Head, Machine Learning and Computational Sciences

Pfizer is excited to present a highly visible leadership opportunity to head our Machine Learning and Computational Sciences function. This role is central to our vision of transforming preclinical R&D through the strategic application of machine learning and computational sciences, enabling a future where data-driven insights accelerate the discovery and development of novel medicines. As the leader of this function, you will shape and drive an industry-leading organization fostering a culture of scientific excellence, innovation, and collaboration. Your leadership will empower teams to reduce empirical cycles, unlock new biological insights, and enable the design of new, transformative medicines.

ROLE SUMMARY

The Machine Learning Computational Sciences (MLCS) leader is responsible for the preclinical computational and machine learning strategy supporting preclinical R&D scientific stakeholders including computational biology, small and large molecule design, pharmaceutical sciences and drug safety. The leader is responsible for establishing and maintaining an industry leading organization ensuring that all the requisite scientific and technical resources, talent, work processes, and systems are in place for designing and delivering new computational models and algorithms.  The role serves as the single point of accountability for scientific, strategic and operational initiatives pertaining to its projects, and is accountable for establishing and maintaining strong technical and collaborative interactions with groups within Preclinical and Translational Sciences (P&TS), the Digital Organization, and numerous external partners.

MLCS will enable scientists across R&D to discover and develop novel medicines more effectively, e.g. with fewer, more productive cycles of empirical testing, opening up access to novel targets and pathways, enabling efficiency through more in silico work. The leader will report into the head of Medicine Design and lead an organization of ~45 colleagues.

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

• The leader is responsible for establishing and maintaining an industry leading organization ensuring that all the requisite scientific and technical resources, talent, work processes, and systems are in place for designing and delivering new computational models and algorithms. 
• The role serves as the single point of accountability for scientific, strategic and operational initiatives pertaining to the MLCS organization and its projects, and is accountable for establishing and maintaining strong technical and collaborative interactions with groups within P&TS, the Digital Organization, and numerous external partners
• Responsible for scientific computing software and infrastructure on High Performance Computing (HPC) systems and Amazon Cloud platforms supporting above functions
• Deliver cheminformatics and data engineering expertise and software engineering to support strategic initiatives in Med Design
• Chair ML Stakeholder Group meeting in Medicine Design, comprising disciplines of med chem design and synthesis, structural biology, and computational chemistry.  Define strategic portfolio of ML models, tools, and capabilities that align with portfolio project needs, external collaborations, pre-competitive frameworks, and a sustainable suite of software applications for end-users
• Member of the Integrative Biology LT, aligning stakeholder needs in the TAs with MLCS expertise and project portfolio for target selection, omics infrastructure and pipeline development, partnering with Pfizer Digital.  Responsible for R&D data and software engineering team for omics data and analysis ecosystem. 
• Partner with the Digital organization and subject matter experts throughout P&TS to ensure that the best computational innovations are implemented in such a way to maximize access and adoption, while adopting appropriate technical standards for sustainability and re-use
• Actively survey the external environment for cutting-edge computational methods with applicability towards drug discovery and development
• Member of enterprise AI Council Pillar teams (e.g. Value and Execution, Strategy) and new R&D AI Portfolio Strategy Team

QUALIFICATIONS

• PhD or advanced degree in Computational Chemistry, Computational Biology, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science or Life Sciences with 15+ years’ professional experience including in the biotechnology/biopharmaceutical industry.
• This position requires a proactive, pragmatic, flexible person with excellent leadership qualities, strategic thinking, communication & presentation skills, broad expertise in computational research and strong experience with scientific programming, IT systems and platforms. This leader will collabor