Senior Director, Vaccines R&D Data Sciences (AI/ML)

POSITION SUMMARY

You will provide AI/ML expertise and leadership to build strategy and lead a team that designs, implements, and maintains a comprehensive bioinformatics system to support modelling work and applies cutting-edge NGS capabilities and analysis pipelines to support Vaccines Research and Development. You will apply AI/ML models and other innovative digital solutions to enhance global viral surveillance, strain predictions based on genetic, antigenic, and relevant metadata, mRNA sequence optimization and antigen design, automated synthetic DNA/RNA biology workflows, and other scientific workstreams to support vaccine programs.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide AI/ML and computational biology expertise to support Vaccines Research and Development
  
• Design, implement, and maintain a comprehensive bioinformatics system, including a sequence analysis pipeline, viral surveillance, strain prediction tools, and synthetic and automated DNA/RNA workflows
  
• Interact with system users within Pfizer and coordinate efforts with the scientific and public health communities around AI/ML and bioinformatics
  
• Assist with document preparation for regulatory, patent, and scientific presentations and submissions. Insure availability of required computational resources
  
• Lead a team of Lab Scientists, Bioinformaticians, and Computational Scientists
  

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• PhD in Computer Science, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Software Engineering, Biotechnology Engineering or related discipline
  
• Minimum of 10 years of experience building and maintaining advanced AI/ML models and experience in computational biology, comparative genomics, NGS workflow and analysis to support R&D
  
• Experience managing a team and a diverse set of stakeholders, including scientific users and outside experts
  

• Proficiency in mathematics, biostatistics, probability theory, data structures, and algorithms
  

• Strong coding and programming skills in Python, Java, and R
  
• Hands-on experience with popular AI/ML frameworks and libraries
  
• Strong communication skills - written, report writing and verbal
  

• Experience interacting and building relationships with colleagues (e.g., Vaccine Scientists, Bioinformaticians, business technology experts) and outside organizations (e.g., GISAID, CDC, WHO, and academic institutions)
  

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum 4 years directly related experience in a pharmaceutical environment
  
• Strong knowledge of and experience in virology, particularly for respiratory pathogens (influenza and SARS-CoV-2), synthetic DNA/RNA biology
  

PHYSICAL/MENTAL REQUIREMENTS

Strong cognitive and social skills, ability to learn and apply new computing technology, remember processes, maintain focus, complete tasks independently, make timely decisions in the context of a workflow, ability to communicate with colleagues coming from different disciplines, must be able to think rationally and apply logic during high stress situations.

NON-STANDARD WORK SCHEDULE, TRAVEL OR ENVIRONMENT REQUIREMENTS

Occasional travel for business meetings/conferences

Work Location Assignment:On Premise

Relocation assistance may be available based on business needs and/or eligibility.

Sunshine Act

Pfizer reports payments and other transfers of value to health care providers as required by federal and state transparency laws and implementing regulations. These laws and regulations require Pfizer to provide government agencies with information such as a health care provider's name, address and the type of payments or other value received, generally for public disclosure. Subject to further legal review and statutory or regulatory clarification, which Pfizer intends to pursue, reimbursement of recruiting expenses for licensed physicians may constitute a reportable transfer of value under the federal transparency law commonly known as the Sunshine Act. Therefore, if you are a licensed physician who incurs recruiting expenses as a result of interviewing with Pfizer that we pay or reimburse, your name, address and the amount of payments made currently will be reported to the government. If you have questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact your Talent Acquisition representative.

EEO & Employment Eligibility

Pfizer is committed to equal opportunity in the terms and conditions of employment for all employees and job applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender identity or gender expression, national origin, disability or veteran status. Pfizer also complies with all applicable national, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements of the Immigration and Nationality Act and IRCA. Pfizer is an E-Verify employer.

Research and Development

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