Sr Director, Clinical Excellence Group Lead (I&I)

Pfizer; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 215,000 - 358,000; Full time

Job summary

Pfizer's Inflammation & Immunology Clinical Excellence & Innovation organization seeks an experienced Senior Director, Clinical Excellence Group Lead to provide strategic clinical, scientific, operational, and people leadership across a portfolio of complex dermatology studies.

The role advances AI-enabled, digital, data, and advanced analytics capabilities to improve development quality, speed, and decision-making within a highly matrixed enterprise.

Qualifications

• Advanced scientific or clinical degree required; PhD, PharmD, or equivalent.
• 10+ years of clinical research and development experience in the pharmaceutical/biotech industry.
• Proven leadership of cross-functional teams.
• Strong business acumen and communication skills.
• Experience with AI-enabled clinical development and digital initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of clinical scientists, fostering collaboration, accountability and agility.
• Guide digital transformation and new ways of working to improve processes while maintaining scientific rigor.
• Drive cross-functional change management initiatives and scalable optimization of workflows.
• Partner with Clinical Operations, Data Science, Biostatistics, Digital/Technology, Regulatory, Medical Affairs, Portfolio Strategy, and Business Operations to align objectives.
• Oversee portfolio planning, lifecycle management, and evaluation of future growth opportunities.
• Support enterprise initiatives to develop fit-for-purpose operating practices and governance.

Skills

Leadership

AI/ML

Data analytics

Clinical development

Strategic thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

Portfolio management

Education

PhD/PharmD or equivalent advanced degree

Tools

AI platforms

Data visualization tools

Regulatory software

Job description

The Inflammation & Immunology Clinical Excellence & Innovation organization is seeking an experienced and enterprise-minded clinical development leader to serve as Senior Director, Clinical Excellence Group Lead. This highly visible role provides strategic clinical, scientific, operational, and people leadership across a portfolio of complex clinical development programs.

The successful candidate will lead and develop a team of clinical scientists while ensuring oversight of clinical integrity, scientific quality, patient safety, and disciplined execution across studies within the Dermatology Franchise. This leader will also help advance new ways of working, including the responsible integration of AI-enabled, digital, data, and advanced analytics capabilities to improve clinical development quality, speed, and decision-making.

As a senior change leader within a highly experienced matrix organization, this individual will bring strategic clarity, operational discipline, and collaborative influence to address portfolio challenges, optimize resource allocation, and scale effective solutions across the clinical trial lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Change Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of high-performing clinical scientists, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, continuous learning, intellectual curiosity, and agility.
• Act as a change champion, guiding a highly tenured organization through digital transformation and new ways of working.
• Drive change management initiatives that encourage the adoption of innovative tools and process optimizations without compromising scientific rigor.
• Build strong, collaborative partnerships with Clinical Operations, Data Science, Biostatistics, Digital/Technology, Regulatory, Medical Affairs, Portfolio Strategy, and Business Operations to align clinical science objectives with broader enterprise goals.
• Portfolio planning, lifecycle management, and evaluation of future growth opportunities.

Business Operations & Enterprise Strategy

• Apply strong business acumen to identify operational bottlenecks within clinical development and lead cross-functional workstreams to design and implement scalable solutions.
• Partner with cross-functional teams on enterprise initiatives to develop and implement fit-for-purpose operating practices, tools, and governance approaches that enable a well-controlled, flexible organization with strong fiscal management, cross-team communication, and efficient workflows.
• Establish and leverage standardized frameworks to evaluate clinical program designs, resource needs, and workflows through an operational efficiency lens, ensuring resources are optimized and key milestones are supported.
• Support generating business insights, metrics, and dashboards to inform decision-making, monitor therapeutic area performance, and identify opportunities to improve quality, speed, productivity, and portfolio impact.
• Navigate a complex matrix environment with an enterprise mindset, ensuring that innovation strategies in I&I can scale and align with broader Pfizer corporate objectives.

AI-Enabled Clinical Development & Innovation

• Partner closely with data science, digital, and technology teams to translate complex AI use cases into practical, scalable, compliant workflows for study teams.
• Lead the identification, strategic development, and implementation of AI/ML and advanced analytics tools to optimize clinical trial design and execution.
• Direct applied AI/ML approaches across the continuum, including:
• Protocol design and optimization
• Site selection and feasibility assessment
• Patient recruitment and enrollment strategies
• Query management and workflow automation
• Data cleaning, anomaly detection, and signal identification
• Safety risk prediction and proactive mitigation
• . `Incorporate AI-derived insights and data-driven approaches into overarching clinical strategy and regulatory deliverables.

Core Clinical Leadership

• Oversee the clinical execution and integrity of a portfolio of high-complexity clinical studies within the I&I dermatology pipeline.
• Provide senior-level clinical oversight in protocol design, development, and strategic clinical documentation (protocols, CSRs, regulatory submissions).
• Oversee study delivery, quality, and operational excellence. Serve as a senior clinical escalation point and strategic partner for Product Team Leads, Global Development Leads, investigators, and internal study teams.
• Contribute to evaluation of external opportunities, business development assessments, or due diligence activities as needed, based on clinical expertise, therapeutic area knowledge, and project-specific needs.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

• Education: Advanced scientific or clinical degree required; PhD, PharmD, or equivalent advanced degree strongly preferred.
• Experience: 10+ years of progressive clinical research and development experience in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry, including demonstrated experience supporting global clinical programs in regulated GxP environments.
• Leadership: Proven people leadership experience with a track record of building, mentoring, developing, and inspiring high-performing clinical or cross-functional teams.
• Business Acumen: Demonstrated ability to bridge clinical science with business operations, successfully leading cross-functional workstreams to solve complex operational challenges.
• Communication: Exceptional executive presence and communication skills, with the ability to influence without authority across all levels of a matrixed organization.

AI & Digital Expertise

• Demonstrated strategic or applied experience using AI, machine learning, automation, digital tools, or advanced analytics to improve clinical development, research, or operational workflows.
• Familiarity with AI-enabled clinical development use cases, such as protocol optimization, recruitment and enrollment planning, data review, query management, safety risk prediction, or workflow automation.
• Proven ability to partner with data science, digital, technology, clinical operations, bioinformatics, commercial, medical affairs, and other business stakeholders to define requirements, shape use cases, and support deployment of technical solutions.
• Strong understanding of data governance, model risk, compliance, privacy, and ethical AI considerations in pharmaceutical development.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated strategic experience applying AI, machine learning, automation, digital tools, or advanced analytics to optimize clinical development, research, or portfolio decision-making.
• Deep subject matter expertise in Inflammation & Immunology dermatology area.
• Direct experience leading organizational change management or digital transformation initiatives.
• Experience with real-world data, digital endpoints, and decentralized or innovative clinical trial technologies.
• Experience in portfolio strategy, resource planning, financial modeling, or business analytics.

COMPETENCIES FOR SUCCESS

• Enterprise Mindset: Demonstrates experience operating beyond a single study, function, or therapeutic area by connecting clinical science, portfolio priorities, operational execution, regulatory expectations, and enterprise business objectives. Makes decisions that optimize value for patients, the portfolio, and the broader organization.
• Change Agility: Brings a proven track record of leading teams through ambiguity, transformation, and new ways of working. Constructively challenges legacy processes, builds alignment across stakeholders, and translates change strategies into practical actions that improve quality, speed, and effectiveness.
• Digital Fluency: Demonstrates practical experience applying digital, data, AI/ML, automation, or advanced analytics capabilities to improve clinical development workflows. Partners effectively with technical teams, defines meaningful use cases, and ensures solutions are scalable, compliant, and adopted by end users.
• Balanced Judgment: Applies strong scientific, clinical, operational, and regulatory judgment when evaluating risks, trade-offs, and opportunities. Pursues innovation responsibly while safeguarding patient safety, data integrity, compliance, and scientific rigor.
• Emotional Intelligence: Demonstrates the interpersonal maturity, self-awareness, and influence skills required to lead in a complex matrix environment. Builds trust, listens actively, manages conflict constructively, and brings experienced colleagues along through change with credibility, empathy, and clarity.
• Drive for Results: Demonstrates a consistent record of setting ambitious goals, translating strategy into clear priorities, and delivering measurable outcomes in complex clinical development environments. Holds self and teams accountable, removes barriers, makes timely decisions, and drives disciplined execution while maintaining scientific rigor, patient focus, and compliance standards.

The annual base salary for this position ranges from $214,900.00 to $358,100.00. In addition, this position is eligible for participation in Pfizer's Global Performance Plan with a bonus target of 22.5% of the base salary and eligibility to participate in our share based long term incentive program. We offer comprehensive and generous benefits and programs to help our colleagues lead healthy lives and to support each of life's moments.

Benefits offered include a 401(k) plan with Pfizer Matching Contributions and an additional Pfizer Retirement Savings Contribution, paid vacation, holiday and personal days, paid caregiver/parental and medical leave, and health benefits to include medical, prescription drug, dental and vision coverage.

• a 401(k) plan with Pfizer Matching Contributions and an additional Pfizer Retirement Savings Contribution
• paid vacation, holiday and personal days
• paid caregiver/parental and medical leave
• health benefits to include medical, prescription drug, dental and vision coverage

Learn more at Pfizer Candidate Site - U.S. Benefits | (uscandidates.mypfizerbenefits.com). Pfizer compensation structures and benefit packages are aligned based on the location of hire. The United States salary range provided does not apply to Tampa, FL or any location outside of the United States.

This role is posted in multiple locations. If you are applying for the role in an secondary job posting location where pay transparency regulations apply, your Talent Advisor will share the local pay information with you during the first interview.

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

Candidates must be authorized to be employed in the U.S. by any employer.

U.S. work visa sponsorship (such as TN, O-1, H-1B, etc.) is not available for this role now or in the future.

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. This position requires permanent work authorization in the United States.

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