Senior Director, Artificial Intelligence

Summit Therapeutics; Princeton, Palo Alto (NJ, CA); On-site; USD 217,000 - 271,000; Full time

Job summary

Summit Therapeutics Inc. in the United States seeks a Senior Director, AI to lead the enterprise AI strategy and execution across all corporate functions.

This visionary leader will partner with the executive team to identify opportunities where AI can accelerate decision-making, improve efficiency, and prepare the organization for commercialization. The role involves defining the roadmap, establishing governance, guiding AI-enabled solutions, and building capabilities with IT and external

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, Information Systems, or related field.
• Advanced degree (MS, MBA or PhD) preferred.
• 12+ years of experience in technology, digital transformation, data science, AI, or related disciplines.
• 5+ years within biotechnology, pharmaceuticals or life sciences.
• 5+ years leading enterprise AI initiatives.
• Experience partnering with executive leadership to define strategic priorities.
• Strong understanding of Agentic AI and Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG).

Responsibilities

• Partner with the Executive Leadership Team to identify high-value AI opportunities across the organization.
• Develop and execute the company's enterprise AI strategy aligned with corporate objectives and key results.
• Establish an AI roadmap that prioritizes initiatives based on business impact, feasibility, risk, and organizational readiness.
• Partner closely with Research, Clinical Data Management, Biostatistics, Commercial and other business functions to identify opportunities to leverage AI for improving data, processing, analytics, integration, quality, visualization, and competitive insights, and commercial intelligence, accelerating research, clinical development, and evidence-based decision-making across the organization.
• Provide technical leadership and guidance to AI resources embedded within business functions through a dotted-line reporting structure.
• Build repeatable AI capabilities that can be leveraged across multiple functions.
• Partner with IT and external vendors to deploy enterprise-grade AI solutions.
• Oversee pilot programs through enterprise-scale implementation.
• Build organizational capability through education, training, and AI literacy initiatives.
• In conjunction with the head of IT, define policies for model evaluation, validation, security, privacy, regulatory compliance, and ethical AI.
• Ensure AI initiatives comply with applicable regulations, including GxP where applicable.
• Evaluate emerging AI technologies and strategic vendor partnerships.
• Recommend enterprise platforms and tools that maximize scalability and interoperability.
• All other duties as assigned.

Skills

Executive leadership

AI strategy

Cross-functional collaboration

Influence without authority

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, Information Systems, or related field

Advanced degree (MS, MBA or PhD) preferred

Tools

Agentic AI

Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG)

Job description

About Summit

Summit Therapeutics Inc. is a biopharmaceutical oncology company with a mission focused on improving quality of life, increasing potential duration of life, and resolving serious unmet medical needs. At Summit, we believe in building a team of world class professionals who are passionate about this mission, and it is our people who drive this mission to reality. Summit’s core values include integrity, passion for excellence, purposeful urgency, collaboration, and our commitment to people. Our employees are truly the heart and soul of our culture, and they are invaluable in shaping our journey toward excellence.

Summit’s team is inspired to touch and help change lives through Summit’s clinical studies in the field of oncology. Summit has multiple global Phase 3 clinical studies, including:

Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

HARMONi: Phase 3 clinical study which was intended to evaluate ivonescimab combined with chemotherapy compared to placebo plus chemotherapy in patients with EGFR-mutated, locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous NSCLC who were previously treated with a 3rd generation EGFR TKI.

HARMONi-3: Phase 3 clinical study which is intended to evaluate ivonescimab combined with chemotherapy compared to pembrolizumab combined with chemotherapy in patients with first-line metastatic NSCLC.

HARMONi-7: Phase 3 clinical study which is intended to evaluate ivonescimab monotherapy compared to pembrolizumab monotherapy in patients with first-line metastatic NSCLC.

HARMONi-GI3: Phase 3 clinical study intended to evaluate ivonescimab in combination with chemotherapy compared with bevacizumab plus chemotherapy.

Ivonescimab is an investigational therapy not presently approved by any regulatory authority other than China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). Summit is headquartered in Miami, Florida, and has additional offices in California, New Jersey, the UK, and Ireland.

Overview of Role

The Senior Director, Artificial Intelligence (AI) will lead the company's enterprise AI strategy and execution, driving meaningful business outcomes across all corporate functions. As a key strategic leader, this individual will partner with executive leadership and functional experts to identify opportunities where AI can accelerate decision-making, improve operational efficiency, enhance knowledge management, and prepare the organization for commercialization.

This role is both visionary and execution-oriented. The Director will define the enterprise AI roadmap, establish governance and best practices, and lead the design and deployment of AI-enabled solutions across functions.

Role and Responsibilities

• Partner with the Executive Leadership Team to identify high-value AI opportunities across the organization.
• Develop and execute the company's enterprise AI strategy aligned with corporate objectives and key results.
• Establish an AI roadmap that prioritizes initiatives based on business impact, feasibility, risk, and organizational readiness.
• Partner closely with Research, Clinical Data Management, Biostatistics, Commercial and other business functions to identify opportunities to leverage AI for improving data, processing, analytics, integration, quality, visualization, and competitive insights, and commercial intelligence, accelerating research, clinical development, and evidence-based decision-making across the organization.
• Provide technical leadership and guidance to AI resources embedded within business functions through a dotted-line reporting structure.
• Build repeatable AI capabilities that can be leveraged across multiple functions.
• Partner with IT and external vendors to deploy enterprise-grade AI solutions.
• Oversee pilot programs through enterprise-scale implementation.
• Build organizational capability through education, training, and AI literacy initiatives.
• In conjunction with the head of IT, define policies for model evaluation, validation, security, privacy, regulatory compliance, and ethical AI.
• Ensure AI initiatives comply with applicable regulations, including GxP where applicable.
• Evaluate emerging AI technologies and strategic vendor partnerships.
• Recommend enterprise platforms and tools that maximize scalability and interoperability.
• All other duties as assigned.

Experience, Education and Specialized Knowledge and Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Data Science, Information Systems, or related field. Advanced degree (MS, MBA or PhD) in a relevant discipline preferred.
• 12+ years of experience in technology, digital transformation, data science, AI, or related disciplines.
• 5+ years’ experience within biotechnology, pharmaceuticals or life sciences.
• 5+ years leading enterprise AI initiatives.
• Demonstrated success building and deploying AI solutions that drive measurable business outcomes.
• Experience partnering directly with executive leadership to define strategic priorities.
• Strong understanding of modern AI technologies including:
  • Agentic AI
  • Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG)
• Experience leading cross-functional transformation initiatives.
• Proven ability to influence without direct authority.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to translate data into actionable insights.
• Excellent leadership and communication skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate across functions and influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and adapt to changing priorities.

Pay Transparency

$217,000 - $271,000 USD

Actual compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, depth of experience, certifications, and specific work location. This may be different in other locations due to differences in the cost of labor. The total compensation package for this position may also include bonus, stock, benefits and/or other applicable variable compensation.

Summit does not accept referrals from employment businesses and/or employment agencies in respect of the vacancies posted on this site. All employment businesses/agencies are required to contact Summit’s Talent Acquisition team [e-mail] to obtain prior written authorization before referring any candidates to Summit.

Summit Therapeutics Inc.is an Equal Opportunity Employer and takes pride in creating and maintaining diverse environment. We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training or promotion or any other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.