Vp, Head of Business Architecture

We're looking for an expert in drug development architecture and translating business needs and processes into an actionable roadmap to join a Top Pharma company with an exponential growth journey

This person will help define and lead technical decisions within drug development, bringing deep technical and strategic experience within a drug development organization.

This role will report directly to the CVP of Digital Transformation and Drug development. It will have a few direct reports and an indirect organization of over 800 people across DD&IT and different lines of business. This department is responsible for core infrastructure resiliency, building data foundations, automation at scale, identifying ways to increase the value of asset programs, and building people capabilities and standards for growth. With over 70+ digital and infrastructure programs within the portfolio, they identify and deliver value focused on speed to market, increasing efficiency, and innovation.

**Responsibilities**:

- Analyze business processes and needs across all of drug development, derive requirements, and co-create a technical vision and core systems roadmap with Digital, Data & IT aligned with their digital strategy.
- Operationalize core system operations and co-create the future-state architecture in collaboration with Digital, Data & IT.
- Manage and steer technical interdependencies across their digital product portfolio, establishing robust governance and a business-led IT management dashboard.
- Digital Transformation Progress: KPI: Percentage completion of digital transformation projects against the roadmap. Target: Achieve 90% or above completion rate for all scheduled projects annually.
- Represent drug development in the Technical Design Authority governance
- Ensure alignment of IT initiatives with business priorities and track IT expenditure against these priorities.
- IT-Business Alignment: KPI: Number of IT initiatives aligned with business priorities. Target: Ensure 95% of all IT initiatives directly support a defined business priority.
- Provide strategic recommendations on the evolution of the business and technical architecture, balancing immediate needs with long-term viability.
- Oversee the health of their tech infrastructure, proactively communicating risks and opportunities, and make recommendations on improvements back to the business.
- Collaborate extensively with peers, as part of a team and with interdependent teams, and report directly to the Digital Transformation Officer, Drug Development, emphasizing the critical nature of this role in our digitization journey.
- Serves as a key leader on the Digital Transformation Leadership Team and will lead and build the business architect core team.

**Requirements**:

- Master's degree or PhD in Business Administration, Information Technology, Biotechnology, or a related field.
- Proven track record in business analysis, process improvement, or enterprise architecture, especially within pharma drug development.
- Deep understanding of business processes within pharma R&D and the ability to proactively translate vision into tech implications in collaboration with technical stakeholders.
- Demonstrated success in aligning business vision with digital solution delivery in line with digital transformation goals.
- Exceptional communication and collaboration skills, with a proven ability to work cross-functionally.
- Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and a creative, innovative, ‘can-do’, and pragmatic management approach.
- Excellent enterprise leadership mindset and strong ability to work in a matrixed environment, leading and influencing through uncertainty.