Digital & Tech Business Partner - Category & Advanced Research

About the Role

Haleon is hiring a Director, IT Business Partner - Category Growth & Future Horizons to translate category ambition into technology reality. You will partner with Global Category Leads, R&D, Markets and D&T to build multi year digital and data roadmaps that accelerate innovation and growth across Oral Health, VMS, Pain, Respiratory, Digestive Health and Skin.

You'll lead Future Horizons technologies (RWD, AI/ML, sensory/virtual testing, external innovation systems), shape portfolio investments with Strategy and Finance, and act as the enterprise integrator across scientific, commercial and technology teams. We're looking for a senior techno functional leader with deep experience in digital products, data/AI and consumer health/R&D ecosystems-someone who can influence executive stakeholders, drive adoption and deliver measurable business impact.

Key Responsibilities

• Category Strategy & Tech Enablement
  • Serve as the primary IT Business Partner and unified owner at the category interface in enabling capabilities required to support whitespace identification, innovation prioritization, consumer insights integration, and functional investments.
  • Translate category strategies into multi year digital & technology roadmaps spanning platforms, data assets, AI/ML, automation, and advanced analytics.
  • Identify digital enablers, capability gaps, and cross category reuse opportunities needed to power innovation pipelines across categories.
  • Shape category specific value cases integrating consumer, scientific, and technology insight.
  • Ensure all roadmaps align with enterprise architecture, cybersecurity, and data governance standards.
• Breakthrough and Competitive Business Technology Innovation Thought Leadership
  • Connect breakthrough sciences to scalable tech to minimize fragmentation and maximize value creation.
  • Lead the identification and evaluation of category enabling futuristic digital platforms and services including Rx to OTC switch opportunities (AI/ML, digital health, advanced data platforms, sensors, virtual testing, etc.) that support Real World Data, Consumer Sensory, and External Innovation.
  • Partner with RWD and Data Science teams to define technology needs for acquisition, integration, and analysis of real world data.
  • Support Consumer Sensory and Insights teams with digital tools for sensory panels/Observatory, experiment design, virtual shelves, and preference modelling.
  • Work with External Innovation team to define systems supporting opportunity scouting, evaluation, due diligence, and partnership management.
  • Ensure future horizon insights are incorporated into category strategies, R&D and Digital & Tech planning cycles, and enterprise technology roadmaps.
• Cross Functional Stakeholder Influence and Techno Functional Leadership
  • Act as the "connective tissue" across R&D, Category, Commercial, Regulatory, Medical, Supply Chain, and Digital & Tech to align on technology enabled innovation priorities.
  • Facilitate and chair cross functional forums to assess technical feasibility, digital readiness, data requirements, and resource implications for key initiatives.
  • Negotiate platform prioritization, sequencing, and trade offs with senior leaders, balancing short term delivery and long term strategic investments.
  • Build strong, trust based relationships across scientific, commercial, and technology stakeholders to drive adoption of digital and data enabled ways of working.
• Portfolio, Investment & Roadmap Governance
  • Provide senior governance required to harmonize platform strategies, avoid duplicative investments, improve sequencing and prioritization, strengthening interoperability across categories and markets.
  • Partner with R&D Portfolio, Digital & Tech Portfolio Management, Finance, and Strategy to shape a category aligned technology investment portfolio across Growth and Future Horizons.
  • Apply consistent evaluation frameworks that consider business value, technical complexity, re use of platforms, risk, and time to impact.
  • Contribute to annual operating plans and long range planning with clear technology and data perspectives for each category and Future Horizons initiative set.
  • Define, track, and communicate value realization metrics for key initiatives (e.g., speed to insight, concept cycle time, launch success, forecast accuracy, ROI on external innovation).
• Product Ownership & Delivery Oversight
  • Own the product management of Innovation PPM platform and core enabling digital products (RWD platforms, sensory & insights tools, external innovation systems, category superiority dashboards, etc.).
  • Collaborate with product function to ensure no overlap and redundancies, and own digital products to develop as a tech product line over a long period.
  • Work closely with Product, Data & Analytics, Architecture, Cybersecurity, and Delivery teams to prioritize backlogs, manage dependencies, and ensure timely, high quality delivery.
  • Ensure solutions are designed for scalability, interoperability, and reuse across categories and markets.
  • Drive robust change management and adoption plans, including training, communications, and ongoing user engagement.
• Technology Insight & External Ecosystem Engagement
  • Monitor emerging technologies, digital health trends, data science advancements, consumer tech innovation, and competitors' digital moves relevant to Haleon's categories.
  • Engage with external partners, vendors, startups, academic institutions, and innovation networks to identify new digital and technology opportunities.
  • Bring forward curated insights and options that shape category strategies, tier 3 /breakthrough innovation bets, and R&D Digital & Tech exploration.

Qualifications & Experience

• Extensive experience across R&D Tech, digital strategy, category strategy, innovation leadership, data & analytics or IT business partnering (consumer health/CPG/life sciences preferred).
• Track record shaping and delivering tech enabled strategies with measurable growth outcomes.
• Executive level influencing and communication; experience engaging Haleon executive and scientific leadership teams.
• Depth across digital product development, data platforms/analytics, AI/ML and RWD/sensory ecosystems.
• Experience working with innovation ecosystems, digital health solutions, or external technology partnerships is highly desirable.

Success Measures (First 12-18 Months)

• Clear, approved multi year digital & data roadmaps for Category Growth and Future Horizons.
• RWD, Consumer Sensory, and External Innovation teams use modern, integrated tools as part of their standard ways of working.
• Demonstrable impact of digital and data initiatives on category growth, innovation hit rate, and speed of decision making.
• Category and R&D leaders regard the Director as a trusted, strategic advisor and key member of the extended leadership team.

Equal Opportunity

Haleon is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to hiring a diverse workforce and encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply. Haleon will consider all applications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, and disability status. All applicants will be treated fairly throughout the hiring process.

Application Process and Contact

During the application process, you may be asked to share personal information. This information is voluntarily provided and will be kept confidential, used only for legitimate business purposes, and will never be used in making employment decisions. If you require a reasonable adjustment or accommodation at any stage of the application process, please let your recruiter know, and we will provide all reasonable adjustments.

Job Posting End Date

2026-07-31