Director of AI Engineering - Vaccine R&D Operations Enablement
Pfizer
POSITION SUMMARY
We are seeking to identify a Director of AI Engineering to lead AI-driven transformation across Vaccine R&D Operations. You will focus on applying AI automation, and advanced analytics in process-intensive, highly regulated environments, spanning laboratory operations, development execution, quality systems, business processes, and external partner engagement.
Embedded within Vaccines R&D, you’ll partner with scientific, development, quality, informatics, finance, and operational leaders to translate real‑world operational complexity into scalable, production‑grade AI systems that improve execution speed, decision quality, compliance readiness, and overall R&D experience.
What you’ll do:
Lead AI enablement of Vaccine R&D operations
- Define and deliver AI solutions that support process-heavy lab and office workflows, including experiment tracking, documentation, handoffs, and operational reporting.
- Drive automation of manual and repetitive activities to improve speed, quality, consistency, and compliance across vaccine development.
Strengthen operational decision-making
- Develop predictive, optimization, and scenario-based models to support resource planning, capacity management, timeline forecasting, and risk trade-offs.
- Develop dashboards and decision-support tools that translate complex operational data into actionable insights for R&D and leadership teams.
Enable regulated, inspection-ready AI systems
- Design AI solutions aligned with GxP expectations, data integrity standards, and inspection readiness, supporting deviation monitoring, CAPA trending, documentation completeness, data genealogy, and audit preparedness.
- Establish governance models covering model validation, versioning, explainability, monitoring, and lifecycle management in regulated environments.
Optimize development planning execution
- Build AI‑enabled capabilities for development planning, milestone tracking, dependency management, and execution risk forecasting across the vaccine development lifecycle
- Lead process optimization and reengineering initiatives, using AI, automation, and data-driven methods to simplify workflows and reduce cycle times.
Engineer and scale production-grade AI platforms
- Architect and deploy robust, production-ready ML and analytics pipelines with appropriate governance, reproducibility, and monitoring.
- Scale AI solutions in cloud and/or High-Performance Computing environments, ensuring reliability, security, and seamless integration with existing R&D, financial, and operational systems.
Partner and lead across disciplines
- Act as a strategic bridge between technical teams and scientific, operational, quality, and business stakeholders to ensure adoption and measurable value.
- Mentor engineers and operational partners, raising AI and data literacy across vaccine R&D.
- Champion best practices in MLOps, software engineering, and AI system lifecycle management.
What you’ll bring
Basic Qualifications:
- PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Data Science, Software Engineering, AI, or a related discipline and a minimum of 5 years of applied analytical experience with demonstrated impact in operations, automation, business analytics, or decision support OR
- Master’s in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Data Science, Software Engineering, AI, or a related discipline and a minimum of 7 years of applied analytical experience with demonstrated impact in operations, automation, business analytics, or decision support
- Minimum 2 years of AI/ML experience in a relevant domain
- Strong understanding of process-heavy environments, ideally within R&D, clinical operations or large-scale regulated organizations
- Expertise in predictive modeling, optimization, automation, generative AI, and ML system design.
- Strong programming skills in Python and modern ML frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow), plus experience scaling models in cloud and/or HPC environments.
- Experience collaborating across scientific, operational, quality, and business teams, translating complex needs into practical AI solutions.
- Clear communication skills
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience in life sciences, pharma, R&D, clinical operations, or other regulated industries.
- Financial and business experience supporting budgets, forecasting, vendor management, or portfolio analytics.
Work Location Assignment: This is a hybrid role requiring you to live within commuting distance and work on-site an average of 2.5 days per week.
The annual base salary for this position ranges from $176,600.00 to $294,300.00. In addition, this position is eligible for participation in Pfizer’s Global Performance Plan with a bonus target of 20.0% 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. 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.Relocation assistance may be available based on business needs and/or eligibility.
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.
Pfizer endeavors to make www.pfizer.com/careers accessible to all users. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process and/or interviewing, please email disabilityrecruitment@pfizer.com. This is to be used solely for accommodation requests with respect to the accessibility of our website, online application process and/or interviewing. Requests for any other reason will not be returned.
