Sr. Manager, IT Business Partner - R&D

Sr. Manager, IT Business Partner - R&D

Servier in the U.S. is a Boston-based, commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company launched by Servier Group in 2018. As a privately held organization, Servier is uniquely positioned to advance cutting-edge science, tackle underserved therapeutic areas and make patients the focus of every strategic decision.

Role Summary

The Senior Manager, US IT Business Partner for R&D enables and supports US Research and Clinical Development by delivering secure, reliable, and compliant digital and data solutions. This role serves as the strategic partner with the R&D Digital Data and AI department (DDAI) to ensure answers to US R&D needs consistent with Global R&D IT & DDAI strategy & processes, ensuring that critical scientific applications and platforms remain fit-for-purpose. Reporting to the Head of US IT, this role is accountable for aligning and prioritizing architecture impacts across the R&D technology landscape (US and Global), managing Service Desk tracking and operational support for US R&D teams, and ensuring that local demand is executed in line with existing operational processes.

The role is responsible for:

• Planning and following functional and technical area capabilities for US R&D
• Owning and managing the US R&D application portfolio, including lifecycles, renewals, and vendor relationships – in collaboration with US IT Ops and Infrastructure department
• Guiding system roadmaps, migrations, and integrations
• Partnering with business stakeholders to drive efficient, scalable operations

Primary Responsibilities

• Portfolio Management: Manage Servier's portfolio of US R&D technology assets, including roadmap planning and lifecycle management for applications such as Electronic Lab Notebooks (ELN), Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS), and scientific data management systems for analyses and visualizations
• Stakeholder Engagement: Act as strategic IT partner for US Research (Oncology, Biochemistry, Pharmacology, etc.) and Clinical Development (Medical Writing, Biometrics, Regulatory) and Global R&D Digital Leader
• Strategic Alignment: Apply a "local-by-default, global-by-design" model to balance urgent lab-critical pilots with convergence toward global platforms
• Architecture Alignment & Prioritization: Assess and align local business requirements with Global and US enterprise architecture standards, evaluate downstream impact across applications, integrations, data flows, and infrastructure, and prioritize demand to support business continuity, scalability, and compliance.
• Compliance & Governance: Ensure technology solutions comply with security, privacy, and quality requirements.
• Operational Oversight: Oversee IT delivery and operational support for research and clinical teams, including lab-facing systems and specialized platforms.
• Service Desk & Support Governance: Ensures Service Desk performance for R&D by overseeing incident management and process adherence, while partnering with local and global support teams to maintain service levels, improve user experience, and align support services with business needs.
• Innovation: Enable rapid, governed proof-of-concepts for emerging digital and AI tools in transparency with Global DDAI and DDIS.
• Product Delivery & Execution Leadership Roadmap Execution: Drive and coordinate critical system migrations and platform evolutions
• Vendor Management: Manage relationships and contracts with key IT R&D vendors.
• Agile Delivery: Partner with internal delivery teams and contractors to ensure commitments translate into predictable, high-quality outcomes.
• Operational Process Management: Ensure support, change, release, and incident management activities for US R&D systems are executed consistently with Global and US operating models, including documentation, handoffs, governance forums, and continuous service improvement.
• Budgetary Oversight: Track and maintain US R&D IT budgets in collaboration with US Finance and Global CIO and Digital Transformation Office
• Continuous Improvement: Support the evolution of delivery practices and "ways of working" to improve speed-to-lab and direct vendor coordination.

Education and Required Skills

Proven experience (5-7+ years) working in a technical role within the pharmaceutical or life sciences industry. The ideal candidate has experience with Research and Development systems, laboratory and clinical processes, and regulated operating environments.

Technical & IT Skills: Strong understanding of enterprise architecture principles, application portfolio management, systems integration, data flows, infrastructure dependencies, and cybersecurity considerations across global and local environments.

R&D Platforms: Experience supporting and governing R&D technology platforms such as ELN, LIMS, scientific data management, collaboration tools, reporting platforms, and clinical or regulatory systems.

Architecture Impact Assessment: Ability to evaluate and communicate the impact of business demand on application, data, integration, infrastructure, and support models, and to align priorities with Global and US architecture standards.

Service Management: Hands-on knowledge of incident, request, problem, change, and release management processes, including Service Desk ticket tracking, escalation management, root cause analysis, KPI monitoring, and service level reporting.

Process & Governance: Experience working within established Global and local operating processes, with the ability to standardize support workflows, document procedures, and drive governance and compliance across internal teams and external vendors.

Project and Demand Management: Capable of managing competing priorities, timelines, resources, risks, and dependencies across multiple initiatives, while balancing urgent local needs with longer-term global roadmap commitments.

Communication: Ability to translate complex technical, operational, and architectural topics into clear recommendations for scientific stakeholders, business leaders, and IT partners.

Relationship Management: Proven ability to build trust with cross-functional teams, including Global R&D, Global IT, Enterprise Architecture, Service Desk (US and Global), vendors, and local Research leadership, to drive alignment, prioritization, and adoption.

Key Competencies

Strategic Thinking: Ability to align local lab requirements with global IT infrastructure and long-term organizational goals.

Problem Solving: Ability to tackle business challenges with innovative, evidence-based solutions.

Adaptability: Skilled in managing multiple roles and shifting priorities in dynamic research environment.

Attention to Detail: Ensuring accuracy and reliability in data analysis, reporting, and compliance documentation.

Travel and Location

Limited travel required, < 5%. Boston area preferred hybrid role with 2-3 days a week in lab offices.

Candidate Profile

Servier's Commitment

Servier is committed to modelling diversity, equity, and inclusion within the industry. We are dedicated to fostering an environment that maintains equitable treatment for all and we welcome applicants who are passionate, committed, and innovative individuals. We encourage candidates to apply to our open roles as we are always willing to consider experiences and skills beyond what is listed in the job description. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

Salary Range

The salary range for this role is $163,000-$186,000. An employee's pay position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, performance, and business or organizational needs. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range, and the range may be modified in the future. Employees in this position are also eligible for Short-Term and Long-Term incentive programs. Servier also offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits package that includes benefits such as medical, dental, vision, flexible time off (Servier provides unlimited sick time and flex time, and does not accrue time off), 401(k), life and disability insurance, recognition programs among other great benefits (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements).