PHARMAFull-time
Associate Director- Compliance
By Admin · IT & Software in Life Sciences
CHENNAI (IN)HYBRIDPOSTED: 8/25/2026
PHARMAFull-time
HIRING ORGANIZATIONASTRAZENECAPharmaceuticals / Biopharmaceuticals / Healthcare
ROLE DEFINITION & RESPONSIBILITIES
Core Responsibilities
Lead site compliance for the Chennai location and provide support to the Bangalore hub.
Act as the primary compliance contact and internal expert for site matters, including external reporting to regulatory and law-enforcement agencies when required.
Advise, influence and coach senior leaders across Chennai and Bangalore on compliance expectations, strategy, operations and decision-making.
Design and implement compliance programmes, policies, processes, training and support across relevant policy areas, with measurable improvements in behaviours and outcomes.
Identify, assess and prioritise material compliance risks and direct resources toward the highest-impact actions.
Partner with Assurance to implement reporting, monitoring and auditing; track effectiveness and close identified gaps with accountable owners and timelines.
Identify matters requiring investigation, conduct or refer investigations as appropriate, and work with HR on consistent and fair disciplinary processes.
Drive required compliance-training rollout and tracking, lead the local Compliance Champion network and promote a strong compliance culture.
Collaborate with HR, Finance, Procurement and other second-line functions to build and implement practical compliance programmes.
Data Privacy & Technology Risk
Serve as the local data-privacy point of contact, working with the India Data Protection Officer and global privacy teams.
Provide first-line privacy advisory support and decision mentorship.
Conduct and support Data Protection Impact Assessments for technology initiatives, system implementations, data migrations and AI/ML deployments.
Maintain Records of Processing Activities for site technology functions.
Align local privacy practices with the Global Privacy Office/DPO and global privacy strategy.
Provide privacy input into vendor and third-party assessments involving technology suppliers, cloud providers and AI/ML service partners.
Advise IT leadership on cybersecurity laws, data-localisation requirements and AI-governance obligations.
Ensure appropriate advice is obtained on sanctions, export controls and jurisdictional restrictions affecting AI and technology deployment.
Support AI oversight by assessing high-risk or novel AI use cases, including fairness, transparency, explainability and human-oversight considerations.
Serve as site liaison to the Digital Risk & Oversight Committee and AI Governance Committee and drive consistent local execution of committee decisions.
Technical & Domain Expertise
Academic degree in Law, Business, Technology or a related discipline.
Minimum 7 years of experience in compliance, data privacy or legal roles, with demonstrable expertise in data protection law, corporate compliance or digital/technology risk.
Experience in biopharmaceutical, healthcare, technology or another highly regulated industry.
Understanding of sophisticated regulatory and organisational environments, including matrix structures and multiple reporting lines.
Ability to translate legal and regulatory requirements into practical business guidance.
Ability to partner with technology leaders, data scientists and engineering teams on complex privacy and compliance matters.
Strong project-management capability, including site-plan development, resource planning and measurement of outcomes.
Strong problem-solving skills, particularly for novel issues involving AI, privacy and compliance.
Leadership & Business Impact
Build trust and influence without direct authority across senior leadership and cross-functional teams.
Establish ethical, privacy-by-design and responsible-AI practices within technology operations.
Protect patients and organisational data while enabling responsible digital innovation.
Help the Chennai and Bangalore technology environment meet global compliance and privacy standards.
Convert complex regulatory, technology and privacy risks into clear, actionable guidance for business and technology leaders.
Preferred Expertise
CIPP/E, CIPP/A, CIPM or equivalent privacy certification.
Working knowledge of GDPR and India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act.
Biopharmaceutical or other regulated-industry experience.
Strong commercial skills and potentially a legal qualification/admission as a lawyer or equivalent.
Knowledge of India's IT Act, CERT-In requirements, DPDP Act and emerging digital regulations.
Understanding of sanctions and export-control frameworks relevant to technology deployment.
REQUIRED VERIFIED SKILLS
Compliance
Data Privacy
Data Protection Law
Corporate Compliance
Digital Risk
Technology Risk
Regulatory Compliance
Data Protection Impact Assessments
Records of Processing Activities
AI Governance
Privacy by Design
Cybersecurity Law
Data Localisation
Third-Party Risk
Cloud Risk
GDPR
India's DPDP Act
IT Act
CERT-In
AI/ML Risk Assessment
Compliance Auditing
Investigations
Regulatory Reporting
Risk Management
Project Management
COMPENSATION & REWARDS
Salary: Competitive / Disclosed upon candidate shortlisting
ORGANIZATION CONTEXT & CULTURE
AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialisation of prescription medicines. The company operates in various therapeutic areas, including Oncology, Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology. AstraZeneca is committed to pushing the boundaries of science to deliver life-changing medicines and improve patient outcomes worldwide.
TEAM SIZE: 89,000+ employees
INDUSTRY: Pharmaceuticals / Biopharmaceuticals / Healthcare
RECOMMENDED TRAINING
1/5
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