Senior Director, Data and Analytics Platforms

Exelixis Inc.•Alameda, CA

61d

About The Position

The Senior Director, Data and Analytics Platforms, will lead a portfolio of cloud products critical to Exelixis's success and ambition to launch innovative medicines for patients. Operating within a product-centric model, the Senior Director, IT Product Management - Cloud Platform will be responsible for defining product roadmaps, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and leading agile product teams to deliver innovative and impactful solutions that accelerate drug discovery, development, and commercialization.

Requirements

Proven ability to architect and operate large, complex, and secure data environments
Deep, hands-on expertise in AWS data services, and Databricks
Strong knowledge of data security, access management, encryption, and compliance frameworks
Experience implementing data mesh concepts and federated governance at scale.
Experience managing data access and governance across multiple data technologies such as AWS Redshift and Databricks
Experience integrating data visualization tools such Tableau, and Spotfire at part of heterogeneous data platform
Experience with data catalog technologies such as Atlan or Alation for data governance
Experience managing data platforms in a Pharma GxP regulated environment
Proficiency in dbt, GitHub, CI/CD tools (GitHub Actions, Jenkins), and infrastructure as code (Terraform)
Design and oversee large-scale data processing solutions leveraging Databricks, AWS (S3, Glue, EMR, Lambda, Redshift, IAM, EKS, KMS, etc.), and other cloud-native services.
Hands on experience programming/scripting with a modern data engineering language (Python, SQL, Spark, etc.)
Minimum of 12 years of progressive experience in IT, with at least 8 years in a leadership role focused on cloud infrastructure and / or platforms.
Proven experience in leading product development teams in an agile/product-centric operating model is essential.
Strong understanding of the drug discovery or clinical development, or commercialization lifecycle within a pharmaceutical or biotechnology company.
Demonstrated success in defining and delivering complex cloud products that drive significant business value.
Experience with regulatory frameworks and compliance in a GxP environment.
Comprehensive level knowledge of Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Comprehensive understanding of product management methodologies (e.g., Agile, Scrum, Kanban) and product lifecycle management.
Comprehensive technical acumen with the ability to understand complex IT architectures and development processes.
Advanced leadership and team-building skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate diverse teams.
Comprehensive strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities, with a data-driven approach to decision-making.
Advanced communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate effectively at all levels of the organization.
PhD in a relevant field and 12 years of related experience; or
Master's degree in a relevant field and 13 years of related experience; or
Bachelor's degree in a relevant field and 15 years of related experience; or
Equivalent combination of education and experience.
Technical certification may be required

Responsibilities

Define, evangelize, and drive the enterprise vision and multi-year strategy for a portfolio of cloud products.
Engage senior business leaders and functional executives across R&D, Clinical, Commercial, G&A, and Medical Affairs to shape product direction, uncover unmet needs, and translate strategic opportunities into actionable product roadmaps.
Design and conduct the market research, competitive analysis, and technology trends assessment to identify new opportunities and ensure our data platform remains cutting-edge and competitive within the life science landscape
Ensure a balanced portfolio of short-term wins and long-term strategic investments by prioritizing product initiatives based on business value, technical feasibility, regulatory compliance, and resource availability.
Serve as a consultant for architecture and design patterns review to build the data solutions in right and secured manner.
Own the entire development lifecycle from ideation to launch and post-launch optimization, recommending and implementing improvements where needed (e.g., Agile Scrum, Kanban).
Set the standard for product definition and delivery by guiding the creation of high-impact user stories, acceptance criteria, and product specifications that reflect business priorities and user needs.
Partner at a strategic level with engineering, architecture, and quality leaders to ensure the delivery of secure, scalable, and high-quality data platform that meet evolving business demands.
Shape and govern strategic vendor relationships, ensuring alignment of external capabilities with internal product roadmaps, delivery timelines, and operational excellence standards.
Champion a user-centric design approach, leveraging user research, usability testing, and feedback loops to continuously improve the user experience and effectiveness of cloud solutions.
Lead and manage to sustain a robust data management & AI practice to protect sensitive information and ensure its accuracy and reliability.
Inspire and lead cross-functional teams, including Business Analysts, Product Lead(s) and data platform specialists, by cultivating a culture of strategic ownership, innovation, and continuous improvement across the data lifecycle.
Forge and sustain strategic partnerships with key stakeholders across the organization to ensure alignment on product vision, investment priorities, and measurable outcomes.
Identify key stakeholders and ensure alignment and decision-making across product teams, business units, and IT functional groups.
Represent the team in executive steering committees, strategic planning councils, and enterprise wide to cross-functional initiatives.
Serve as an executive liaison between IT and various business functions, translating complex technical strategies into actionable business outcome.
Accountable for the operational stability, performance, and security working closely with IT teams.
Establish and lead governance frameworks for vendor partnerships and third-party software solutions, ensuring alignment with enterprise architecture, compliance mandates, and business continuity objectives.
Define and enforce processes to ensure all feature releases comply with relevant regulatory requirements (e.g., GxP, HIPAA, GDPR) and internal quality and security standards.
Ensure that all product releases meet rigorous quality standards and compliance requirements.
Design and operationalize strategic KPIs and performance dashboards, enabling executive visibility into product adoption, business impact, and continuous improvement opportunities driven by data and stakeholder feedback.
Shape and execute a strategic talent agenda for the organization, attracting, developing, and retaining top-tier talent to build a resilient, high-performing team aligned with enterprise goals.
Provide visionary leadership and mentorship, fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous growth through structured coaching, feedback, and career development frameworks.
Champion a culture of digital innovation and learning agility, embedding continuous improvement, adaptability, and inclusion into the team's operating model to meet evolving business and technology demands.
Influence budget allocation
Manage budget allocation and financial planning across all products and sub product lines in their functional areas of support.
Manage a direct team of managers and high-level individual contributors.
Coach and train managers to ensure consistent and effective management of highly performing teams.
Recruit staff to meet the unit's immediate objectives and create succession planning to meet function's longer-term objectives.
Develop and recommend an organizational structure to accomplish objectives of the unit.

Benefits

Exelixis offers comprehensive employee benefits package, including a 401k plan with generous company contributions, group medical, dental and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, and flexible spending accounts.
Employees are also eligible for a discretionary annual bonus program, or if field sales staff, a sales-based incentive plan.
Exelixis also offers employees the opportunity to purchase company stock, and receive long-term incentives, 15 accrued vacation days in their first year, 17 paid holidays including a company-wide winter shutdown in December, and up to 10 sick days throughout the calendar year.

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