Director, R&D Data and Digital

Zoetis • Kalamazoo, MI

3d

About The Position

Zoetis is advancing an enterprise-wide data and digital transformation to accelerate innovation in animal health. Within Veterinary Medicine Research & Development (VMRD), the Director, R&D Data and Digital will lead the Automation and Data Sciences group’s transformation by stewarding a modern R&D data ecosystem spanning data governance, FAIR data practices, advanced analytics, AI/ML, and digital lab solutions. The role partners closely with scientific, clinical, regulatory, and IT stakeholders to deliver high-quality, compliant, reusable data and secure, scalable, user-centric platforms.

The Director owns the R&D digital strategy, portfolio, and roadmap, including large-scale programs and platform delivery from discovery through regulatory submission. The role builds teams and organizational capabilities, establishes governance and operating models, and drives product-centric delivery and outcome measurement. Success is measured through reduced cycle times, improved data quality and traceability, greater reuse of scientific data and models, and demonstrable impact on portfolio decisions and R&D productivity.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Information Systems, Data Science, or equivalent training or experience in a related field.
• At least 8 years of experience in an information, digital, and/or data technology role delivering and supporting large-scale data and digital solutions.
• At least 4 years of people-management experience.

Nice To Haves

• Three or more years of experience in the health sciences industry.

Responsibilities

• Recruit, develop, and lead teams across data engineering, data analytics, data science, and product management, fostering accountability, collaboration, and delivery excellence.
• Own the R&D digital strategy and portfolio, prioritizing investments against scientific objectives and sequencing multiyear initiatives to maximize value, speed, and compliance.
• Define and scale the R&D AI and data science strategy, selecting high-return use cases with clear success criteria, change management, and measurable scientific impact.
• Lead delivery of R&D data and digital programs exceeding $30 million, deploying end-to-end solutions from discovery through regulatory submission with stage gates, risk management, and benefits realization.
• Own the R&D data and digital roadmap, integrating portfolio priorities with regulatory and privacy obligations, establishing governance, and ensuring lifecycle audit readiness.
• Govern data architecture, metadata, and FAIR principles, and implement data quality controls, lineage, and stewardship.
• Build and operationalize self-service data products and insight platforms while championing product-centric agile delivery, user experience, backlog hygiene, and release discipline.
• Partner with IT to establish an operating model for enterprise-scale R&D platforms and data solutions, including capacity planning, SLAs, incident and problem management, vendor performance, and cost optimization.
• Define and track KPIs, share results and lessons learned, and drive adoption and continuous improvement.
• Orchestrate cross-domain data integration from early discovery through product submission, including ELN/LIMS interoperability, automated experiment workflows, and standardized pipelines.
• Build organizational capabilities through communities of practice and training curricula, and embed responsible AI practices so scientists can use advanced tools confidently and safely.

What This Job Offers

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