Senior Director Commercial Advanced Analytics & Data Strategy

Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc.•San Diego, CA

4h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Sr. Director, Commercial Advanced Analytics & Data Strategy is a strategic leadership role responsible for defining, building, and scaling the analytics capabilities, data strategy, and governance frameworks that enable commercial decision-making across the organization. This role ensures that high quality data, advanced analytics, and AI enabled insights are seamlessly integrated into commercial strategy, planning, launch execution, and in market optimization. The Sr. Director serves as a strategic partner cross-functionally, translating business priorities into scalable analytics products and platforms while ensuring governance, compliance, and measurable business impact. Over time, this role will build and mature commercial advanced analytics and data capabilities, establish fit‑for‑purpose operating models, and define future talent and capability needs to support the evolving business. The role will work closely with Acadia’s AI team, which provides shared AI expertise across Commercial and R&D, as well as with IT teams responsible for enterprise data, infrastructure, and platform enablement.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in data science, statistics, engineering, computer science, or a related field; Advanced degree (MS, PhD, or MBA) preferred. Targeting 12 years of progressively responsible experience in commercial analytics, data science, or data infrastructure data strategy, or related functions, with significant experience in biotech or pharmaceutical organizations. An equivalent combination of relevant education and experience may be considered.
Advanced analytics, modeling, and visualization tool experience (AI/ML, predictive analytics (Python), SQL, R and PowerBI).
Experience working with modern data platforms and cloud technologies (e.g., Snowflake, Databricks, DataRobot, Dataiku, AWS, Azure, GCP).
Deep experience and understanding of commercial datasets, data environments, and data vendors (including Hub, Specialty Pharmacy, patient services, Veeva CRM, syndicated claims, prescriptions, payer, social media/website, Google, Facebook etc.).
Proven ability to lead cross-functional AI/ML and Analytical initiatives and influence senior stakeholders and to drive adoption of analytic solutions.
Solid understanding of pharmaceutical commercialization concepts including launches, brand planning, and lifecycle management.
Demonstrated experience in leading data governance initiatives and processes.
Demonstrated ability to design and communicate complex systems and analytical solutions to both technical and non-technical audiences, aligning resources and execution to achieve functional and enterprise goals.
Proven abilities with executive-level communication, data storytelling, and change leadership.
Demonstrated impact of analytics on commercial strategy, decision making, performance, and ROI.
Proven ability to lead, coach, and develop talent while building organizational capability in a fast-evolving environment.
Experience partnering effectively with cross-functional partners and business stakeholders to deliver scalable analytics solutions.
Ability to balance strategic vision with hands-on prioritization and execution in fast past environment.

Responsibilities

Partner with Commercial leadership to define the advance analytics vision, strategy and initiatives that enables the development of scalable analytics and decision-support capabilities that drive business outcomes
Lead and govern advanced analytics projects, predictive analytics, and AI/machine learning solutions supporting brand strategy, launch planning, patient support, segmentation, targeting, omnichannel optimization, and sales effectiveness.
Enable AI-driven commercial use cases such as next-best-action, customer engagement optimization, automated forecasting, and scenario planning.
Balance innovation with rigor by ensuring analytics solutions are interpretable, validated, and compliant with internal and external requirements including privacy laws
Translate commercial business questions into analytics use cases, models, and decision frameworks.
Ensure analytics outputs and insights are actionable, adopted, and embedded into commercial planning, existing workflows, processes, systems and demonstrate measurable outcomes.
Act as a trusted advisor to Commercial leadership, influencing decisions through data-driven insights
Partner with the Enterprise AI team to identify, prioritize, and scale high-value AI and advanced analytic capabilities, solutions and governance.
Establish commercial data strategy to support the organization in achieving its business objectives. This includes leading the acquisition, implementation, and evolution of the commercial data assets, including syndicated claims, EMR, prescription, HUB/SP/Partner, promotional, and digital data.
Partner cross-functionally with Enterprise Data, IT, and infrastructure teams to enable scalable data platforms, data pipelines, and tools that support analytics, AI, and self-service insights.
Oversee vendor selection and management for data sources, analytics tools, and platforms.
Establish governance frameworks for data access, analytics validation, and model lifecycle management.
Collaborate with legal/compliance teams to mitigate risk and ensure compliance with HIPAA, GDPR, CCPA, and internal data privacy and security policies.
Partner with IT data and infrastructure teams to align commercial analytics needs with enterprise architecture, platform standards, security requirements, and long-term data strategy.
Serve as a bridge between business stakeholders and technical teams, ensuring clarity of requirements and outcomes.
Influence senior executives through concise storytelling, visualization, and business impact measurement.
Build, lead, retain and mentor a high-performing team and capability in support of advanced analytics, data acquisition, and data governance, while fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and innovation.
Assess and evolve organizational capabilities, talent, and ways of working needed to scale commercial advanced analytics over time.
Other responsibilities as assigned.

Benefits

Competitive base, bonus, new hire and ongoing equity packages
Medical, dental, and vision insurance
Employer-paid life, disability, business travel and EAP coverage
401(k) Plan with a fully vested company match 1:1 up to 5%
Employee Stock Purchase Plan with a 2-year purchase price lock-in
15+ vacation days
13 -15 paid holidays, including office closure between December 24th and January 1st
10 days of paid sick time
Paid parental leave benefit
Tuition assistance