Senior Director, Head of Engineering

Role Summary

Pfizer Digital & Technology’s R&D Forward Impact Engineering & Engagement Team (FIEET) will work with R&D to transform how AI, data, and digital technologies are designed, built, and delivered in partnership with the broader organization. We are seeking a Head of Engineering to lead a global team of Forward Deployed Engineers, Full-Stack Developers, Data Engineers, and AI Engineers who co-create solutions that help R&D scientists, clinicians, and operations teams harness the power of AI and data. This leader will ensure rapid prototyping and enterprise delivery move in sync, balancing innovation velocity with integration, governance, and operational excellence.

Responsibilities

• Lead a global team of Forward Deployed Engineers, Full-Stack Developers, Data Engineers, and AI Engineers to co-create scalable AI-enabled solutions for R&D.
• Align rapid prototyping with enterprise delivery, governance, and operational excellence to deliver business value and advance science.
• Partner with R&D leaders and cross-functional teams (Enterprise Architecture, Creation Centers, Platform Engineering, Data Management) to ensure prototypes and MVPs contribute to a sustainable digital ecosystem.
• Drive adoption of AI and data capabilities across the organization, ensuring solutions are built with stakeholders and integrated into existing systems.
• Foster a federated, collaborative Engineering model that avoids fragmentation and adds measurable business impact.

Qualifications

• Required: Enterprise-Scale Leadership ‚Äî 12+ years leading large, distributed software, data, or AI engineering teams in a global, matrixed environment.
• Required: Bachelor‚Äôs degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Bioinformatics, Engineering, or related discipline.
• Required: Cross-Functional Collaboration ‚Äî ability to align innovation teams with enterprise architecture, platform, and application groups.
• Required: Technical Credibility ‚Äî cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), data pipelines, AI/ML architectures, and modern application frameworks; capable of engaging with technical teams at an executive level.
• Required: AI and Data Fluency ‚Äî understanding of machine learning, large language models, NLP, and generative AI with ability to translate into practical R&D use cases.
• Required: Operational Maturity ‚Äî experience guiding prototypes into scalable, secure, maintainable enterprise solutions.
• Required: Strategic Communication ‚Äî ability to convey technical vision to R&D and business executives; alignment of stakeholders with differing incentives.
• Required: Talent Development ‚Äî track record of building high-performing, inclusive teams and developing next-generation engineering leaders.
• Required: Business Orientation ‚Äî demonstrated delivery of measurable outcomes (e.g., cycle-time reduction, insight acceleration, cost optimization) through digital solutions.
• Preferred: Pharma/Life Sciences R&D experience in regulated environments (GxP, clinical, regulatory).

Education

• Bachelor‚Äôs degree in a relevant field (e.g., Computer Science, Data Science, Bioinformatics, Engineering, or related discipline).

Skills

• Cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP)
• Data pipelines and AI/ML architectures
• Modern application frameworks
• Strategic communication and stakeholder management
• Talent development and leadership in diverse teams

Additional Requirements

• Hybrid work location
• Ability to work with cross-functional, global teams and operate at executive levels
• Experience translating AI/Data capabilities into practical, scalable solutions for R&D