Job Description
Director, IT Business Partner – Research & Development (R&D)
The Director, IT Business Partner – R&D is a senior leadership role responsible for aligning information technology strategy with the needs of the scientific organisation. This role ensures R&D teams have the technology platforms, data infrastructure, and external partnerships required to accelerate drug discovery and innovation.
Acting as a trusted advisor to senior R&D leadership, the role owns the R&D IT roadmap, manages business demand, oversees critical applications and vendors, and ensures strong alignment between technology capabilities, data strategy, and scientific priorities.
A solid understanding of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Large Language Model (LLM) technologies is essential, with close collaboration alongside computational and data science teams to enable next-generation research.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Partnership & Roadmap Development
* Serve as the senior IT partner to R&D leadership, translating scientific objectives into technology and data strategies
* Own and drive the R&D IT roadmap aligned to discovery, research, and data science priorities
Stakeholder Engagement & Relationship Management
* Build strong relationships with scientific, technical, and business stakeholders
* Identify opportunities to leverage enterprise IT and data capabilities to support R&D objectives
* Act as the primary escalation point for R&D IT issues and drive continuous improvement
* Collaborate with Legal, Procurement, and Compliance to ensure vendor governance, data protection, and risk management standards
Technology Planning & Delivery
* Oversee core scientific systems (e.g. ELN, compound registration, analytics platforms, computational environments)
* Partner with research and computational teams to evaluate and adopt emerging technologies
* Manage the full lifecycle of R&D applications, including upgrades, validation, and retirement
* Lead IT initiatives from initiation through delivery, ensuring scope, budget, and timeline alignment
Vendor & Partner Management
* Manage external software vendors and IT service providers supporting R&D
* Partner with cloud and data infrastructure providers to ensure adequate computational capacity (e.g. HPC, GPUs, AI platforms)
* Lead vendor selection, contract negotiation, SLAs, renewals, and escalation management
Operations, Compliance & Continuous Improvement
* Ensure reliable operational support including incident management, change control, and user enablement
* Drive process improvements that streamline scientific workflows and optimise technology usage
* Ensure compliance with regulatory, quality, and data security requirements
* Maintain policies and procedures supporting consistent R&D IT operations
* Required Qualifications & ExperienceEducation
o Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Life Sciences, or a related discipline
Professional Experience
o 8+ years of IT experience within biopharma or biotech environments
o Significant exposure to the full R&D lifecycle
o Proven experience partnering with senior scientific and R&D stakeholders
Technical Expertise
o Strong understanding of pharmaceutical R&D practices, regulations, and compliance
o Experience with R&D technologies such as LIMS, ELN, compound management, data analytics, visualisation tools, and scientific software platforms
o Demonstrated collaboration with AI, ML, computational chemistry, or data science teams
o Solid understanding of Linux, HPC environments, security, and containerisation
o Experience leading Computer Systems Validation (CSV) using risk-based approaches aligned with current regulatory guidance
Soft Skills
o Strategic and entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to influence senior leaders
o Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills across scientific and executive audiences
o Strong analytical, planning, and project management capabilities
o Lean and process-improvement mindset
o Awareness of technology trends within R&D and ability to build strategic technology partnerships
o Fluent in English; additional languages are advantageous
Applications should include a CV and cover letter outlining interest and relevant experience for the role.