutions for COO operations through enterprise services and approved platforms from discovery and reasoning through build, evaluation, and production support. Deliver robust, efficient, automated solutions to support frequently asked technical inquiries/analytical demands including agentic applications and AI assistants Implementing AI solutions following AstraZeneca engineering standards, roadmaps and blueprints that enhance current technology platforms and adapt to new data technology, working closely with Data Architects and Solution Architects and aligning with TID governance and IT compliance (e.g., Solution Blueprint, PIA, RID, 3PRM, TIA, ITSA) Test and quality assess new data and analytics COO solutions, to ensure they are fit for purpose: code assurance, Unit and System Integration Testing, performance tuning, data testing, release management control and support of production processes including their SLAs; extend this to AI/LLM solutions including prompt and tool evaluation, retrieval/RAG testing, and offline/online evaluation protocols Innovate and test new technologies with relevance to AI solutions, including proof of technology/value assessments and case development and lead a consistent go/no-go evaluation process for proposed AI agents and solutions Data and analytics solution evaluation activities and project estimates which contribute to the creation of case and delivery plans; maintain an AI portfolio backlog and facilitate regular prioritization cycles aligned to strategic objectives Support development of a COO focused training program for Applied AI as a capability - training, tooling, ways of working, and operating model to optimize output and value, including the development of an AI champions network to support advanced AI implementation across the COO functions. Ensure that business data and information assets are made available as data services and artefacts for consumption by the wider COO to ensure consistency and strategic alignment of all data and business intelligence solutions and govern their responsible use within AI workloads (including approvals and audit ability) Selection and implementation of data management technologies and industry standard methodologies, in alignment with the Enterprise Architecture and Technology Innovation functions; leverage enterprise-approved AI technical products where appropriate Maintain an ongoing professional development to keep the COO function current with advancing and changing data technology landscape and innovation with a particular emphasis on AI, cloud, security, and agentic architecture. Development and delivery of data management and business intelligence practices and technology training programs – architect and support a training plan for AI Champions in partnership with L&D/IT Serve as a technical resource to the organization via office hours/clinics and advanced seminars that upskill teams and AI Champions. Lead coordination for AI adoption across COO (communications, involvement, and training in partnership with L&D/IT)

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree with 5 - 7 years of Computer Science or Data Management experience
Proven track record working in a data engineering role or AI/ML application development with practical examples in developing using modern data platforms to build, deploy, and maintain data applications and AI-enabled applications (e.g., LLM-based solutions)
The role holder will possess a blend of design skills needed for Agile data development projects and AI solution delivery
Experience in data engineering techniques and testing methodologies and evaluation methods for LLMs (prompting, tool invocation, retrieval/RAG, and quality evaluation)
Proficiency data development technologies and enterprise AI tooling/products
Experience, with data and application design patterns and processes and secure, compliant AI architectures

Nice To Haves

Experience with DevOps or DataOps concepts, preferable hands-on experience implementing continuous integration or highly automated end-to-end environments; experience with MLOps/ModelOps for AI solutions is beneficial
Proven experience of leading and growing engineering teams and/or AI communities of practice (e.g., AI Champions)
Industry experience with data in large, complex data settings, consultancy or vendor experience; regulated environment experience preferred
Experience in reusing metadata and prebuilt components from cataloguing tools
Good commercial awareness and understanding of the external market for data-related technology and standard processes including enterprise AI products and patterns
Demonstrate initiative, strong customer orientation, and cross-cultural working
Exposure to Data Pipelines (Ingest & Store, Data Preparation, Discover & Present, Insight & Experience) and AI solution discovery, evaluation, and business casing

Responsibilities

Takes a leading role in the delivery of COO Digital AI Solutions team objectives and roadmap, as advised by the team leadership, ensuring alignment with COO functions, and IT governance.
Provide AI solutions for COO operations through enterprise services and approved platforms from discovery and reasoning through build, evaluation, and production support.
Deliver robust, efficient, automated solutions to support frequently asked technical inquiries/analytical demands including agentic applications and AI assistants
Implementing AI solutions following AstraZeneca engineering standards, roadmaps and blueprints that enhance current technology platforms and adapt to new data technology, working closely with Data Architects and Solution Architects and aligning with TID governance and IT compliance (e.g., Solution Blueprint, PIA, RID, 3PRM, TIA, ITSA)
Test and quality assess new data and analytics COO solutions, to ensure they are fit for purpose: code assurance, Unit and System Integration Testing, performance tuning, data testing, release management control and support of production processes including their SLAs; extend this to AI/LLM solutions including prompt and tool evaluation, retrieval/RAG testing, and offline/online evaluation protocols
Innovate and test new technologies with relevance to AI solutions, including proof of technology/value assessments and case development and lead a consistent go/no-go evaluation process for proposed AI agents and solutions
Data and analytics solution evaluation activities and project estimates which contribute to the creation of case and delivery plans; maintain an AI portfolio backlog and facilitate regular prioritization cycles aligned to strategic objectives
Support development of a COO focused training program for Applied AI as a capability - training, tooling, ways of working, and operating model to optimize output and value, including the development of an AI champions network to support advanced AI implementation across the COO functions.
Ensure that business data and information assets are made available as data services and artefacts for consumption by the wider COO to ensure consistency and strategic alignment of all data and business intelligence solutions and govern their responsible use within AI workloads (including approvals and audit ability)
Selection and implementation of data management technologies and industry standard methodologies, in alignment with the Enterprise Architecture and Technology Innovation functions; leverage enterprise-approved AI technical products where appropriate
Maintain an ongoing professional development to keep the COO function current with advancing and changing data technology landscape and innovation with a particular emphasis on AI, cloud, security, and agentic architecture.
Development and delivery of data management and business intelligence practices and technology training programs – architect and support a training plan for AI Champions in partnership with L&D/IT
Serve as a technical resource to the organization via office hours/clinics and advanced seminars that upskill teams and AI Champions.
Lead coordination for AI adoption across COO (communications, involvement, and training in partnership with L&D/IT)