Director of AI Engineering – Vaccine R&D Operations Enablement

Pfizer • Pearl River, NY

13d • Hybrid

About The Position

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.

Requirements

• 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
• This is a hybrid role requiring you to live within commuting distance and work on-site an average of 2.5 days per week.
• This position requires permanent work authorization in the United States.

Nice To Haves

• 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.

Responsibilities

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Benefits

• 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
• 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

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree