Information Architect - SEUIT (AZ0410) Astrazeneca
Gaithersburg, MD

Job Description

AstraZeneca is a global biopharmaceutical business that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization of prescription medicines for some of the world's most serious diseases. At AstraZeneca, we're proud to have a workplace culture that inspires innovation and collaboration. Here, you would express diverse perspectives, contribute to an energized environment and provide creative ideas - and be rewarded for this.

Science and Enabling Units IT (SEUIT) is a global IT capability supporting drug research, drug development, Global Product & Portfolio Strategy, Global Medical Affairs, Finance, HR, Compliance, Legal and Global Business Services. We consist of 7 key capability areas: Business Partnering, Solution Delivery, Architecture, Application Support, Data & Analytics, Change & Operations. We operate out of sites across the US, UK, Sweden, India, and Mexico.

Data & Analytics provides analytics, data insight services and solutions critical to the mission of AstraZeneca. D&A is organized into teams specializing in Information Architecture, Data Engineering, Visual Engineering, Knowledge Management, Data Science, Data Analysis and Information Governance.

As an Information Architect, you will be responsible for delivering the optimal design of data and information architectures to support business objectives. A key component of delivery will be to ensure that AstraZeneca data is Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) across our systems, ready for either direct use by consumers or AI machines. You will also be responsible for crafting and documenting data flows across the estate, building data models for analytics/reporting, assessing the feasibility of data models, working with business data governance groups in establishing data standards (master, reference, structure) and working with solution architects on data integration and service architectures. You will also contribute to developing Information Architecture best practice - tooling, methods, standards, skills, documentation and training.

The role will work closely with 5 key stakeholder groups:

* Enterprise & Technical Architecture - ensuring an integrated technical, process & data architecture,
* Data Engineering to guide Information Architecture design implementation,
* Business Data Governance groups to align data strategies re quality/use with architecture,
* Product owners ensuring understanding of business outcome in the detailed design of the Information Architecture,
* Wider AstraZeneca Information Architecture design to ensure alignment across the data estate.

You will be part of a team of Information Architects who regularly collaborate with these stakeholder groups. Each member of the team will be aligned with a specific function (e.g. early science, late science or enabling units) and will support the delivery of the Data and Analytics portfolio through the provision of integrated Information Architecture services and design. You will be the Information Architecture lead on a range of portfolio projects within your functional area; this will require you to deliver IA blueprints and design, in line with functional IA roadmaps. A core part of the role will also be to evangelize Information Architecture and the value and impact of good Information Architecture design and governance to both IT and business teams. Our business partners and team members are spread globally so you will need a collaborative delivery approach to be successful.

You will be a member of the Information Architecture Review Board, ensuring that all Information Architectures are reviewed and are aligned with your functional area. This role may also extend to membership of business data governance teams to ensure overall alignment.

The Information Architecture team will also play a leading role in developing strategic approaches to Information Architecture and embedding across the IT project portfolio; including developing strategies for the use of master data, metadata and data catalogs. You will be expected to contribute to these strategies as a member of the team.

If you wish to discuss flexible working or part-time working, we would be happy to hear from you.

Key skills and experience

* 5 years plus experience in data/information architecture or related discipline (solution architecture, data engineering),
* BSc / MSc in Science, Computer Science or equivalent
* Experience of delivering Information Architectures within IT projects delivered through Agile and Waterfall methodologies,
* Experience with a range of BI & analytics architectures: including traditional warehousing, Distributed computing (Hadoop), NoSQL, virtualization or data streaming,
* Business Leadership capabilities - the ability to partner and collaborate across both IT and Science teams to inform on the best Information Architecture,
* Strong influencing and innovation skills,
* Superb communication and facilitation skills.

Desirable technical skills & experience

* Domain knowledge (processes & data): Pharma R&D, Finance, HR, Compliance, etc
* Knowledge of, and experience of implementing data management capabilities - including Master and Reference Data Management, Data Quality Management, Metadata Management, and Data Governance
* Experience of Data Catalogues and/or Metadata repositories
* Experience of working with data scientists and their methods: understanding of how data needs to be prepared for use by data scientists
* Experience of defining Information Architectures for cloud-based solutions and technologies (we currently use Talend for ETL, AWS data and analytics services such as S3, SQS, SNS, Redshift, Postgres, Aurora, MySQL, EMR, HIVE, PIG, Spark)
* Knowledge of taxonomies, ontologies and semantic standards for data integration
* Knowledge of the FAIR data principles and their use to establish improved access to data sets
* Strategic thinking - understanding challenges, opportunities through evolving technology/methodology and formulating into tangible roadmaps with clear business value

Desirable domain experience

* Genomics
* Small Molecules - Next Generation Chemistry
* Biomolecules
* Lab equipment data
* Translational Science
* Clinical Trial Data (CDISC, SDTM, ADAM, HL7, BRIDG)
* R&D Project Management
* R&D Quality Assurance
* R&D Regulatory Affairs
* Product Safety (Pharmacovigilance)
* Medical Information
* Human Resources
* Finance
* Compliance (fraud)
* Travel and Expenses
* Legal

Next Steps - Apply today!

To be considered for this exciting opportunity, please complete the full application on our website at your earliest convenience - it is the only way that our Recruiter and Hiring Manager can know that you feel well qualified for this opportunity. If you know someone who would be a phenomenal fit, please share this posting with them.

AstraZeneca is an equal opportunity employer. AstraZeneca will consider all qualified applicants for employment without discrimination on grounds of disability, gender or gender orientation, pregnancy or maternity leave status, race or national or ethnic origin, age, religion or belief, gender identity or re-assignment, marital or civil partnership status, protected veteran status (if applicable) or any other characteristic protected by law.