Senior Director, Immunology – AI Systems

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in California, +3 more states.

📋 Description

• Develop and uphold the Immunology AI strategy along with a multi-year roadmap.

• Oversee strategic portfolio planning which includes identifying opportunities, framing value, prioritizing, sequencing, making investment decisions, managing dependencies, and aligning resources.

• Construct a cohesive execution model that outlines decision rights, accountable owners, milestones, risks, and value metrics.

• Collaborate with Immunology scientific and development leaders across areas such as discovery, translational research, clinical development, biomarkers, evidence generation, and portfolio decision-making.

• Provide technical direction on AI solution architecture, data readiness, model appropriateness, validation, scalability, interoperability, and ethical usage.

• Coordinate alignment and delivery across DDSAI, J&J Technology, the Immunology Therapeutic Area, Global Development, and Global Regulatory Affairs.

• Ensure a robust data foundation that includes reusable data products, metadata, ontologies, knowledge graphs, catalogs, and accessible pathways.

• Implement portfolio governance and stage-gate decision processes from experimentation to production, scaling, operations, and lifecycle management.

• Establish success metrics for the portfolio, encompassing scientific and business outcomes, adoption rates, improvements in time or quality, scalability, reuse, and return on investment.

• Promote adoption and organizational transformation by integrating AI into scientific and development workflows while enhancing AI and data literacy.

• Cultivate internal and external partnerships, determining the best approach for building, buying, partnering, or reusing enterprise solutions.

• Lead, develop, and retain a high-performing team that spans AI strategy, technical product leadership, data products, program execution, and stakeholder engagement.

• Represent the Immunology AI strategy to senior R&D and enterprise stakeholders, communicating updates, decisions, risks, and value propositions.

• Report to the Vice President of Immunology and Cardiopulmonary, DDSAI, through Research & Development Data, Data Science, and AI.

⛳️ Requirements

• An advanced degree (PhD, MD, PharmD, MS, or equivalent) in computer science, AI/ML, engineering, biomedical sciences, computational biology, applied mathematics, data science, or a related technical discipline.

• At least 10 years of post-academic industry experience or equivalent.

• Proven leadership in managing complex data, digital, AI, or technology-driven life sciences initiatives.

• Experience in defining strategies and converting them into prioritized roadmaps along with coordinated execution plans within complex multistakeholder environments.

• Strong technical expertise in AI/ML, data engineering, data products, analytics platforms, knowledge representation, and solution lifecycles.

• Familiarity with complex, high-dimensional biomedical data, including omics, imaging, translational, clinical trial, biomarker, competitive intelligence, and real-world data.

• Capability to lead through influence in a matrixed pharmaceutical organization, align senior stakeholders, navigate ambiguity, and drive decisions across organizational boundaries.

• Experience in establishing governance, operating models, portfolio management practices, and value-tracking systems for AI, data, digital, or technology portfolios in pharmaceutical R&D.

• Strong leadership skills and experience in talent development.

• Exceptional executive communication, strategic thinking, synthesis, and decision-framing abilities.

• Preferred: experience in life sciences, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, or medical technology; specifically in Immunology R&D.

• Preferred: experience with enterprise or therapeutic-area AI strategy and execution across discovery and development workflows.

• Preferred: skills in technical product management, agile delivery, change management, and the scaled adoption of AI-enabled products.

• Preferred: knowledge of responsible AI, model validation, data privacy, security, regulatory expectations, and risk management within a biomedical context.

• Preferred: familiarity with CDISC, GA4GH, FHIR, NCI Thesaurus, ontologies, knowledge graphs, and data catalogs.

• Preferred: experience in evaluating build-versus-buy-versus-partner strategies and forming strategic technology or external innovation partnerships.

🏝️ Benefits

• Consolidated retirement plan (pension).

• Savings plan (401(k)).

• Long-term incentive program.

• Vacation – 120 hours per calendar year.

• Sick time – 40 hours per calendar year; 48 hours for Colorado employees; 56 hours for Washington employees.

• Holiday pay, including Floating Holidays – 13 days per calendar year.

• Work, Personal and Family Time – up to 40 hours per calendar year.

• Parental Leave – 480 hours within one year of birth/adoption/foster care of a child.

• Bereavement Leave – 240 hours for an immediate family member; 40 hours for an extended family member per calendar year.

• Caregiver Leave – 80 hours in a 52-week rolling period.

• Volunteer Leave – 32 hours per calendar year.

• Military Spouse Time-Off – 80 hours per calendar year.