Director, Product Pod Lead

Role Summary

The Product Pod Lead is a senior technology and product leader responsible for defining and executing the vision, strategy, and delivery of technology solutions that enable global R&D, Regulatory, or Global Development functions. This role owns a portfolio of platforms and products—such as Regulatory Information Management (RIM), Clinical Operational, Clinical Data Products, and supporting integrations—and drives innovation to accelerate regulatory submissions, ensure compliance, and enhance operational efficiency. This role will coordinate with Business Systems Owners to identify value and business cases at the portfolio/pod level.

Responsibilities

• Oversee a portfolio of products and services with end-to-end accountability for vision, backlog, budget, and lifecycle management, in collaboration with product managers.
• Establish portfolio KPIs, success metrics, and performance dashboards to track value delivery.
• Drive platform rationalization, data quality, and master data management strategies across Regulatory and Development functions.
• Lead cross-functional product teams (product managers, solution architects, engineers, data stewards, and external vendors) using Agile or hybrid methodologies.
• Oversee system implementation, integration, and enhancement projects ensuring delivery on time, within budget, and to quality standards.
• Ensure all systems meet regulatory requirements (21 CFR Part 11, GAMP 5, GDPR, FDA/EMA guidelines).
• Manage and mentor a team of senior product managers, business analysts, and technical leads.
• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement, encouraging professional development and cross-functional learning.
• Lead strategic vendor relationships within the portfolio, as applicable.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Life Sciences, or related field (Master’s preferred).
• 10+ years of IT leadership experience in the pharmaceutical, biotech, or regulated life sciences industry.
• Minimum of 8 years of people leadership experience leading a medium to large organization and influencing senior-level management and key stakeholders.
• Proven track record of driving business process transformation and organizational culture change, delivering on programs with complex business deliverables.
• Ability to set priorities, deliver on deadlines, and develop workflow processes in a dynamic marketplace.
• Strong analytical skills and budget management; previous organizational change management experience.
• Ability to demonstrate strategic and critical thinking, problem solving, and leadership of multi-disciplinary dispersed teams; strong talent judgment.
• Deep expertise in Regulatory Affairs, Clinical Development, and R&D technology ecosystems (e.g., Veeva Vault RIM, CTMS, eTMF, QMS, IDMP, product master data).
• Proven track record of managing multi-million-dollar technology portfolios and delivering complex global programs.

Skills

• Data governance, master data management, and regulatory compliance
• Exceptional stakeholder management, communication, and influencing skills at the senior executive level
• Agile product management, technology strategy, and vendor management
• Experience with cloud-based platforms (Veeva, Salesforce, AWS, Azure) and emerging technologies such as AI, NLP, and process automation
• Collaborative leadership across product, architecture, and governance layers

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Life Sciences, or related field (Master’s preferred)