Head, Innovation Accelerator Data Science

Genentech•Boston, MA

10d

About The Position

A healthier future. It’s what drives us to innovate. To continuously advance science and ensure everyone has access to the healthcare they need today and for generations to come. Creating a world where we all have more time with the people we love. That’s what makes us Roche. This role is based in the Innovation Accelerator (IA) team, the innovation engine and connective tissue for Design, Data and Data Science innovation strategy within Product Development Data Sciences (PDD). We translate our long-term PDD vision into actionable strategy, shaping and prioritizing innovative cross-functional use cases that span PDD, PD, and Pharma. As both integrators and incubators, we explore, prototype, and help productize solutions to deliver impact in close partnership with internal Roche teams and external collaborators. With a mindset rooted in openness, value creation, and adaptability, we navigate the innovation ecosystem to drive transformative impact and future readiness across the organization. The Opportunity: The Head of Innovation Accelerator Data Science is responsible for driving technical excellence across design, data and data science innovation programs for Roche Product Development. This role combines deep subject matter expertise in data science and software development with people leadership and portfolio oversight. The Head of IA Data Science ensures strong technical execution, guides architectural decisions, and aligns technical capacity with strategic goals. As a direct report to the Function Head, this position plays a critical role in shaping the innovation roadmap, scaling capabilities, and growing high-performing technical teams.

Requirements

You have an advanced degree (Master’s or PhD) in Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Engineering, or a related technical field
You have 15+ years of hands-on experience in software engineering, data science, or technical innovation, ideally within R&D or regulated environments
You have 4+ years in a leadership role managing multidisciplinary technical teams
You have proven experience driving technology delivery from prototyping to scaled implementation
You have deep expertise in modern data and software development technologies and architectural practices
You are proficient with Python or R, and ML libraries such as scikit-learn, XGBoost, TensorFlow, or PyTorch
You have a strong understanding of supervised/unsupervised learning, statistical modeling, and experimental design
You are familiar with software development practices including version control, testing, and collaborative coding
You have experience running simulations or analyses in a high-performing computing environment
You have knowledge of and experience with four or more of the following: Epidemiology, including causal inference methods for observational real world data (RWD) or real world evidence (RWE) Bayesian statistics Decision theory, including multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA), utility elicitation, decision simulation models, or Value of Information Clinical outcomes research using data from electronic health records (EHR) Discovery mechanisms and evidence generation pathways for novel biomarkers and risk scores Interpretable machine learning Methods to incorporate knowledge graphs, ontologies, or other forms of structured information Probabilistic programming languages Complex or innovative clinical trial designs, including adaptive stopping, seamless Phase 2/Phase 3 designs
You have a strong track record in managing resources, planning capacity, and balancing competing priorities
You have excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
You are fluent in agile delivery, DevOps, or other modern ways of working
You have a passion for continuous learning
You have a passion for mentoring colleagues of all backgrounds
You have capacity for independent thinking and ability to make decisions based upon sound principles
You exhibit excellent strategic agility including problem-solving and critical thinking skills, and agility that extends beyond technical domain
You demonstrate respect for cultural differences when interacting with colleagues in the global workplace
You possess excellent verbal and written communication skills, specifically in the areas of presentation and writing, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts in clear language

Nice To Haves

Experience in pharma, life sciences, or healthtech sectors
Familiarity with regulated environments and compliance-driven product development
Exposure to innovation frameworks (e.g., lean startup, dual-track agile)
Demonstrated ability to assess and integrate emerging technologies (e.g., GenAI, ML Ops, cloud platforms)

Responsibilities

You provide technical leadership across early exploration and productization phases of innovation projects, ensuring alignment with departmental goals and enterprise direction
You act as subject matter expert and single point of escalation/problem resolution for applied data science and software engineering within the innovation portfolio
You influence PDD data, design and data science (3D) strategy and in-silico strategy & roadmap(s) through strategic technical leadership/expertise
You make architectural decisions independently and ensure adherence to best practices for scalability, performance, reliability, and compliance
You oversee execution quality, technical risk management, and project velocity across multiple high-impact workstreams and domains
You establish and enforce technical standards, enabling reuse, modularity, and robust design across solution development
You lead technical capacity planning and resource deployment within the team, prioritizing based on departmental strategy and portfolio needs
You collaborate with cross-functional and enterprise partners to translate innovation opportunities into feasible, impactful, and technically sound solutions
You drive the Innovation Accelerator portfolio through contribution to governance, resource planning, and progress reviews
You identify and integrate new technologies and platforms, applying functional expertise and organizational context to maximize department performance
You ensure traceability, reproducibility, and risk mitigation through robust documentation and engineering practices across all technical deliveries
You manage a multidisciplinary team of specialists and junior leaders (e.g., data scientists, software engineers), ensuring accountability for delivery, performance, and development
You oversee hiring, onboarding, workforce planning, and succession management aligned to departmental capabilities and strategic growth areas
You coach and mentor team members to enhance their individual performance and long-term potential, developing future technical leaders across roles and backgrounds
You foster a high-performance, inclusive culture focused on collaboration, ownership, and continuous improvement
You set development goals, conduct performance evaluations, and guide career progression based on business priorities and professional aspirations
You manage team deployment and resource allocation across a complex portfolio of innovation projects, balancing individual growth with business needs
You execute short-term department plans by managing priorities, budget, and capacity in coordination with function leadership
You influence senior stakeholders and functional leadership to secure alignment, resources, and sponsorship for technical priorities