Director - Software Development, Cell Therapy IT Introduction to role: Are you ready to build the digital backbone that delivers next‑generation cell therapies to patients at scale?In this role, you will build and deliver the software platforms that power end‑to‑end activities related to cell therapy across development, manufacturing, and supply. Your work will directly influence how quickly and safely therapies move from treatment sites to manufacturing lines and back to patients. You will lead a global engineering organization to compose, build, and industrialize enterprise-grade systems—spanning a Cell Orchestration platform built on Salesforce, AWS- services, and agentic AI automation. Partnering closely with operational and technology leaders, you will define a modern, scalable stack and translate strategy into robust, compliant solutions that drive speed, quality, and reliability. Based in Chennai, India, you will be at the center of a high-impact mission with global reach. How will you scale intelligent automation to orchestrate one of the most complex supply chains in healthcare? 3. Accountabilities: Technology Planning and Architecture: Define and evolve a scalable technology strategy and reference architecture that underpins cell therapy operations from vein-to-vein, aligning platform choices with business outcomes. Platform Leadership: Lead the build and delivery of the Salesforce-based cellular coordination system, ensuring it is robust, scalable, secure, and fit for regulated environments. SDLC Ownership and DevSecOps: Own end-to-end software delivery from design to deployment and support, embedding DevSecOps, automation, and built-in quality to accelerate releases and reduce risk. Integration and Interoperability: Orchestrate integrations across Salesforce Service & Life Sciences -Cloud, MuleSoft, mobile-first apps, AWS services, and event streaming (e.g., Kafka) to enable seamless data and workflow continuity. Regulatory and Compliance Readiness: Bake compliance into every phase (GxP, HIPAA, FDA, GDPR), establishing traceability, validation, and auditability without slowing down delivery. Agentic AI Development or similar Automation experience is essential. Support advancing agentic AI to build autonomous software agents. They complete complex operational tasks and make decisions safely and at scale. Technical Roadmap: Life Sciences Cloud: Guide the industrialization of Agent-force Salesforce Life Sciences Cloud and the Advanced Therapy Module to enable next-generation cell therapy delivery. Engineering Excellence and GenAI-Enabled SDLC: Establish best- practices for full-stack engineering and leverage GenAI for code generation, testing, and SDLC automation to boost productivity and quality. Talent Leadership and Culture: Build and mentor a high-performing global-team of engineers and solution architects, cultivating innovation, accountability, and continuous learning. Vendor and Partner Management: Manage external partners to deliver quality, secure, and compliant solutions, optimizing for value and speed. Innovation and Future-Readiness: Stay ahead of LLMs, autonomous agents, and cloud-native advances; translate emerging tech into practical upgrades that modernize systems and unlock new capabilities. 4. Essential Skills/
Experience
Bachelor's - degree in computer science, Software Engineering, or a related field. 12+ years of software development experience, including 5+ years in a leadership role within life sciences, biotech, or manufacturing IT environments.
Experience
managing sophisticated Salesforce environments and multi-cloud implementations.
Experience
in leading multiple Product Development teams globally with engineering and delivery ownership
Experience
building and deploying software solutions in regulated environments (GxP , HIPAA, FDA). Expertise in modern development tools and platforms: AWS, Azure, Python, Salesforce (Service Cloud and Life Sciences), MuleSoft, Confluent / Kafka. Expertise delivering digital solutions across patient engagement, R&D, and product commercialization. 5. Desirable Skills/
Experience
Salesforce certifications (e.g., Salesforce Application Architect, System Architect, Platform Developer II). Familiarity with AI/ML features within Salesforce ecosystem (Einstein, predictive analytics). Understanding of GenAI use cases in software development and automated testing. Hands-on experience with Agentic AI tools and frameworks Solid background in system architecture, secure coding practices, and cloud-native design. 6. Why AstraZeneca: Join a purpose-led team where advanced technology meets scientific ambition to change what’s possible for patients. Here, unexpected teams—engineers, data scientists, and operational leaders—get in the same room to tackle problems that matter, with the investment and freedom to experiment through hackathons, prototypes, and scaled delivery. You will help build the digital capabilities that accelerate medicines to those who need them, supported by a collaborative culture that values kindness alongside ambition, rigorous standards alongside creativity, and continuous learning at every step. 7. Call to Action: If you’re ready to lead the platforms and AI-powered systems that deliver cell therapies faster and more reliably, take charge from Chennai. Develop what comes next. Date Posted 19-Aug-2026 Closing Date 30-Aug-2026 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 authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements. AstraZeneca is a global, science-led, patient-focused biopharmaceutical company. We focus on discovering, developing and commercialising prescription medicines for some of the world’s most serious diseases. But we are more than one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies. At AstraZeneca, we’re dedicated to being a Great Place to Work. Where you are empowered to push the boundaries of science, challenge convention and unleash your entrepreneurial spirit. To embrace differences and take bold actions to drive the change needed to meet global healthcare and sustainability challenges. There is no better place to make a difference in medicine, patients, and society. An inclusive culture where you will connect different thinking to generate new and valuable opportunities. Where you will find a commitment to lifelong learning, growth and development for all. Our Inclusion & Diversity (I&D) mission is to create an inclusive and equitable environment where people belong, using the power of our diversity to push the boundaries of science to deliver life-changing medicines to patients. Inclusion and diversity are fundamental to the success of our company, because innovation requires breakthrough ideas that only come from a diverse workforce empowered to challenge conventional thinking. We’re curious about science and the advancement of knowledge. We find creative ways to approach new challenges. We’re driven to make the right choices and be accountable for our actions. As an organisation centred around what makes us human, we put a big focus on people. Across our business, we want colleagues to wake up excited about their day at the office, in the field, or in the lab. Along with our purpose to bring life-changing medicines to people across the globe, we have a promise to you: to help you realise the full breadth of your potential. Here, you’ll do work that has the potential to change your life and improve countless others. And, together with your team, you’ll shape a culture that unites and inspires us every day. This is your life at AstraZeneca.