Head of R&D, AI Integrations

Clario; United States; On-site; USD 180,000 - 320,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

Clario seeks a Head of Research & Development to shape the global technology strategy, focusing on AI and ML to accelerate clinical outcomes. You will steer enterprise‑scale teams, drive architecture, and oversee budgets while balancing ongoing platform stability with next‑gen AI offerings.

You will lead cross‑functional engineers, data scientists, and QA to deliver compliant, scalable solutions in regulated environments and advance cloud‑native AI capabilities across the platform.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in an IT-related, scientific, or technical field, or equivalent professional experience.
• 15+ years of experience leading enterprise‑level R&D or large‑scale technology programs.
• Experience managing AI/ML products in cloud environments (AWS/Azure).
• Strong track record in AI/ML governance, regulatory compliance, and data privacy.

Responsibilities

• Define product architecture and long‑term technical strategy with a focus on AI modernization.
• Lead global software development and AI/ML teams to deliver scalable solutions.
• Balance innovation with reliability across current platforms and next‑gen offerings.
• Own R&D budgeting and resource planning for AI infrastructure and talent.
• Drive AI/ML ethics, regulatory compliance, and security across platforms.

Skills

AI leadership

ML deployment

Cloud architectures

CI/CD

Regulated environments

Data privacy

People leadership

Education

BSc IT

Tools

SageMaker

Azure AI

Kubernetes

Job description

Clario, a part of Thermo Fisher Scientific, is a global leader in clinical trial technology. We combine deep scientific expertise with the industry’s broadest endpoint collection platform to help pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies deliver life‑changing therapies to patients.

As we continue to scale, we are seeking a Head of Research & Development to lead the evolution of our global technology organization. This role serves as a key technical and organizational leader, responsible for shaping Clario’s long‑term engineering strategy while ensuring the stability, scalability, and quality of our current and next‑generation platforms, with a particular focus on the integration of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to accelerate clinical outcomes.

What We Offer

• Opportunity to lead global, enterprise‑scale technology teams delivering mission‑critical clinical trial solutions
• A collaborative, high‑impact environment focused on innovation, quality, and patient outcomes
• Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits aligned to U.S. market practices

What You’ll Be Doing

• Partner with executive leadership to define product architecture, company vision, and long‑term technical strategy, prioritizing AI-driven modernization across the platform
• Translate strategic objectives into actionable global R&D roadmaps, identifying key opportunities for Generative AI and predictive modeling to enhance endpoint collection
• Lead global, multidisciplinary software development and engineering test teams to deliver high‑quality, well‑architected solutions that incorporate AI/ML frameworks
• Balance innovation and operational excellence by maintaining existing platforms while expanding next‑generation, AI-augmented product offerings
• Own global R&D budget planning and resource management, ensuring adequate investment in AI infrastructure, data science talent, and emerging tech
• Foster a high‑performance culture focused on technical excellence, innovation, accountability, and the ethical application of AI in clinical settings
• Oversee administrative R&D functions, including talent acquisition for specialized AI/ML roles, professional development, and technical training
• Ensure rigorous compliance with SOPs and SWIs, promoting consistent quality and regulatory adherence for AI-enabled medical software
• Act as a senior escalation point between customers, Operations, and Engineering, integrating feedback into the software development lifecycle to refine AI model performance
• Provide transparent reporting on delivery status, risk mitigation, and the ROI of AI/ML initiatives
• Build and manage strategic relationships with technology partners and vendors to enhance internal AI capabilities and cloud-native services

What We Look For

• Bachelor’s degree in an IT‑related, scientific, or technical field, or equivalent professional experience
• 15+ years of experience leading enterprise‑level R&D organizations or large‑scale strategic technology programs
• Proven experience managing the full product engineering lifecycle using Agile methodologies with a focus on MLOps and CI/CD for AI
• Extensive experience delivering solutions in cloud (AWS/Azure), IaaS, and PaaS environments, specifically leveraging cloud-native AI/ML services (e.g., SageMaker, Azure AI)
• Strong background managing teams operating under formal Product and Development Lifecycles, including the validation of AI models in regulated environments
• Knowledge of evolving AI landscape and demonstrated experience implementing AI in regulatory environment preferred.
• Demonstrated success in people leadership, leading geographically diverse teams, organizational development, and managing data science and engineering teams in complex environments
• Deep knowledge of enterprise solution architecture, data privacy (GDPR/HIPAA), and information security standards as they relate to large language models (LLMs) and data processing
• Strong analytical, decision‑making, and problem‑solving skills
• Experience in life sciences, clinical trials, or other regulated industries preferred
• Familiarity with clinical data transfer, storage standards, and regulated software risk management for algorithmic decision-making

At Clario, our purpose is to transform lives by unlocking better evidence. It’s a cause that unites and inspires us. It’s why we come to work—and how we empower our people to make a positive impact every day. Whether you're advancing clinical science, building innovative technology, or supporting our global teams, your work helps bring life‑changing therapies to patients faster.

Clario is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.