Head of R&D, AI Integrations

Clario

About The Position

Clario, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific, is seeking a Head of Research & Development to lead the evolution of its global technology organization. The role shapes long-term engineering strategy and ensures the stability, scalability, and quality of current and next-generation platforms, with a particular focus on integrating Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to accelerate clinical outcomes. The Head of R&D partners with executive leadership on product architecture, company vision, and technical strategy; translates strategic objectives into global R&D roadmaps; and leads multidisciplinary software development and engineering test teams. The role balances innovation with operational excellence, oversees R&D budgets and resources, and promotes technical excellence, accountability, and ethical AI use in clinical settings. It also oversees R&D administration, compliance, customer and operational escalations, reporting, and strategic technology partnerships.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in an IT-related, scientific, or technical field, or equivalent professional experience.
15+ years of experience leading enterprise-level R&D organizations or large-scale strategic technology programs.
Proven experience managing the full product engineering lifecycle using Agile methodologies, with a focus on MLOps and CI/CD for AI.
Extensive experience delivering solutions in cloud (AWS/Azure), IaaS, and PaaS environments, specifically using cloud-native AI/ML services such as SageMaker or Azure AI.
Strong background managing teams operating under formal Product and Development Lifecycles, including validation of AI models in regulated environments.
Demonstrated success in people leadership, leading geographically diverse teams, organizational development, and managing data science and engineering teams in complex environments.
Deep knowledge of enterprise solution architecture, data privacy (GDPR/HIPAA), and information security standards as they relate to large language models (LLMs) and data processing.
Strong analytical, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
Familiarity with clinical data transfer and storage standards, and regulated software risk management for algorithmic decision-making.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of the evolving AI landscape and demonstrated experience implementing AI in a regulatory environment.
Experience in life sciences, clinical trials, or other regulated industries.

Responsibilities

Partner with executive leadership to define product architecture, company vision, and long-term technical strategy, prioritizing AI-driven platform modernization.
Translate strategic objectives into global R&D roadmaps and identify opportunities for Generative AI and predictive modeling to enhance endpoint collection.
Lead global, multidisciplinary software development and engineering test teams in delivering high-quality, well-architected solutions incorporating AI/ML frameworks.
Maintain existing platforms while expanding next-generation, AI-augmented product offerings.
Own global R&D budget planning and resource management, including investment in AI infrastructure, data science talent, and emerging technology.
Foster a high-performance culture focused on technical excellence, innovation, accountability, and ethical AI use in clinical settings.
Oversee R&D administrative functions, including specialized AI/ML talent acquisition, professional development, and technical training.
Ensure rigorous compliance with SOPs and SWIs and promote consistent quality and regulatory adherence for AI-enabled medical software.
Serve as a senior escalation point between customers, Operations, and Engineering, incorporating feedback into the software development lifecycle to refine AI model performance.
Report transparently on delivery status, risk mitigation, and the ROI of AI/ML initiatives.
Build and manage strategic relationships with technology partners and vendors to enhance internal AI capabilities and cloud-native services.