Director, AI Engineering & Platforms

Pfizer • New York City, NY

1d

About The Position

The Director, AI Engineering & Platforms reports directly to the AI Strategy & Realization Lead within PGS Data, Analytics & AI Transformation. The role owns the AI model strategy, costing, platform, and coding standards used to build AI application use cases across the AI Strategy & Realization team and the broader Data, Analytics & AI Transformation organization. The director leads a dedicated engineering team responsible for shipping and scaling AI applications across PGS and maintaining a consistent, production-grade technical bar.

The director establishes model evaluation and vetting practices, assessing candidate models for performance, cost, safety, and Responsible AI considerations before approval for PGS use. The role defines fit-for-purpose costing models and standards to support informed build, buy, and model-selection decisions, and works with Digital to align PGS technical direction with enterprise engineering standards and AI models, including through participation in the Data Readiness and AI Engineering guilds.

In close collaboration with the AI Product, Innovation & Emerging Technology tower and the AI Capabilities & Enablement tower, the director guides use cases from prototype to MVP and beyond. The role partners with Digital to scale proven, larger programs to enterprise platforms and support models. It also leads, develops, and grows the engineering team and establishes engineering health and quality metrics for model performance, cost efficiency, and reliability.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field and at least 8 years of relevant experience, or a master's degree and at least 7 years of experience.
• Significant experience leading AI/ML engineering teams, including setting technical architecture, coding, and delivery standards for production-grade AI applications.
• Experience building and operating model evaluation, vetting, or validation processes that assess performance, cost, safety, and Responsible AI criteria.
• Experience developing technology or AI costing models and frameworks that inform build, buy, and model-selection decisions.
• People leadership experience managing engineering teams, including hiring, coaching, and performance management.
• Ability to partner effectively with enterprise Digital or technology organizations, including participation in guilds or standards bodies, to align technical direction across a large, matrixed organization.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, including the ability to explain technical standards to engineering and business audiences.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 10% of the year.
• Willingness to work off-hours to accommodate global time zones and support engineering and platform teams across sites.
• Willingness to work extended or non-standard hours during peak periods, including major model evaluation cycles, platform launches, or program-scaling milestones.
• Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States by any employer; U.S. work visa sponsorship is not available, and the position requires permanent U.S. work authorization.

Nice To Haves

• Strong Pfizer colleague network, particularly across PGS, Digital, and Data, Analytics & AI Transformation engineering teams.
• Experience leading an enterprise engineering guild, such as Data Readiness or AI Engineering, or a similar standards body.
• Hands-on experience with modern AI/ML tooling, model evaluation frameworks, and MLOps practices.
• Experience in pharmaceutical manufacturing or supply chain operations, including understanding of GxP considerations relevant to AI engineering.
• Program management experience executing initiatives across large, globally distributed engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Define and own model strategy, costing, platform, and coding standards governing AI application development across the relevant PGS teams and organization.
• Lead a specialized AI engineering team that ships and scales AI application use cases, maintaining production-grade delivery standards.
• Establish model evaluation and vetting processes, assessing models for performance, cost, safety, and Responsible AI criteria before approval for PGS use.
• Develop fit-for-purpose costing models and standards to inform build, buy, and model-selection decisions.
• Partner with Digital on engineering standards and AI models, including participation in the Data Readiness and AI Engineering guilds.
• Collaborate with the AI Product, Innovation & Emerging Technology tower and the AI Capabilities & Enablement tower to advance use cases from prototype to MVP and beyond.
• Partner with Digital to scale proven larger and complex programs, enabling handoffs to enterprise-scale platforms and support models.
• Lead, develop, and grow the team through performance management, coaching, and career development, and build an inclusive, high-performing engineering culture.
• Establish engineering health and quality metrics covering model performance, cost efficiency, and reliability.

Benefits

• 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.
• Medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage.
• Eligibility to participate in Pfizer’s Global Performance Plan, with a bonus target of 22.5% of base salary.
• Eligibility to participate in a share-based long-term incentive program.
• Relocation assistance may be available based on business needs and/or eligibility.
• Comprehensive benefits and programs intended to support colleagues’ health and life events.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director