Principal Research Data Architect

Zealand Pharma A/S; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Zealand Pharma A/S seeks a Principal Research Data Architect to lead the research data foundation powering AI‑driven drug discovery. You will own the data model, governance, and semantic layer, collaborating with AI/ML, IT, and research to deliver an analytics‑ready platform.

You will design and operate the data lake and knowledge graphs, drive end‑to‑end architecture across legacy systems and cloud platforms, and mentor a team through a mid‑migration to a mature data ecosystem.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience designing research or scientific data architectures, ideally in drug discovery or life sciences.
• Hands‑on experience with a scientific data platform (Benchling or comparable LIMS/ELN) and requirements engineering (URS/FRS).
• Strong grounding in semantic technologies – ontologies, vocabularies, knowledge graphs and FAIR data management.
• Experience with cloud lakehouse platforms (Databricks or equivalent) and data pipelines feeding analytics and AI/ML.
• Demonstrated ownership of data governance – metadata, lineage, and reference/master data.
• Proven ability to lead a team, set architecture direction, and drive delivery across vendors and cross‑functional stakeholders; familiarity with peptide or biologics data is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Own the research data model – capture scientific requirements, direct platform configuration, extend the model to new assay types.
• Co‑lead the migration of legacy assay data into the future foundation with data management and IT leads.
• Build the semantic layer for Zealand Pharma by adapting ontologies and vocabularies for research use.
• Own research data governance – ensure quality, lineage, metadata and reference data.
• Architect the research data lake and knowledge graphs for analytics and AI readiness.
• Partner with AI/ML, computational chemistry, and workflow leads as the data source supplier.

Skills

Research data architecture

Platform design & delivery

Semantic technologies

Cloud lakehouse (Databricks)

Data governance (metadata, lineage)

Team leadership

Tools

Benchling or comparable LIMS/ELN

Databricks

Job description

Principal Research Data Architect

Does it excite you to design the data foundation that powers AI‑driven drug discovery, and do you have deep experience turning fragmented scientific data into a governed, connected, reusable asset? If this sounds like you, and you are ready to take on a broad area of responsibilities, then you could be our new colleague.

Your new position

This is a foundational role for the data‑driven future of Zealand Pharma. You will lead the team that builds, operates, and owns our research data foundation – the governed, semantically‑consistent data source that turns assay results, compound data and computed properties into a platform ready for analysis, machine learning and agentic workflows. You will set the vision and lead delivery across our legacy systems and cloud data platforms, partnering with research and IT, who own the underlying tech stack and data ingestion. You will start with shared accountability alongside our data management and IT leads and grow into end‑to‑end ownership of the ecosystem as it matures. It is a rare mandate to shape a research data ecosystem from architecture through operation.

We offer exciting responsibilities

• Own the research data model – capturing scientific requirements as URS/FRS, directing configuration of new workflows with architecting new platforms working with implementation partners, and extending the model to new assay types
• Co‑lead the migration of legacy assay data into the future foundation, jointly accountable with our data management and IT leads
• Build the semantic layer for Zealand Pharma – adapting public ontologies and legacy controlled vocabularies into a governed vocabulary served across research, taking an adopt‑and‑extend approach rather than reinventing standards
• Own research data governance – data quality, lineage, metadata and reference data – as the trustworthy foundation for every downstream use
• Architect the research data lake and tactical knowledge graphs, delivering a "Zealand research context" as a substrate for analytics and AI
• Partner with our AI/ML, computational chemistry and agentic‑workflow leads as their data source supplier, and ensure governed data flows cleanly into analysis and visualization layers

Your profile

You are a senior data architect who is equally comfortable in a scientific requirements workshop and in a platform design review. You think in standards and systems but are pragmatic about delivery, you set a clear vision and bring people with you, and you are motivated by building foundations others will rely on for years. You lead both directly and through influence and expertise, and you are energized rather than daunted by an ecosystem mid‑migration.

• Extensive experience designing research or scientific data architectures, ideally in drug discovery or life sciences
• Hands‑on experience with a scientific data platform (Benchling or comparable LIMS/ELN) and with requirements engineering (URS/FRS)
• Strong grounding in semantic technologies – ontologies, controlled vocabularies, knowledge graphs and F.A.I.R. / ontology‑based data management
• Experience with cloud lakehouse platforms (Databricks or equivalent) and data pipelines feeding analytics and AI/ML
• Demonstrated ownership of data governance – metadata, lineage, and reference/master data
• Proven ability to lead a team, set architecture direction, and drive delivery across vendors and cross‑functional stakeholders; familiarity with peptide or biologics data is an advantage

Your new team

You will join the Research AI and Computational Sciences team within Discovery Research, at the heart of Zealand Pharma's ambition to combine peptide R&D expertise with a proprietary, AI/ML‑driven data platform. You will work daily with research scientists, IT, computational chemistry and our AI/ML function, and you will hold a mandate that grows over time into full accountability for Zealand Pharma's research data foundation.

Let's bond and be bold

We have a unique culture, characterized by excellent teamwork and strong engagement across the organization. And we want you to help us strengthen this culture. Making bonds is at the core of everything we do. From discovering and developing the best new peptide drugs for patients, to engaging with our partners or connecting with each other. We bond through curiosity and playfulness as a team, allowing ourselves to challenge common thinking and drive future innovation.

We are committed to an inclusive recruitment process and welcome applications from all job applicants.

About Zealand Pharma

Zealand Pharma A/S Zealand Pharma A/S (Nasdaq: ZEAL) is a biotechnology company focused on advancing medicines for obesity and metabolic health. Combining more than 25 years of peptide R&D expertise with a proprietary data platform that leverages advanced data‑driven and AI/ML approaches, Zealand Pharma aims to lead a new era in obesity and metabolic health. To date, more than ten Zealand Pharma‑invented drug candidates have entered clinical development, of which two products have reached the market and three candidates are in late‑stage development. The Company has collaborations with global pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners for research, development, and commercialization. Founded in 1998, Zealand Pharma is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, with a U.S. presence in Boston, Massachusetts. Learn more at www.zealandpharma.com.

#LI-Onsite Since our founding in 1998, Zealand Pharma has built a core expertise in the discovery, design, and development of therapeutic peptides. This expertise has led to an R&D pipeline of innovative investigational candidates designed to address a broad range of disease areas. We have four therapeutic focus areas: obesity, rare diseases, chronic inflammation, and type 1 diabetes. In obesity, our peptide capabilities place us in a unique position to address a vast global health challenge and positively impact hundreds of millions of lives. Within rare diseases, we have a long‑standing commitment to deliver new treatments to patients living with congenital hyperinsulinism and short bowel syndrome. For chronic inflammatory diseases, we are progressing peptide programs focused on high-profile targets shown to be difficult to address with small molecules and antibodies. For type 1 diabetes, we aspire to change the management of this disease. Our strategy is to pursue global co‑development and commercialization partnerships that complement and extend our capabilities across the value chain to deliver new peptide therapies to people who need them.