Salary: £100,000 - 100,000 per year Requirements: Proven Pharmaceutical Experience: Deep knowledge of IT strategy specifically within a regulated pharmaceutical or Life Sciences environment. Leadership Capabilities: Extensive experience leading multi-disciplinary teams and influencing C-suite stakeholders. Regulatory Expert: Practical understanding of GxP (Good Practice) and MHRA requirements for computerised systems. Scale-up Mindset: A track record of success in high-growth environments, particularly managing the IT complexities of mergers and acquisitions. Certified Professional: Relevant certifications such as CISSP, CISM, or CRISC are highly desirable. Data Protection Experience: Ideally having worked in Data Protection, potentially as Data Protection Officer or Manager. Technology Expertise: Expert-level understanding of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and the broader Microsoft ecosystem (Power BI, Azure). Responsibilities: Strategic Board Leadership: Act as a thought partner to the Board, translating complex technical requirements into business-aligned roadmaps that support rapid growth and post-merger integration. Compliance & Quality Excellence: Ensure all IT systems and data processes strictly adhere to MHRA standards, overseeing the digital side of Quality Management Systems (QMS) and ensuring inspection readiness across all platforms. Advanced Forecasting: Implement demand planning models to manage inventory, reduce waste through FEFO (First-Expiry-First-Out) logic, and address potential drug shortages. Cyber Resilience & Data Protection: Own the cybersecurity strategy, implementing secure-by-design principles and zero-trust frameworks to protect sensitive R&D and company data, ensuring global compliance with GDPR and other data privacy regulations. Acquisition Integration: Lead the IT workstream for new acquisitions, rapidly assessing, securing, and migrating legacy systems into our scalable corporate architecture. Innovation: Stay ahead of the curve by identifying emerging technologies (e.g., AI/ML in drug development) that can drive efficiency and maintain our market-leading position. Technologies: AI Architect Azure Support Power BI Office 365 Cloud Backbone More: We are seeking a visionary IT Strategist to join our senior leadership team during a period of rapid global expansion. Based in South Manchester, we offer a competitive executive package of c£100/120K along with excellent performance bonuses and comprehensive benefits. As we scale through significant acquisitions, you will be the architect of our future-ready technology landscape, ensuring our IT infrastructure is a competitive advantage. last updated 14 week of 2026