IT Senior Specialist

This position will be part of the International Research & Development IT organization which supports the areas of Discovery and Pre-Clinical Research, Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs, Pharmacovigilance, Medical Affairs, Real World Evidence in the following regions: Latin America (LA), Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA) and Japan, China and the Asia Pacific (JCAP). 

The position will be operating from Japan, Tokyo, and the incumbent will take on the role of Research & Development IT – Senior Business Analyst for Japan. The successful candidate will be responsible for driving IT initiatives across different R&D in Regulatory Affairs areas by bridging R&D and IT teams. Key responsibilities include:

• Act as the single point of contact and provide business analysis support to specific R&D teams e.g. Clinical Research, the Regulatory Affairs team., Pharmacovigilance, and Medical Affairs.
• Shape and influence the R&DRegulatory Affairs business strategy. Work with Research & Development Regulatory Affairs business stakeholders to understand their requirements for new systems and translate the needs into innovative IT solutions.
• Minimize the total cost of IT system ownership by leveraging a suite of global, regulatory compliant applications wherever possible. 
• Drive value delivery through close collaboration Collaborate with Research & Development IT team members, country IT teams, other IT teams e.g. our IT Hubs in Branchburg, Singapore, and Prague to deliver IT solutions
• Take ownership of IT products or solutions and drive from planning through implementation to operations
• Participate in innovative experiments and identify potential areas for business process improvement to increase our MRL business partners productivity
• Lead Agile teams or manage external partners

All activities must be conducted in compliance with company policies and standards, as well as regional and country-specific regulations

Travel will be required (~10%)

Education and Skills Required

• Degree or advanced degree in Science or Computer related field
• Minimum Experience Required
• 6 years of relevant experience

Skills/Knowledge

• Experience or knowledge in at least one of the Pharmaceutical R&D domains (e.g. Clinical Research, Regulatory Affairs, Pharmacovigilance, Medical Affairs)
• Experience with large scale IT systems
• Experience with Agile IT organizations is preferred
• Good business acumen, with proven ability to understand business processes in detail – both at global and region/country levels – and translate these into requirements
• Excellent Japanese and English communication skills (both oral and written)
• Proven leadership skills are preferred
• Ability to work and lead in international and intercultural teams
• Good analytical and problem-solving skills
• Good interpersonal skills along with the ability to communicate appropriately and confidently with other colleagues and navigate a complex matrix environment
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to organize and prioritize work
• Self-motivation and ability to work independently with minimum direction, a proactive approach