Head of AI and Automation

POSITION DETAILS :

Designation : Senior GM / Vice President IT - AI, RPA, Data Science & Data Analytics

Business Unit : Corporate

Function : IT

Location : Mumbai (HO)

Reporting to : Executive Vice President - Information Technology

ROLE OVERVIEW / PURPOSE :

To Architect, Implement, Enhance and Monitor AI / ML / RPA Automation IT Applications @ the Corporate level across functions / domains – R&D, Regulatory, Manufacturing, Quality, Sales, Procurement, Supply chain, Warehousing, HR, Legal, Finance, Corporate Communications, Data-warehousing and Analytics - Projects and Support in line with Organizational requirements and directives. To deliver end-to-end solution right from inception of idea till deployment and then Business as usual (BAU) support from Technology perspective.

The roles played : Some of the key roles that this position is expected to play :

Drive enterprise-wide digital transformation through Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Data Science, and Data Analytics.

Lead initiatives aligned with strategic business goals, leveraging AI / ML, advanced analytics & intelligent automation to improve Product Lifecycle, Operations, R&D, Regulatory, Manufacturing, Quality, Sales, Supply chain, and Financial excellence

Key Interfacing Applications :

SAP ECC and SAP S / 4 HANA

LIMS – Labware

Trackwise – QMS

eCTD ( Extedo) – Electronic submissions

OC / RDC – Oracle (CTMS)

eBMR, Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) - Werum

L2 automation

PLC Upgrades, CSV

Track and Trace

Artwork Management – Global Vision

Robotic Process Automation / Artificial Intelligence

Dashboards-Tableau, PowerBI

Supply Chain, Scheduling, Supply Planning, Manufacturing Optimization

Waters – Empower Systems in Quality Labs

RA systems integration into Ops and Quality

Microsoft Fabric as a Data Lake on top of M365 – Email, One Drive, Teams and SharePoint + Microsoft Co-Pilot go forward

SAP – SAC - Analytics Cloud – SAP S / 4 HANA

OVERALL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES :

Responsibilities :

Strategy & Roadmap

AI / ML & Data Science Management

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Implementation

Project Management & Governance

Infrastructure, Cloud, and Integration Oversight

Training awareness, User / Stakeholder Adoption & Documentation

A. Strategy & Roadmap

• Define and execute the digital technology roadmap focusing on AI, RPA, and advanced analytics.
• Collaborate with business leaders, and global teams to identify key automation and analytics use cases.
• Evaluate emerging technologies for applicability in pharma operations (AI in Manufacturing, Quality, R&D, Regulatory, Supply Chain, Sales, Finance, Legal etc.)
• Conduct daily team stand-ups with IT internal teams (Developer, Infra team)
• Review Open task items for Project milestones / Support to ensure closure of same
• Monitor deliverables across AI model development, RPA bot creation etc.
• Review alignment of AI / RPA projects with business priorities and update executive sponsors.

B. AI / ML & Data Science Management

C. Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Implementation

OVERALL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

D. Project Management & Governance

E. Infrastructure, Cloud, and Integration Oversight

F. Training awareness, User / Stakeholder Adoption & Documentation

KEY RELATIONSHIPS / STAKEHOLDERS :

External

Principals / OEMS, Implementation Partners, Consultants, Vendors, Certification bodies and External auditors / agencies

Internal (other than Direct Reports)

Vice President IT, Sr. General Manager Information Technology, Business Heads (Domestic as well as Global locations), Functional and Departmental heads, All subordinates in concerned areas and span of control

DESIRED EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE

Educational Qualifications

Bachelor's in Engineering / Computer Science / IT

Master's degree (MBA, M.Tech, or MS in Data Science / AI) preferred.

Experience

12–15 years of progressive experience in IT, with at least 3 - 5 years in leadership roles in any Industry vertical

Proven experience leading AI, RPA, and data analytics transformation at scale

Knowledge and Skills (Functional / Technical)

Strong grasp of Data science tools, Statistical modelling, and AI / ML frameworks

Expertise in RPA tools and automation architecture.

Experience with cloud-native analytics and data engineering platforms.

Proven Integration experience and supporting IT systems across any Industry vertical

Knowledge of system validation methodologies

Familiarity with data integrity and data governance principles specific to pharmaceutical manufacturing and quality.

Vendor management

Proficiency in IT infrastructure, networking, and security principles within a manufacturing environment.

Behavioural Attributes

Communication and interpersonal skills

Problem solving and analytical thinking

Flexible & Adaptive to different working environments

Project and team management skills

Innovative approach