Associate Director - S4 HANA Data Design Lead (SAP FICO)

Job Title - Associate Director -  S4 HANA Data Design Lead  (SAP FICO)

Career Level - F

Leverage technology to impact patients and ultimately save lives

Do you have expertise in, and passion for, information technology? Would you like to apply your expertise to impact the IT strategy in a company that follows the science and turns ideas into life changing medicines? If so, AstraZeneca might be the one for you!

ABOUT ASTRAZENECA

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led, patient-focused biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines for some of the world’s most serious disease. But we’re more than one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies. At AstraZeneca we’re dedicated to being a Great Place to Work.

ABOUT OUR IT TEAM

It’s a dynamic and results-oriented environment to work in – but that’s why we like it. There are countless opportunities to learn and grow, whether that’s exploring new technologies in hackathons, or redefining the roles and work of colleagues, forever. Shape your own path, with support all the way. A diverse set of minds that work cross- functionally and broadly together.

About the role

We are one purpose-led global organisation. The enablers and innovators, ensuring that we can fulfil our mission to push the boundaries of science and discover and develop life-changing medicines. We take pride in working close to the cause, opening the locks to save lives, ultimately making a massive difference to the outside world.

AstraZeneca (AZ) is in a period of strong growth and our employees have a united purpose to make a difference to patients around the world who need both our medicines and the ongoing developments from our science. In this journey AZ must continue to work across borders and with partners and new colleagues in a fast and seamless way. The ambition, size and complexity of the organisation, coupled with the opportunities afforded by new technology, has led the Board to approve a large scale transformation of the IT landscape by the replacement of current ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems with one global solution.

Our current technology is used by more than 20,000 employees daily, is foundational to all AZ entities and is central to most core business processes. Yet this is not an IT or technology led programme, rather this provides the opportunity for real business transformation and to shape the way of working globally for many years to come. By the time of its completion this programme will impact every AZ product, every AZ supplier, every $ of cash collected from AZ customers and every external financial and internal KPI report.

This programme requires the best. Whether it be the technical skills, business understanding or change leadership, we want to ensure we have the strongest team deployed throughout. The programme seeks to deliver a world class change programme that leaves all employees with a fuller understanding of their role in the end-to-end nature of our global company. This programme will provide AZ with a competitive edge, to the benefits of its employees and patients.

The Axial Technology Data Design Lead – Finance will be responsible for designing and supporting the overall Data Migration for Finance data objects across the Axial Programme.

The specific project accountabilities will vary depending on the project lifecycle; early roles are likely to lead specific design and analysis phases whilst later roles will be more focused on deploying that design into specific deployment activities involving the design build, test and deployment of all data migration processes and tools covering both core master data and the wider analytics data warehouses and technology.

A critical member of a global, multidisciplinary team (including third party suppliers), you will need to ensure all aspects of the full project delivery lifecycle is achieved in a timely manner whilst managing the data migration design activities.

You will be responsible for the management of interdependencies / interlocks and risks/issues associated with the data design and implementing the necessary controls, contingency and mitigations to reduce impact to the business.

You will be required to represent your projects and seek sign off to proceed at regular project control boards to demonstrate progress to plan, work product completion, achievements achieved within budget tolerance.

As a Technology Data Design Lead, you will be experienced in agile delivery and have experience with SAP Activate methodology.

We are one purpose-led global organisation. The enablers and innovators, ensuring that we can fulfil our mission to push the boundaries of science and discover and develop life-changing medicines. We take pride in working close to the cause, opening the locks to save lives, ultimately making a massive difference to the outside world.

AstraZeneca (AZ) is in a period of strong growth and our employees have a united purpose to make a difference to patients around the world who need both our medicines and the ongoing developments from our science. In this journey AZ must continue to work across borders and with partners and new colleagues in a fast and seamless way. The ambition, size and complexity of the organisation, coupled with the opportunities afforded by new technology, has led the Board to approve a large scale transformation of the IT landscape by the replacement of current ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems with one global solution.

Our current technology is used by more than 20,000 employees daily, is foundational to all AZ entities and is central to most core business processes. Yet this is not an IT or technology led programme, rather this provides the opportunity for real business transformation and to shape the way of working globally for many years to come. By the time of its completion this programme will impact every AZ product, every AZ supplier, every $ of cash collected from AZ customers and every external financial and internal KPI report.

This programme requires the best. Whether it be the technical skills, business understanding or change leadership, we want to ensure we have the strongest team deployed throughout. The programme seeks to deliver a world class change programme that leaves all employees with a fuller understanding of their role in the end-to-end nature of our global company. This programme will provide AZ with a competitive edge, to the benefits of its employees and patients.

The Axial Technology Data Design Lead – Finance will be responsible for designing and supporting the overall Data Migration for Finance data objects across the Axial Programme.

The specific project accountabilities will vary depending on the project lifecycle; early roles are likely to lead specific design and analysis phases whilst later roles will be more focused on deploying that design into specific deployment activities involving the design build, test and deployment of all data migration processes and tools covering both core master data and the wider analytics data warehouses and technology.

A critical member of a global, multidisciplinary team (including third party suppliers), you will need to ensure all aspects of the full project delivery lifecycle is achieved in a timely manner whilst managing the data migration design activities.

You will be responsible for the management of interdependencies / interlocks and risks/issues associated with the data design and implementing the necessary controls, contingency and mitigations to reduce impact to the business.

You will be required to represent your projects and seek sign off to proceed at regular project control boards to demonstrate progress to plan, work product completion, achievements achieved within budget tolerance.

As a Technology Data Design Lead, you will be experienced in agile delivery and have experience with SAP Activate methodology.

You will report into the Axial Technology Data Design Lead and at times be required to report into senior programme leaders to account for your project’s delivery.

You should demonstrate superb communication skills, with a solid sense of delivery; outcome and results driven with good attention to detail.

This is a fast-paced demanding environment that requires the Design Lead to have a collaborative, outcome where everybody wins approach and know how to develop and work with hard-working teams.

The Technology Data Design Lead – Finance will support the design and structure of data frameworks, solutions and applications that are designed, and developed for enterprise and functional purposes. This includes defining, bringing to bear and extending standard AstraZeneca reference architectures, data models and design patterns. This includes:

Supporting the definition of reporting and analytics, data science, digital, and operational business use cases

Supporting the definition of common ingestion, curation, data design, and consumption patterns;

Support the definition of modeling data structures for conform and consumption layers in line with DataOps

Support the definition of Information architecture, models, ontologies, taxonomies standards and reusable designs

Also includes managing all architectural alignment tasks during the lifecycle of a project and that they align with Information Standards and Enterprise Models in the Phase-end QA Checkpoints

Typical Accountabilities

Enterprise Data Accountabilities:

• Responsible for working within the Enterprise Data Architecture Framework of defining, extending, managing, and benchmarking project against best practices, models (logical, physical, semantic), standards, frameworks, and the overall Blueprint as owned by the Chief Data Architect.

• Supplies to leaders of the overall Enterprise Data Strategy in partnership the AstraZeneca business functions, solution developments and functional project

• Accountable for the alignment and evolution of the AZ information Architecture, Data Model, Taxonomy, Glossary and Ontologies and the application of those models in solution design and implementation

• Responsible for ensuring compliance and governing ongoing architecture and technology innovation

• Responsible for architecture and technology evangelization, architecture roadmap, and alignment

• Responsible for developing and performing architecture, standard methodology, and technology education

• Responsible for Architectural Governance across all DA disciplines

Delivery Related Accountabilities:

• Responsible for selecting the correct data architecture patterns to fulfil traditional reporting and analytics, data science, digital, and operational business use cases. This includes:

• Providing project-level data architecture planning, design expertise and execution application on development projects, from technical designs and technology standards to Models and IA considerations.

• Based on business requirements that resolves different types of data structure types needed for a project such as raw, conform, and consumption data layers. Leverages the structure model types such as 3rd Normal Form, denormalized, and dimensionalized structures

• Providing project level support of Data Models, Metadata, Linage, Taxonomies, Ontologies and Information Architecture Best practice and design

• Supports (or leads) in the development of Data Integration architecture and overall Data Integration design of a project

• Approves the various artifacts ensuring enforcement of standard enterprise data element names, abbreviations, characteristics, and domains during the lifecycle of a project

• Responsible for approving many of the project work to ensure compliance and reuse within Architectural Standards as defined by the Chief Data Architect.

• In the context of S/4 responsible for overall delivery of analytics technology scope – coordinating with other IT and Business collaborators

Axial specific accountabilities

• Overall accountability to deliver the technology data design for Finance objects and all activities needed to achieve delivery of the program

• Delivering to AZ FAIR data standards and quality assurance

• Work to deliver plans for data projects which contribute in part to the transformation programme, including activities, resources, costs, roles, responsibilities and quality as defined by the AZ Project Management Methodology and SAP Activate for the programme.

• Be hands on with the Data Migration Design for Finance objects and also coach junior team members

• Ensuring the right level of business, QA, and IT approvals for all data migration and cutover activities.

• Working with AZ SAP capability to define the requirements for a core data migration capability

• Creation of detailed plans which show how the D&A workstream will deliver in line with the overall program

• Represent Technology as an SME and leader at respective programme and data forums

• Ensure latest industry and SAP D&A trends and opportunities are proactively considered within the program

• Maintain relationships with key business collaborators to ensure the effective capturing of business requirements, deployment of business owned elements of strategy and overall data verification, and commitment to project/programme objectives. Responsible for steering and collaborator meetings, communication of status, issues, and risks.

• Effectively collaborate with and handle Internal and External Suppliers to ensure delivery of agreed products and services while ensuring alignment to AZ project delivery standards

• Ensure effective risks, issue and organizational change processes are in place and effectively used. Resolve problems and escalate as appropriate ensuring that all impacts and changes are approved and appropriately communicated to collaborators and review boards.

• Develop and assure service transition plans to ensure project delivered solutions are sustainable within a BAU operations environment, including controlled hand-over into operational support (where required)

• Support continued development of a world-class project management capability and ensure that standard methodology is adopted and reinforced.

Education, Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Essential

• Bachelors Degree or equivalent number of years of experience in a Computer Science or Data Management related field

• Significant experience and knowledge within domain

• Significant experience building and driving project plans and work to meet objectives

• The role holder will possess a blend of project management, data architecture, analysis, and engineering skills

• Experience in known industry architectural patterns

• Understands cloud-based containerization strategies for hybrid cloud environments

• Understanding the appropriate data structure and technology based on business use case

• Experience in the use of data modeling technologies

• Experience in Agile data definition scrums

• Experience in the use of metadata cataloguing tools.

Desirable

• Post-graduate degree in MIS, Data Management

• Significant experience in a data architect role with practical examples of designing and providing data engineering blueprints that have been pragmatically and actually implemented

WHY JOIN US?

We’re a network of high-reaching self-starters who chip in to something far bigger. We enable AstraZeneca to perform at its peak by delivering world-class technology and data solutions.

We’re not afraid to take ownership and run with it. Empowered with unrivalled freedom. Put simply, it’s because we make a significant impact. Everything we do matters.

SO, WHAT’S NEXT?

Are you already envisioning yourself joining our team? Good, because we’d love to hear from you! Click the link to apply and we’ll be in touch as soon as we can.

WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE?

Our Social Media, Follow AstraZeneca on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/1603/

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics. We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorisation and employment eligibility verification requirements.