Global Head, AI & Engineering - Hyderabad - Hybrid

Description

Syneos Health® is a leading fully-integrated life sciences services organization built to accelerate customer success. We partner with innovators at every point across the drug development and commercialization continuum, helping them navigate complexity, anticipate change and accelerate progress.

Every day we perform better because of how we work together, as one team, each the best at what we do. We bring together talented experts across a broad spectrum of business critical corporate functions. Every role plays an essential part in enabling our customers to achieve their goals. Our teams are agile, collaborative, and committed to delivering-for each other, for our customers, and ultimately for the people who rely on the services we support.
Discover what your 25,000 future colleagues already know:

Why Syneos Health
. We are passionate about developing our people, through career development and progression supportive and engaged line management technical and therapeutic area training peer recognition and total rewards program.
. We are committed to building an inclusive culture - where you can authentically be yourself. Central to this is our purpose - Driven to Deliver - which captures the passion of our colleagues to show up each day and shape solutions that have the ability to dramatically impact someone's life.
. We are continuously building the company we all want to work for and our customers want to work with. Why Because we know that when we bring together smart colleagues from across the world, we can shape the future of healthcare, driving impact for customers and defining the pace of patient progress.

Job Responsibilities

Job Summary:

This role is responsible for leading the global AI & Engineering sub‑function, encompassing AI, software, data, and quality engineering capabilities, in support of enterprise technology and business strategy.

Accountable for delivering best‑in‑class AI, data, and engineering solutions within the defined AI & Engineering function, enabling scalable and high‑quality applications used by users across the organization. The role partners closely with digital and technology product teams to translate enterprise priorities into effective engineering execution that accelerates medicines and vaccines development and enables patient access.

The role is accountable for execution, scaling, and operational excellence of AI‑infused applications at global scale, aligned with established enterprise strategy and technology direction. The engineering organization develops and delivers technology products that enhance internal capabilities across corporate functions by establishing strategic objectives, rather than defining enterprise‑level business strategy.

Builds, develops, and leads a high‑performing global engineering organization, ensuring consistent standards, talent strategy, and delivery effectiveness across regions. Participates in customer discussions, industry forums, and technology incubators primarily to represent functional expertise, stay current on industry trends, and inform execution decisions within the AI & Engineering domain.

This leadership role focuses on translating global technology strategy into execution, ensuring operational alignment with global standards, and delivering outcomes through a defined functional scope, while fostering a high‑performance culture within the organization.

Core Responsibilities:

• Develop Best in Class Engineering Organization
  • Attract, Develop, and Retain engineering talent across all disciplines including AI, software, data analytics, quality, testing, and agile facilitation within the global AI & Engineering function.
  • Manage and scale a team of technology professionals, ensuring alignment with enterprise technology strategy and standards, and the right mix of talent (both in skill and overall operating model) to meet business demands.
  • Continuously upskill organization on new technologies, supporting enterprise technology decisions and architectural governance frameworks.
  • Manage strategic 3rd parties to access engineering talent and source capacity when internal capabilities are fully utilized.
  • Assess maturity of organization, set path to implement best practices and standards for engineering disciplines, and lead communities of practice to support execution of enterprise priorities.
  • Lead PDLC initiative and ways of working to optimize delivery effectiveness and maximize capital investments tied to the enterprise strategy.
  • Partner with digital and tech product leaders to understand priorities, manage demand, provide work estimates, and maintain product roadmaps within the AI & Engineering domain.
  • Staff engineering resources on product and project teams to execute and deliver prioritized initiatives, ensuring utilization and productivity of organization.
  • Deliver coding, configuration, and testing in product-centric and agile ways and measure performance quarterly across value, flow, and quality metrics.
  • Drive Devops, Dataops, and MLops platforms and engineering productivity initiatives in alignment with enterprise technology direction, AI automation, automated code and test, in partnership with Core Technology.
• Regional Tech Leadership:
  • Lead and manage the day-to-day operations of the site-based team, ensuring local execution aligns with global technology standards and priorities.
  • Provide site leadership across technology projects end to end, including software development, product delivery, infrastructure management, and IT services.
  • Monitor industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices to inform execution decisions and capability development within the function and to ensure the site remains competitive and innovative.
  • Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement within the site.
  • Build, mentor, and inspire a high-performing team, ensuring the growth and development of employees.
  • Drive employee engagement and retention initiatives to ensure a motivated and committed workforce. Partner with HR and Talent Acquisition in support of these initiatives for an engaged and sought after employee experience.
• Stakeholder Communication:
  • Maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders in the CDIO LT, including senior leadership, product, and engineering teams, partnering to execute agreed enterprise technology priorities.
  • Provide regular updates on performance, delivery progress, risks, and opportunities to CDIO executives.
  • Act as a cultural ambassador, ensuring that the team's work aligns with the company's global vision and values.
• Risk Management and Compliance:
  • Ensure the organization complies with relevant legal, regulatory, and company policies within the scope of the AI & Engineering function.
  • Identify risks related to technology, operations, and talent management, and implement mitigation strategies in coordination with enterprise governance bodies.
• Innovation and Continuous Improvement:
  • Promote and drive innovation within the team, encouraging the use of new technologies and approaches that support approved enterprise objectives.
  • Continuously assess and improve site processes to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and drive value within the defined functional scope.

Qualifications:

• Experience in global technology or operations leadership roles, with experience managing a tech team in a region or a similar market, with accountability for leading a global function or sub‑function through multiple layers of leadership. Experience leading a pharma services technology organization (CRO, professional services, biotech/biopharma, and healthcare technology) focused on life sciences.

• Proven track record in leading cross-functional teams and delivering complex end to end technology projects at a global scale, translating enterprise priorities into functional execution and scalable outcomes.

• Experience leveraging data, analytics, and AI to develop new products and services in alignment with enterprise strategy and within defined functional accountability.

• Ability to transform legacy technology and digital teams into a highly efficient, disciplined, delivery-oriented organization with strong alignment to business strategy within an established enterprise governance and operating framework.

• Experience managing both technical and operational aspects of a global business, particularly with teams in different geographic locations while operating within clearly defined functional scope and decision authority. P&L experience is a plus.

• Proven experience to lead a high-performing team as well as attracting talent for a continuous cycle of diversity of thought tied to employee growth and business objectives being met within a global functional organization.

• Experience leading a technology organization providing both product development and SaaS Software solutions for a broad range of technologies such as Python, Java, Apex, Databricks, Workday, Oracle Fusion, ServiceNow, SalesForce, Veeva CRM, Veeva Vault Clinical, as well as cloud and analytical services provided by Microsoft Azure, AWS, Oracle OCI is preferred.

• Strong leadership and team-building abilities.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively interact with senior management, technical teams, and global stakeholders to inform decision‑making and drive execution, rather than serving as final enterprise decision authority.

• Deep understanding of modern software, AI, and data development methodologies, including Agile methodologies, devops, dataops, and MLops.

• Proficiency in technology management, project delivery, and risk mitigation.

• Strong business acumen, including the ability to manage budgets, resources, and operational performance.

• Strong problem-solving skills and a proactive approach to resolving challenges.

• Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

• Experience in a global or multi-site organization is highly desirable.

Education Requirements - Education Level

Minimum

4 Year / Bachelors Degree

Computer Science, Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field.

Preferred

Graduate Degree

Computer Science, Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field.

Get to know Syneos Health

Over the past 5 years, we have worked with 94% of all Novel FDA Approved Drugs, 95% of EMA Authorized Products and over 200 Studies across 73,000 Sites and 675,000+ Trial patients.

No matter what your role is, you'll take the initiative and challenge the status quo with us in a highly competitive and ever-changing environment. Learn more about Syneos Health.

Additional Information

Tasks, duties, and responsibilities as listed in this job description are not exhaustive. The Company, at its sole discretion and with no prior notice, may assign other tasks, duties, and job responsibilities. Equivalent experience, skills, and/or education will also be considered so qualifications of incumbents may differ from those listed in the Job Description. The Company, at its sole discretion, will determine what constitutes as equivalent to the qualifications described above. Further, nothing contained herein should be construed to create an employment contract. Occasionally, required skills/experiences for jobs are expressed in brief terms. Any language contained herein is intended to fully comply with all obligations imposed by the legislation of each country in which it operates, including the implementation of the EU Equality Directive, in relation to the recruitment and employment of its employees. The Company is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, including the provision of reasonable accommodations, when appropriate, to assist employees or applicants to perform the essential functions of the job.