Director, R&D AI, Insights & Analytics
Acadia Pharmaceuticals
August 18, 2026
Remote friendly (Princeton, NJ)
United States
IT
Position Summary
The Director, R&D AI, Insights & Analytics leads R&D strategy and execution for data, analytics, AI, and insights across the drug development lifecycle.
Primary Responsibilities
- Define and execute an R&D insights/analytics/AI/data roadmap aligned to R&D and enterprise AI/data strategy.
- Lead R&D data governance (ownership, stewardship, ontology, metadata, lineage, business glossary, quality standards, FAIR, semantic consistency).
- Standardize definitions, metrics, semantic standards, and data quality expectations.
- Partner with Enterprise IT/data engineering to design modern R&D data platforms (data lake/lakehouse/cloud).
- Lead architecture/platform/technology and vendor evaluations (scalability, security, interoperability, business alignment).
- Build clinical development benchmarking (start-up, enrollment, site performance, cycle time, data quality, key metrics).
- Develop dashboards, predictive analytics, and decision support for enrollment, site selection, trial execution, oversight.
- Identify AI/ML opportunities to accelerate trials and R&D processes.
- Partner with Enterprise AI/IT to productize use cases and drive adoption/value.
- Lead assessments, process/capability mapping, gap analysis, and future-state roadmaps.
- Collaborate across R&D functions to identify high-value analytics opportunities.
- Manage vendors/partners and present strategy and outcomes to senior leadership.
Qualifications/Skills
- Bachelor’s required (Data Science/CS/Engineering/Life Sciences or related); advanced degree preferred.
- 10+ years in R&D analytics/data strategy/clinical development analytics/AI-enabled solutions/digital transformation.
- Pharma/biotech/life sciences experience.
- Strong drug development lifecycle knowledge across R&D functions.
- Data governance leadership (FAIR, ontology/metadata/lineage/data quality).
- Experience with data lake/lakehouse/cloud strategy; Databricks/Snowflake/Fabric; AWS/Azure; semantic layer/metadata tools.
- Clinical performance metrics/benchmarking and analytics dashboard experience.
- AI/ML, predictive analytics, intelligent automation; process mapping/gap analysis/roadmaps.
- Regulated R&D familiarity and clinical standards: GxP, CDISC, SDTM, ADaM, FHIR.
- Travel domestically/internationally as needed.
Benefits (US-based)
- Competitive base + discretionary bonus and equity; 401(k) match 1:1 up to 5%; ESPP.
- Medical/dental/vision; employer-paid life/disability/travel/EAP.
- 15+ vacation days; 13–15 paid holidays; 10 paid sick days; paid parental leave.
- Tuition assistance.
The Director, R&D AI, Insights & Analytics leads R&D strategy and execution for data, analytics, AI, and insights across the drug development lifecycle.
Primary Responsibilities
- Define and execute an R&D insights/analytics/AI/data roadmap aligned to R&D and enterprise AI/data strategy.
- Lead R&D data governance (ownership, stewardship, ontology, metadata, lineage, business glossary, quality standards, FAIR, semantic consistency).
- Standardize definitions, metrics, semantic standards, and data quality expectations.
- Partner with Enterprise IT/data engineering to design modern R&D data platforms (data lake/lakehouse/cloud).
- Lead architecture/platform/technology and vendor evaluations (scalability, security, interoperability, business alignment).
- Build clinical development benchmarking (start-up, enrollment, site performance, cycle time, data quality, key metrics).
- Develop dashboards, predictive analytics, and decision support for enrollment, site selection, trial execution, oversight.
- Identify AI/ML opportunities to accelerate trials and R&D processes.
- Partner with Enterprise AI/IT to productize use cases and drive adoption/value.
- Lead assessments, process/capability mapping, gap analysis, and future-state roadmaps.
- Collaborate across R&D functions to identify high-value analytics opportunities.
- Manage vendors/partners and present strategy and outcomes to senior leadership.
Qualifications/Skills
- Bachelor’s required (Data Science/CS/Engineering/Life Sciences or related); advanced degree preferred.
- 10+ years in R&D analytics/data strategy/clinical development analytics/AI-enabled solutions/digital transformation.
- Pharma/biotech/life sciences experience.
- Strong drug development lifecycle knowledge across R&D functions.
- Data governance leadership (FAIR, ontology/metadata/lineage/data quality).
- Experience with data lake/lakehouse/cloud strategy; Databricks/Snowflake/Fabric; AWS/Azure; semantic layer/metadata tools.
- Clinical performance metrics/benchmarking and analytics dashboard experience.
- AI/ML, predictive analytics, intelligent automation; process mapping/gap analysis/roadmaps.
- Regulated R&D familiarity and clinical standards: GxP, CDISC, SDTM, ADaM, FHIR.
- Travel domestically/internationally as needed.
Benefits (US-based)
- Competitive base + discretionary bonus and equity; 401(k) match 1:1 up to 5%; ESPP.
- Medical/dental/vision; employer-paid life/disability/travel/EAP.
- 15+ vacation days; 13–15 paid holidays; 10 paid sick days; paid parental leave.
- Tuition assistance.