Chief Information Officer (CIO)

Location: Bologna, Italy
Compensation: €150,000–€200,000 gross annual salary, plus bonus

The Opportunity

We are supporting an established, internationally operating pharmaceutical group in the search for a Chief Information Officer (CIO) to lead the evolution of its technology landscape and support the organisation's next phase of growth.

The Group operates in the animal health sector, with activities spanning pharmaceutical research, development, manufacturing and international commercial operations. With a strong industrial footprint and a growing international presence, the organisation is investing in the capabilities, systems and digital infrastructure required to support its continued expansion.

The CIO will play a strategic role in aligning technology with business priorities, strengthening IT governance and driving digital transformation across a complex, international environment.

Working closely with the executive leadership team, the successful candidate will define and execute the Group's IT strategy, modernise its technology architecture and ensure that digital capabilities support operational efficiency, business scalability, innovation and effective decision-making.

This is a senior leadership opportunity for an experienced technology executive who combines strategic vision with strong execution capabilities and understands the demands of an industrial, science-driven and internationally distributed organisation.

Key Responsibilities

1. IT Strategy & Digital Transformation

• Define and execute the Group's IT strategy, ensuring alignment with corporate objectives and long-term business priorities.

• Develop a technology roadmap covering infrastructure, enterprise applications, data, cybersecurity and digital innovation.

• Identify opportunities to leverage technology to improve operational efficiency, productivity and business performance.

• Lead digital transformation initiatives across corporate, commercial, manufacturing and research functions.

• Establish IT governance frameworks, investment priorities and performance indicators to measure the effectiveness of technology initiatives.

• Act as a strategic advisor to the executive team on technology trends, investment decisions and digital opportunities.

2. Enterprise Applications & Business Systems

• Oversee the evolution and integration of the Group's enterprise application landscape, including ERP and other core business platforms.

• Ensure that business systems effectively support finance, procurement, supply chain, manufacturing, sales and international operations.

• Drive application standardisation and process harmonisation across the Group's entities and geographical locations.

• Evaluate opportunities to modernise legacy systems and improve integration between applications.

• Ensure that technology platforms are scalable, reliable and capable of supporting future business growth.

• Collaborate with business leaders to translate operational requirements into effective technology solutions.

3. Manufacturing, Supply Chain & Industrial Technology

• Support the digital evolution of manufacturing and industrial operations through appropriate technology platforms and integrated processes.

• Ensure effective coordination between enterprise IT and production-related systems, working with the relevant operational and engineering stakeholders.

• Promote greater visibility across manufacturing, planning, inventory, procurement and distribution processes.

• Support the adoption of digital solutions that improve operational performance, traceability and supply chain efficiency.

• Ensure that technology initiatives are aligned with the requirements of a regulated pharmaceutical manufacturing environment.

• Strengthen the integration of systems supporting industrial sites and international production facilities.

4. Data, Analytics & AI

• Define the Group's data strategy, establishing appropriate standards for data governance, quality, ownership and accessibility.

• Improve the availability and consistency of management information across business functions and international entities.

• Promote the use of analytics and business intelligence to support strategic and operational decision-making.

• Identify opportunities to apply artificial intelligence and automation to improve productivity and streamline business processes.

• Establish appropriate governance, security and risk-management principles for the adoption of emerging technologies.

• Ensure that data and digital capabilities can scale alongside the organisation's international development.

5. Cybersecurity, Infrastructure & IT Governance

• Oversee the Group's IT infrastructure, cloud strategy, networks, workplace technology and core IT services.

• Establish and maintain appropriate cybersecurity policies, controls and incident-response capabilities.

• Ensure business continuity, disaster recovery and resilience across critical systems and international operations.

• Manage IT risk, access controls, security standards and technology compliance requirements.

• Develop appropriate governance frameworks, service-management processes and performance metrics.

• Ensure effective management of external IT service providers and technology partners.

6. International IT Operations & Integration

• Coordinate technology strategy and execution across the Group's international subsidiaries and operating locations.

• Establish appropriate standards for systems, processes, infrastructure and IT service delivery while accommodating local business requirements.

• Lead the technology integration of newly acquired entities and support the harmonisation of applications and infrastructure.

• Identify opportunities to consolidate platforms, improve operational consistency and capture synergies across the organisation.

• Build effective relationships with local management teams to ensure successful adoption of Group-wide technology initiatives.

• Ensure that IT capabilities support the Group's international expansion and evolving organisational structure.

7. Budget, Investment & Vendor Management

• Develop and manage the Group's IT budget, investment plans and technology expenditure.

• Prioritise investments based on strategic value, operational impact, risk and total cost of ownership.

• Monitor financial performance, identify efficiency opportunities and ensure effective allocation of resources.

• Manage relationships with technology vendors, implementation partners and external service providers.

• Lead strategic negotiations and ensure that suppliers deliver against agreed service levels and contractual commitments.

• Establish clear business cases and measurable outcomes for major technology investments.

8. Leadership & Organisational Development

• Lead and develop the IT organisation, ensuring the appropriate structure, capabilities and resources are in place to support business needs.

• Establish clear responsibilities, objectives and performance expectations across IT teams.

• Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement and service excellence.

• Strengthen collaboration between IT and business functions, ensuring technology is viewed as a strategic enabler rather than solely a support function.

• Develop internal capabilities while identifying opportunities to leverage external expertise where appropriate.

• Communicate technology priorities, investment decisions and delivery progress effectively to executive stakeholders.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will be an experienced technology executive with a strong track record of leading IT strategy, enterprise systems and digital transformation in an international industrial or pharmaceutical environment.

Required Experience

• Significant experience in senior IT leadership positions, such as CIO, IT Director or Group IT Director.

• Proven experience defining and implementing IT strategies in complex, multi-site and internationally distributed organisations.

• Strong expertise in enterprise applications, ERP systems, application integration and IT architecture.

• Experience supporting manufacturing, supply chain and industrial operations through technology.

• Demonstrated track record in digital transformation, systems modernisation and process harmonisation.

• Experience managing cybersecurity, infrastructure, IT governance and business continuity.

• Strong capabilities in IT budget management, investment planning, vendor negotiations and resource allocation.

• Experience leading and developing multidisciplinary IT teams.

• Proven ability to engage with executive stakeholders and translate business priorities into technology roadmaps.

Industry Background

Experience in pharmaceuticals, life sciences, manufacturing or other regulated industrial environments will be particularly valuable.

Exposure to animal health, pharmaceutical production, R&D-intensive organisations or international manufacturing groups would be an advantage.

Experience with regulated environments, quality-management requirements and the technology implications of pharmaceutical manufacturing will be especially relevant.

Key Competencies

• Strategic leadership: Ability to connect technology investments with business objectives and long-term growth.

• Digital transformation: Proven capability to modernise systems, processes and technology operating models.

• Industrial and operational understanding: Ability to align IT solutions with manufacturing, supply chain and commercial requirements.

• International management: Experience coordinating technology initiatives across multiple countries, entities and cultures.

• Business partnership: Strong stakeholder-management skills and the ability to influence decision-making at executive level.

• Financial and commercial acumen: Ability to manage budgets, evaluate investments and maximise technology value.

• Change management: Capability to drive adoption, build consensus and implement transformation across the organisation.

• People leadership: Ability to develop teams, strengthen internal capabilities and establish a high-performance culture.

The Opportunity

The CIO will join an established international group at an important stage in the evolution of its technology capabilities.

The role offers the opportunity to shape the Group's IT strategy, modernise its enterprise systems and strengthen the digital infrastructure supporting research, manufacturing and international commercial operations.

The successful candidate will have significant influence over technology investment priorities and the opportunity to build a scalable, secure and integrated IT environment that supports the organisation's long-term ambitions.

Location: Bologna, Italy.

Compensation package: €150,000–€200,000 gross annual salary, plus bonus.