Data Governance Associate Director

Vertex Pharmaceuticals LLC; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 158,000 - 237,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work

Annual bonus

Equity awards

Medical benefits

401(k) matching

Job summary

Vertex Pharmaceuticals is seeking an Associate Director, Commercial Data Governance to lead the development and execution of data governance standards, policies, and controls across the commercial organization.

You will establish ownership, monitor data quality, and drive programs with teams including Legal, Compliance, and Insights to ensure compliant, reliable commercial data that supports decision-making for patients and stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, information systems, data management, computer science, life sciences, or related field.
• Typically 8+ years of relevant experience in data governance, data management, analytics, or related discipline.
• Experience building or enhancing data governance frameworks, standards, and operating models.
• Experience in pharmaceutical/biotech/regulated industries.
• Knowledge of data quality, metadata, lineage, and stewardship principles.
• Ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders, including senior leaders.
• Ability to translate complex data concepts into actionable guidance.

Responsibilities

• Lead the commercial data governance strategy, roadmap, and operating model.
• Define and maintain data governance policies, standards, procedures, and controls.
• Establish data ownership, stewardship, and accountability across commercial data assets.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to define data elements, definitions, metadata, and data quality expectations.
• Develop and monitor data quality rules, scorecards, issues, and remediation plans.
• Facilitate governance forums, councils, and working groups for alignment and decisions.
• Oversee data catalogs, glossaries, standards, and governance artifacts.
• Identify risks and opportunities; recommend improvements for data integrity and usability.
• Guide adoption of governance tools, processes, and training across commercial teams.
• Define KPIs for data quality, governance maturity, and stakeholder adoption.

Skills

Data governance frameworks

Data quality management

Data catalog / metadata

Data lineage

Master data management

Privacy & security

Stakeholder influence

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business, information systems, data management, computer science, life sciences

Tools

Collibra

Alation

Microsoft Purview

Veeva CRM

SQL

Tableau / Power BI

Job description

Job DescriptionGeneral Summary:The Associate Director, Commercial Data Governance will lead the management and continuous improvement of data governance capabilities across Vertex’s commercial organization. This role will establish standards, policies, processes, and accountability frameworks that improve quality, consistency, accessibility, security, and responsible use of commercial data.Key Responsibilities:Lead the commercial data governance strategy, roadmap, and operating model in alignment with enterprise data governance priorities and commercial business objectives.Define and maintain data governance policies, standards, procedures, and controls for commercial data domains.Establish clear data ownership, stewardship, and accountability across commercial data assets.Partner with data owners and business stakeholders to define critical data elements, business definitions, metadata, data lineage, and data-quality expectations.Develop and monitor data quality rules, scorecards, issue-management processes, and remediation plans for priority commercial data.Facilitate governance forums, including data governance councils and working groups, to drive alignment, decision-making, and issue resolution.Collaborate with Commercial Operations, DTE, Insights & Analytics, Legal, and Compliance teams to ensure governed data supports business needs while meeting regulatory and company requirements.Oversee the documentation and maintenance of commercial data catalogs, glossaries, data standards, and governance artifacts.Identify data risks, gaps, and opportunities for process improvement; recommend practical solutions to strengthen data integrity and usability.Support the adoption of data governance tools, processes, and training programs across the commercial organization.Define and track key performance indicators for data quality, governance maturity, policy adherence, and stakeholder adoption.Guide change-management activities that promote a culture of data accountability and informed, responsible data use.Stay current on evolving data governance practices, life sciences commercial-data trends, privacy requirements, and relevant technology capabilities.Knowledge and Skills:Data governance frameworks and operating modelsData quality management, profiling, validation, monitoring, and remediationData catalog, business glossary, metadata, and data-lineage practicesMaster data management and reference-data conceptsCommercial data domains, including customer, healthcare provider, account, product, sales, market access, and digital engagement dataData governance and catalog platforms, such as Collibra, Alation, Informatica, Microsoft Purview, or similar toolsData analysis and reporting tools, such as SQL, Microsoft Excel, Tableau, Power BI, or similar platformsCustomer relationship management and commercial-data platforms, such as Veeva CRM, Salesforce, IQVIA, or comparable systemsData privacy, access controls, information security, and compliance principlesAgile, project management, and process-improvement methodologiesEducation and Experience:Bachelor’s degree in business, information systems, data management, computer science, life sciences, or a related field.Typically 8+ years of relevant experience in data governance, data management, commercial operations, analytics, information management, or related discipline.Demonstrated experience building, implementing, or enhancing data governance frameworks, standards, and operating models.Experience supporting commercial data within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, healthcare, or similarly regulated industry.Strong understanding of data quality management, metadata management, master data management, data lineage, and data stewardship principles.Proven ability to influence and align cross-functional stakeholders, including senior leaders, without direct reporting authority.Experience translating complex data concepts into clear, actionable guidance for business and technical audiences.Strong project management, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic, matrixed environment.Commitment to data integrity, privacy, compliance, and responsible data use.At Vertex, we embrace continuous learning and encourage employees to stay informed on advances in AI, technology, automation, and industry trends. We seek talent who bring an external perspective, demonstrate curiosity and sound judgment, and thoughtfully adopt new capabilities that improve decision-making, drive innovation, increase efficiency, and help deliver better outcomes for patients.Pay Range:$157,800 - $236,600Disclosure Statement:The range provided is based on what we believe is a reasonable estimate for the base salary pay range for this job at the time of posting. This role is eligible for an annual bonus and annual equity awards. Some roles may also be eligible for overtime pay, in accordance with federal and state requirements. Actual base salary pay will be based on a number of factors, including skills, competencies, experience, and other job-related factors permitted by law.At Vertex, our Total Rewards offerings also include inclusive market-leading benefits to meet our employees wherever they are in their career, financial, family and wellbeing journey while providing flexibility and resources to support their growth and aspirations. From medical, dental and vision benefits to generous paid time off (including a week-long company shutdown in the Summer and the Winter), educational assistance programs including student loan repayment, a generous commuting subsidy, matching charitable donations, 401(k) and so much more.Flex Designation:Hybrid-Eligible Or On-Site EligibleFlex Eligibility Status:In this Hybrid-Eligible role, you can choose to be designated as:1. Hybrid : work remotely up to two days per week; or select2. On-Site : work five days per week on-site with ad hoc flexibility.Note: The Flex status for this position is subject to Vertex’s Policy on Flex @ Vertex Program and may be changed at any time.#LI-HybridCompany InformationVertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation.Vertex is committed to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person's race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital status, or any characteristic protected under applicable law. Vertex is an E-Verify Employer in the United States. Vertex will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law.Any applicant requiring an accommodation in connection with the hiring process and/or to perform the essential functions of the position for which the applicant has applied should make a request to the recruiter or hiring manager, or contact Talent Acquisition at [e-mail]