Sr. Director, AI Strategy & Enterprise Enablement

Role Summary

Sr. Director, AI Strategy & Enterprise Enablement will shape Viridian’s vision and roadmap for how AI can transform operations, decision-making, and patient service. The role partners across Research, Development, Medical Affairs, Commercial, HR, and Corporate functions to identify opportunities where intelligent systems drive measurable impact, acting as a bridge between technology and business strategy to responsibly adopt emerging technologies that boost productivity, speed, and innovation. Based in Waltham, MA, with in-office work three days per week.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & Vision
  • Define and lead Viridian’s AI and intelligent automation strategy aligned with enterprise priorities and long-term growth plans
  • Serve as a trusted advisor to functional leaders on how AI and data-driven insights can optimize decision-making and operational excellence
  • Establish an AI governance framework to ensure responsible, ethical, and compliant use of technology
• AI Risk Management & Security
  • Develop and implement a comprehensive AI risk management framework to identify, assess, and mitigate risks associated with AI systems, including model bias, data privacy, and cybersecurity threats
  • Collaborate with IT, Legal, and Compliance teams to ensure AI solutions adhere to internal policies and external regulations (e.g., HIPAA, GDPR)
  • Monitor and evaluate the ethical implications of AI deployments, ensuring transparency, accountability, and fairness in all intelligent systems
  • Establish protocols for incident response and remediation in the event of AI-related failures or breaches
  • Regularly review and update risk management practices to address emerging threats and evolving regulatory requirements
• Enterprise Enablement & Partnerships
  • Partner with leaders across R&D, Clinical, Medical, and Commercial functions to identify and prioritize AI use cases that deliver high-value outcomes
  • Collaborate with HR, Finance, and Corporate Communications to improve workforce efficiency, candidate experience, and employee engagement through intelligent systems
  • Build strategic partnerships with AI vendors, academic institutions, and industry consortiums to bring external innovation into Viridian
• Execution & Change Management
  • Oversee implementation of enterprise-level AI initiatives and digital transformation projects from concept to adoption
  • Work closely with IT and Data Engineering to ensure robust data foundations that enable advanced analytics and automation
  • Lead change management initiatives to build organizational understanding, trust, and literacy around AI
• Measurement & Impact
  • Define success metrics and KPIs for AI adoption and enterprise enablement
  • Quantify the business impact of AI initiatives, efficiency gains, decision speed, data quality, or cost savings
  • Regularly brief the Executive Leadership Team on progress, learnings, and emerging opportunities

Qualifications

• Required: Bachelor’s degree; advanced degree (MBA, MS, PhD) preferred in Business, Data Strategy, or Life Sciences
• Required: 15+ years of progressive experience in technology strategy, enterprise analytics, or AI enablement within biotechnology, life sciences, or a related sector
• Required: Proven ability to translate emerging technologies into business outcomes
• Required: Demonstrated experience building cross-functional alignment and leading through influence in matrixed organizations
• Required: Understanding of AI and data governance, data ethics, and compliance frameworks (HIPAA, GDPR)
• Required: Demonstrated familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform), data science tools, ML frameworks, and enterprise data architecture
• Required: Excellent communication and storytelling skills with the ability to simplify complex topics for executive audiences
• Required: Efficient independent worker with ability to focus and drive for results
• Required: Strong attention to detail while effectively managing multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment
• Required: Strong commitment to ethical standards
• Required: Proficient with Microsoft Office suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, SharePoint, etc.)
• Required: Ability to travel up to 10%
• Required: The salary range for this position is commensurate with experience

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (MBA, MS, PhD) preferred in a relevant field such as Business, Data Strategy, or Life Sciences

Skills

• Strategic thinking and AI/automation vision
• Executive communication and storytelling
• Change management and cross-functional collaboration
• AI risk management, governance, and compliance awareness
• Vendor partnerships and external innovation engagement
• Data strategy, data architecture, and cloud fundamentals