VP, Head of AI Center of Excellence (AI COE)

Pfizer • New York City, NY

6d

About The Position

The VP, Head of AI CoE will focus on enabling consistent, high ‑ quality AI capabilities , including large language model (LLM) access , that can be confidently adopted across all Pfizer divisions . The role is designed to bring greater clarity, prioritization, and operating rigor to the AI CoE , ensuring that talent, platforms, and investments are aligned to Pfizer ’ s most important business outcomes. This position requires a leader who can combine technical depth, strategic thinking, and enterprise influence to help the AI CoE mature from a growing capability into a core, mission ‑ critical function for the company.

Requirements

• BS/BA degree required, higher degree preferred or relevant experience, 15+ years in technology/AI/advanced analytics leadership, including building and running enterprise‑ scale AI/ML or data platforms with high reliability and performance.
• Deep understanding of LLMs/foundation models, ML systems architecture, MLOps / LLMOps , security, and modern cloud platforms.
• Proven ability to shape strategy, prioritize portfolios, and influence senior executives in complex, matrixed organizations.
• Experience operating in highly regulated environments (e.g., life sciences, healthcare, financial services) with strong compliance and audit disciplines.
• Demonstrated track record of building high ‑ performing engineering organizations and cultivating inclusive, collaborative cultures.
• Significant experience with MLOps frameworks (e.g., Kubeflow, SageMaker, MLflow ) and a deep understanding of the inference stack (GPU orchestration, quantization techniques, and token-optimization).
• Expert-level knowledge of data privacy, security, and ethics in a regulated environment (HIPAA, GDPR, GxP ).

Nice To Haves

• Prior leadership of an AI Center of Excellence or platform product organization supporting multiple business units.
• Experience translating advanced science and technology into enterprise ‑ ready platforms adopted at scale across R&D, Manufacturing, and Commercial.
• Familiarity with Responsible AI frameworks, model risk governance, and validation approaches suitable for regulated use cases.

Responsibilities

• Enterprise AI & LLM Platforms Build and operate secure, reliable, low ‑ latency AI/LLM platforms with clear SLAs/SLOs, cost and performance guardrails, and strong observability.
• Standardize access to approved foundation models and internal models, enabling consistent enterprise use while meeting compliance and privacy requirements.
• Drive architectural simplification, platform reuse, and a catalog of reusable AI services that accelerate delivery across functions.
• Strategy, Prioritization & Operating Model Define a multi ‑ year AI CoE strategy and roadmap aligned to enterprise priorities; make decisive trade ‑ offs that focus talent and investment on the highest ‑ value outcomes.
• Shift from project-by-project execution to platforms, products, and capabilities with measurable value realization and transparent portfolio governance.
• Establish outcome ‑ based funding, clear ownership, and cadence for performance reviews to ensure delivery at scale.
• Responsible & Inclusive AI at Scale Partner ing closely with Legal, Compliance, Privacy, and Security , e mbed Responsible AI by design: model risk management, validation, auditability, explainability, human ‑ in ‑ the ‑ loop controls, and regulatory readiness.
• Ensure equitable access to AI platforms, tools, and enablement so teams across geographies and functions benefit from shared capabilities and standards.
• Enterprise Influence & Partnerships Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leaders in across the enterprise to align initiatives, remove roadblocks, and accelerate adoption.
• Communicate a clear vision for how AI accelerates Pfizer’s scientific and operational breakthroughs; champion responsible speed in a regulated environment.
• Talent, Culture & Ways of Working Raise the engineering and leadership bar: recruit, develop, and retain top AI platform engineers, ML engineers, applied scientists, and AI product leaders.
• Set standards for software quality, MLOps / LLMOps , model lifecycle management, security, and SRE practices; promote craftsmanship and continuous learning.
• Foster a culture of pride, recognition, collaboration, and learning that enables teams to do their best work together .

Benefits

• participation in Pfizer’s Global Performance Plan with a bonus target of 30.0% of the base salary and eligibility to participate in our share based long term incentive program
• 401(k) plan with Pfizer Matching Contributions and an additional Pfizer Retirement Savings Contribution, paid vacation, holiday and personal days, paid caregiver/parental and medical leave, and health benefits to include medical, prescription drug, dental and vision coverage
• Relocation assistance may be available based on business needs and/or eligibility.

What This Job Offers

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