Vice President, Scientific Data Strategy

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative was founded by Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg in 2015 to help solve some of society’s toughest challenges — from eradicating disease and improving education to addressing the needs of our local communities. Our mission is to build a more inclusive, just, and healthy future for everyone.

The Team

CZI supports the science and technology that will make it possible to help scientists cure, prevent, or manage all diseases by the end of this century. Our vision is to build the future of science by leveraging advances in AI alongside biomedical research.

Achieving our mission will only be possible if scientists are able to better understand human biology. To that end, we have identified four grand challenges that will unlock the mysteries of the cell and how cells interact within systems — paving the way for new discoveries that will change medicine in the decades that follow:

• Building an AI-based virtual cell model to predict and understand cellular behavior
• Developing state-of-the-art imaging systems to observe living cells in action
• Instrumenting tissues to better understand inflammation, a key driver of many diseases
• Engineering and harnessing the immune system for early detection, prevention, and treatment of disease

CZI’s work in science includes grantmaking programs, open-source software development, and close collaboration with the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Network. The CZ Biohub Network includes the San Francisco, Chicago, and New York Biohubs as well as the Chan Zuckerberg Imaging Institute. CZI also collaborates with institutional partners like the Kempner Institute for the Study of Natural & Artificial Intelligence at Harvard University. Join us in accelerating science.

The Opportunity

CZI’s is hiring a seasoned results-driven leader who will define and execute a scientifically grounded, agile data strategy that fuels rapid cycles of research and discovery at the cutting edge of the AI-driven revolution in biomedical science. They will hire, mentor, and lead a world-class data team that sits at the forefront of data generation capabilities, as well as the translation of data into cohesive, interoperable and widely used resources directed at transforming our understanding of cell biology. 

The incoming leader will also be responsible for data procurement — whether through partnerships, generation, or curation of publicly available datasets — and for establishing scientific data policies, standards, and security protocols in service of our Grand Challenges. They will ensure alignment with CZI’s ethics, compliance, and privacy requirements while collaborating with engineering, product, and scientific teams to integrate data solutions that support ongoing innovation. Externally, they will represent CZI’s data vision in strategic alliances with research partners, philanthropic organizations, and the broader data community.

The Vice President of Data will join our Science Leadership team, reporting to our Head of Science. Their leadership will ensure that CZI remains a global leader in leveraging data to advance biomedical science and change medicine for generations to come. The leader will  serve as the connective tissue between experimental data generation and computational modeling efforts, ensuring the initiative builds a data foundation that enables breakthrough biological insights. The Vice President of Data will be a collaborative, forward-looking leader who thrives in a dynamic, fast-paced environment focused on delivering transformative science.

What You'll Do

Technical Leadership

• Develop a vision and strategy for data as a strategic advantage in CZI's AI leadership in the biological sciences.
• Establish strategy and implementation (i.e., architecture, standards) to ensure CZI's datasets are AI-ready and interoperable across our Grand Challenges.
• Develop and implement data governance frameworks that balance scientific flexibility with the consistency needed for machine learning applications.

Strategic Data Planning

• Establish and iterate on CZI’s data strategy in close collaboration with Grand Challenge leaders, ensuring alignment with scientific objectives and emerging research opportunities
• Identify critical data gaps and prioritize data generation efforts to maximize scientific value and model performance; develop roadmaps for data acquisition that align with both immediate project goals and long-term vision
• Actively procure, generate, and manage high-value datasets, forging partnerships and leveraging publicly available data to maximize research potential.

Quality Infrastructure and Integration

• Over