{"id":4025544,"url":"https://alion.io/job/astrazeneca-director-procurement-technology-excellence","title":"Director, Procurement Technology Excellence","company":{"id":13195,"name":"AstraZeneca","domain":"astrazeneca.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/astra-zeneca","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Workday","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":94,"open_postings":172,"ghost_share":0.012,"stale_share":0.366,"repost_share":0.105,"time_to_fill_p50_days":19,"computed_at":"2026-11-10T06:52:35Z"}},"role":"Operations","role_family":"Operations","seniority":"head","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Warsaw, Poland"],"countries":["PL"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":5,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"AI Agents","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-11-10T16:43:15Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-11-10","last_verified_at":"2026-11-10T16:43:15Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":0,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":0},"description":"Role purpose\nThe Director, Procurement Technology Excellence & Deployment leads the Procurement Technology team and is accountable for the effective operation, governance and evolution of Procurement’s technology platforms.\nThe role owns Procurement-side platform operations, release and change governance, cross-platform integrity, vendor management and the supervised deployment of externally purchased technology and AI products. It co-leads the Procurement Technology Roadmap and ensures changes and deployments align with the agreed architecture and enterprise standards.\nFor new deployments, the role provides Procurement Technology leadership, governance and delivery supervision through an appropriately resourced project or programme structure, with signed-off BAU capacity, clear priorities and an agreed delivery model. \nThe role partners with the IT Business Partner from the point a potential new technology need or opportunity is identified. New software, SaaS, AI capabilities, material platform extensions, pilots and PoCs must follow applicable IT architecture, security, data, integration and technology governance. The role must not independently commit Procurement to a technology solution, initiate substantive supplier solution design, or enter into software/licensing commitments without appropriate IT involvement and approvals. Procurement Technology owns business/platform requirements and operational outcomes; technical architecture and engineering accountabilities remain with the relevant IT functions.\nEnsure continuous alignment with the IT business partner, Sourcing and Contracting Excellence and Procurement process owners.\nThe role is consulted on new AI capabilities for Procurement. It is not accountable for AI governance or for the creation and deployment of internally built AI agents.\nKey accountabilities:\n1. Team leadership and portfolio management\nLead the team, set priorities and ways of working, and allocate capacity across BAU, releases, controls, improvements and deployments.\nMaintain a transparent portfolio of commitments, dependencies, risks and resources, protecting BAU stability when new initiatives start.\nBuild team capability, document critical knowledge, and support development and succession.\nReport on delivery, platform health and capacity; escalate resource and priority conflicts with options.\n2. BAU operations and platform ownership\nOwn the Procurement-side operating model for designated platforms, keeping them stable, controlled and scalable, with clear decision rights for configuration, releases, integrations and vendor support.\nOversee platform health, defects, technical debt, risks and lifecycle plans (upgrades, renewals, rationalisation, replacement).\nManage the change-request portfolio (prioritisation, impact assessment, testing, release coordination) in close collaboration with IT and process owners.\nEnsure production changes have requirements, testing evidence, approvals and audit evidence.\n3. Supervision of externally provided technology and AI deployments\nEach material deployment should have an approved business case, executive sponsor and business owner, defined success measures, a named project lead, a resourced cross-functional team, confirmed funding (including transition-to-BAU costs) and agreed governance. The role:\nProvides leadership, oversight and design direction, and confirms the delivery model, governance and resources fit the scope.\nSupervises delivery through stage gates, design reviews and readiness assessments, aligning the provider, IT, process owners and control functions.\nOversees key decisions on fit, configuration, integration, data, testing, cutover and go-live, challenging unnecessary customisation.\nRecommends go, conditional-go or no-go and ensures transfer to a sustainable BAU owner.\nResourcing boundary: The role is not expected to act as sponsor, programme manager, architect, analyst, tester, change lead and administrator at once; these activities sit with assigned resources. Material deployment commitments should not be added to BAU without assessing capacity, priorities and additional support.\n4. Procurement Technology Roadmap\nCo-lead the multi-year roadmap with Technology & Insights leadership and Procurement and IT stakeholders, sequencing platform, data, integration, automation and external AI capabilities.\nSupport investment cases, annual planning, vendor evaluations and lifecycle decisions, with clear status of each initiative (approved, funded, under evaluation, not prioritised).\nAssess resource demand, IT dependencies and BAU ownership early; advise on resequencing, deferral or separate resourcing.\n5. Architecture alignment and AI capability consultation\nAct as Procurement technology domain lead with Enterprise, Solution, Data and Integration Architects; ensure changes, deployments and optimisation align with the target architecture and check existing platforms before adding solutions.\nFlag architectural risks (duplication, conflicting data, unsupported customisation, fragile integrations) and long-term cost and technical-debt implications.\nBe Consulted, not Accountable, on new AI capabilities: assess fit with the existing estate (complement, overlap, replace), dependencies, vendor, cost and roadmap impact, and advise on supportability, build-versus-buy and BAU readiness.\n6. Optimisation and continuous improvement support\nProvide platform and architecture expertise to initiatives led by Procurement Operations or process owners, helping decide between process change, existing functionality, configuration, integration or a new solution.\nSupport backlog prioritisation; ensure each initiative has a clear owner, outcome and operating model, and avoid unmanaged technical debt.\n7. Vendor management\nLead operational governance with strategic technology providers: monitor performance, commitments, roadmaps and risks, and manage senior escalations.\nSupport renewals, expansions, commercial decisions, replacement and exit planning, retaining sufficient knowledge and control of configuration, integrations and data.\n8. Risk, controls and financial management\nMaintain proportionate governance, involve Security, Privacy, Risk and Compliance where required, and escalate material risks with impact, mitigation, decision needed and owner.\nSoX controls for which the system controllers needs to perform regular testing and share evidence in a dedicated app. \nSupport budget planning and oversight of external spend; ensure funding covers delivery and operating costs, not only licences; maintain audit evidence for material decisions.\nKey decision rights\nReturn requests lacking ownership, requirements, priority or architecture alignment, and require architecture and technical review.\nRequire a credible, funded and resourced delivery model before accepting deployment supervision; escalate and recommend resources, resequencing, reduced scope or deferral where capacity is insufficient.\nRecommend go, conditional-go or no-go; stop or defer releases with insufficient readiness; require a BAU owner, support model and funding before accepting a solution into service.\nRequirements\nEssential\nStrong Program implementation credibility.\n5+ years applicable Procurement or Finance Operations experience\nBachelor's Degree required, advanced degree (such as an MBA, MS, JD) a plus\nDemonstrated leadership / management and business partnership skills\nStrong communication, cross functional collaboration and influencing skills\nExceptional track record driving procurement's value proposition\nSupplier Relationship Management and Development experience\nAbility to leverage a range of influencing techniques\nProven ability to manage change\nStrong analytical and financial skills\nAbility to work in highly complex and fluid environment\nDesirable\nPharmaceutical Procurement experience \nCIPS or equivalent\nExperience in pharmaceutical or other regulated industry\nExperience using spend analytics and source-to-pay systems\nDate Posted\n10-lis-2026Closing Date\n23-lis-2026AstraZeneca 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 authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.","description_format":"text","description_chars":8651,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":5,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Supply Chain","Oncology Therapeutics","Rare Disease Therapeutics","Cardiometabolic Therapeutics"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-11-10T16:43:15Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":86,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.86,"p_room":1,"age_days":0,"expected_fill_days":19,"reasons":["conf:1","win:early","comp:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-11-10T18:06:57Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/astrazeneca-director-procurement-technology-excellence","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/astrazeneca-director-procurement-technology-excellence.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-10T18:06:57Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":7609,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-11T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.1,"usd":0.01,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":13195},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=13195"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fastrazeneca-director-procurement-technology-excellence"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":2,"usd":0.2},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fastrazeneca-director-procurement-technology-excellence"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.1,"usd":0.01},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fastrazeneca-director-procurement-technology-excellence"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/astrazeneca-director-procurement-technology-excellence\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fastrazeneca-director-procurement-technology-excellence"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":4025544}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"astrazeneca.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":4025544},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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