Data, AI, & Innovation Lead for AMEA & India

Role: Data, AI & Innovation AMEA & India Lead

Location: Hyderabad, India

Job Summary

We are seeking a highly experienced and strategic leader to fill the role of Data, AI, & Innovation Lead for AMEA & India. This role is pivotal in shaping and executing our data, analytics, and AI strategy for the India business, while also driving and aligning regional initiatives across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. The ideal candidate will have a deep background in the FMCH/Pharma industry, a proven ability to lead large, diverse teams, and a track record of transforming complex data into actionable business insights. You must possess exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills to influence senior business leaders and champion a data-driven culture. You are a dynamic leader in Data, Data Science, and AI, with multicultural and global experience, leading dynamic teams. With a mandate for driving AI and Innovation globally and taking care of the offshore data and AI team in India. You will play a key role in shaping and executing our AI strategy, working with both onshore and offshore teams to unlock the full potential of data-driven insights and AI technologies. In this role, you will oversee a diverse and high-performing team across multiple regions, including AMEA, and be responsible for both strategic leadership and hands-on guidance in data & AI. Your ability to lead multicultural teams and collaborate with stakeholders globally will be essential as you establish and grow our data & AI capabilities across Opella.

Job Highlights & main responsibilities:

Key responsibilities include:

• As Data, AI, & Innovation Lead for AMEA & India, you will be responsible for leading the integration of AI technologies to drive business growth, operational efficiency, and competitive advantage.

• Team Leadership: Building and leading a skilled AI team, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and ensuring the organization understands AI's potential

• Partnering with EMEA leadership across different departments to drive data and data science/AI projects

  • Strategic Leadership: Define and execute the Data and AI strategy for Opella in the EMEA region, aligning with the company’s global objectives and driving regional business goals. Establish AI priorities, roadmaps, and KPIs that deliver business value.

  • Regional Data and AI Operations: Oversee the data and AI teams in AMEA, ensuring smooth execution of Data and AI projects, from concept to deployment, with a focus on delivering results.

• Performance Monitoring & Reporting: Set clear objectives, measure the success of AI initiatives, and regularly report on progress to the executive leadership team. Implement best practices for tracking project outcomes and demonstrating ROI on AI investments.

• AI Value – AI use cases list, process for prioritization, AI FinOps, AI Value monitoring system, Enterprise data readiness for AI

• Driving Innovation: Exploring and implementing cutting-edge AI technologies, running pilot projects (rapid prototyping), and fostering a culture of innovation within the organization (running ideation programs).

  • Innovation Labs and Collaboration: Foster an internal culture of innovation, often by setting up AI labs or a community of practice. Promote collaboration between teams to deliver innovative AI solutions that address both customer needs and internal inefficiencies.

  • Develop IPs: Innovation will lead to new solutions and industry-first initiatives, which will lead to IPs (filing of patents, etc)

• Partnerships: Collaborating with external partners, such as research institutions and AI vendors, to stay at the forefront of technology.

  • Industry Collaboration: Partner with universities, research labs, and startups to stay on the cutting edge of AI innovation. This could involve joint research initiatives or collaborations on AI product development.

  • Vendor and Technology Partnering: Evaluate and engage with third-party AI vendors or cloud providers to access specialized AI tools and platforms that can support Opella’s AI initiatives.

  • External Thought Leadership: Represent Opella at AI conferences, panels, and forums. This could involve speaking engagements, publishing thought leadership pieces, and engaging with the broader AI community.

• Strategic Leadership: Define and execute a comprehensive data, analytics, and AI strategy for India, ensuring it aligns with global and regional business objectives. As the AMEA regional lead, you will coordinate and drive the adoption of key data and AI initiatives across multiple countries.

• Business Partnership: Serve as a key partner to business heads and digital leads in each region and country. You will work closely with them to understand business challenges and opportunities, translating them into data-driven solutions that enhance decision-making and improve operational efficiency.

• Team Leadership: Lead, mentor, and grow a large, high-performing team of data scientists, data engineers, and analysts. You will foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning, managing resource allocation and project prioritization to deliver maximum business value.

• Technology & Innovation: Stay at the forefront of data science and AI trends. You will drive the exploration and implementation of new technologies and innovative solutions to create a competitive advantage. This includes coordinating with other product owners to ensure seamless integration and alignment.

• Data Governance: Establish and maintain robust data governance frameworks to ensure data quality, security, and compliance. You will champion a data-driven culture throughout the organization.

Qualifications

• Experience:

  • 15+ years of total experience in Data & Analytics, with a strong understanding of data engineering, data science, and business intelligence.

  • 5+ years of experience in the FMCH or Pharma industries.

  • Proven experience leading large, multi-geography teams and managing complex projects with senior stakeholders.

• Skills:

  • Excellent communication, negotiation, and influencing skills.

  • Strong strategic and analytical thinking, with the ability to define and execute a long-term vision.

  • Deep expertise in data and AI technologies, including Snowflake, Airflow, DBT, Databricks, and Informatica Cloud.

  • Working knowledge of AWS and Azure is a plus.

  • A track record of fostering innovation and driving organizational change.

Why Join Us?

This is a unique opportunity to lead a critical function at the intersection of business strategy and technology. You will have a direct impact on our business performance in a high-growth region and work with a talented, passionate team to build the future of data and AI in the FMCH industry.