About this role
Job Description
The Associate Director, Data Architect (M-track) leads and develops a programming and reporting team - set goals, assign work, coach performance, and manage recruiting/onboarding - while communicating status and risks to leadership and partners. Provide hands-on technical review, solutioning support, enforce SOPs/standards, manage workload and prioritization, track quality and timelines, and drive best practices (code review, reusable components, test automation) and continuous improvement.
Responsibilities:
Programming and reporting
• Lead design and deployment of clinical technology system solutions (e.g., for EDC [Electronic Data Capture], RTSM [Randomization and Trial Supply Management], and eCOA/ePRO [electronic Clinical Outcomes Assessment/ electronic Patient-Reported Outcomes]) using programming frameworks and automation tools. • Provide technical oversight for clinical programming, reporting, and data integration across portfolios. • Recommend and implement tools to streamline design, build, and validation processes. • Apply data literacy to design transformation strategies for actionable insights. • Develop advanced reporting solutions (dashboards, listings, visual analytics) with reusable components and role-based access.
Data Engineering
• Define and govern integration architecture, including data sources and transformation workflows. • Ensure consistent implementation of enterprise standards and reusable assets. • Monitor and troubleshoot data ingestion and consumption for reliability. • Automate and strengthen data engineering processes to reduce risk and improve efficiency. • Develop robust data models, semantic layers, and curated datasets; enforce quality checks.
Process
• Drive process optimization by identifying gaps and implementing improvements. • Translate strategy into clear priorities, roadmaps, and ways of working for assigned domains. • Lead testing strategies for solutions; automate validation and ensure traceability. • Contribute to resource planning and workload distribution across global teams. • Set documentation and audit standards; ensure compliance through rigorous change management. • Lead cross-functional collaboration, meetings, and enterprise-level improvement programs. • Influence adoption of data standards, tools, and automation for better delivery and decision-making. • Provide leadership, coaching, and mentoring to build capabilities and foster a culture of quality and collaboration. • Support release management across environments; align stakeholders, lead UAT (User Acceptance Training), and improve reporting standards. • Partner across teams to turn data and technical findings into clear, actionable recommendations • Act as a reliable partner to GDMS and other cross-functional teams, actively seeking input, aligning on priorities, and closing feedback loops to drive high-quality, coordinated delivery.
People management
• Align teams around a clear direction; set clear objectives aligned to organizational goals; assign work and set priorities accounting for work-life balance sustainability. • Conduct regular check-ins and annual reviews; coach for performance; provide recognition. • Develop career plans; create growth opportunities and promotion cases; ensure appropriate training and mentoring. • Lead recruiting and hiring and oversee performance management activities, including management of sensitive employee-relations matters in partnership with HR. • Coordinate on-shore/off-shore and contingent resources; ensure role clarity and effective handoffs. • Manage an operating budget and optimize spend against priorities. • Inspires and ensures that team leaders are effectively supporting and empowering their individual leaders.
Technical skills:
• Expert-level proficiency in different technology languages (e.g., SQL, Python, SAS, and R) for implementing clinical data collectors, integrations, transformations, visualizations • Evidence of experience in architecting and interoperability of EDC platforms, data integration environments, clinical operations systems, and cloud computing platforms • Proficiency with key data-management and/or clinical operations tools and platforms (e.g., systems for data capture, review, visualization, reconciliation, and reporting), with the ability to help select, configure, or optimize solutions. • Broad understanding of the data-management technology ecosystem (e.g., data capture, review, reconciliation, reporting, analytics, and enabling tools) and how components fit together across the end-to-end process. • Experience leveraging automation, scripting, or digital solutions to streamline data-management activities and reduce manual effort. • Ability to interpret operational and quality metrics, use analytical/forecasting tools for capacity and scenario planning, and translate insights into clear decisions and actions. • Strong understanding of common clinical and regulatory data standards, clinical operational data models, metadata management, and controlled terminologies (e.g., MedDRA, WHODrug) to ensure consistency and submission readiness. • Strong understanding of validation, system lifecycle, data-privacy, and System Development Lifecycle Management activities • Strong understanding of drug discovery process, FDA regulations, GxP / ICH guidelines • Ability to connect business outcomes to technical deliverables
Non-technical skills:
• Strong ability to lead teams in a matrixed, global organization while ensuring delivery excellence through effective problem-solving techniques • Demonstrated success in coaching, developing, and performance-managing high-performing individuals • Builds strong partnerships across technical, business, and quality functions to enhance collaboration and deliver integrated outcomes • Balances business needs, resource capacity, and compliance requirements to make sound operational decisions • Capable of leading teams through process and organizational transformation with empathy and clarity
Enterprise Leadership Skills:
• Execution Excellence | Is results-focused per compliance standards; sets ambitious expectations for accomplishment and ensures others contribute to org strategies by focusing them on the most critical priorities; translates departmental goals into clear expectations • Coaching and Development | Manages individual contributors and/or supervisors, provides technical guidance, and develops others through coaching, feedback, and guidance • Entrepreneurship | Embraces patient customer focus, ensuring that internal or external customer perspective is the driving force behind strategic priorities, business decisions, org processes, and individual activities; crafts and implements service practices that meet customers' and own organization needs
Qualifications & experience:
• Bachelor's Degree with a minimum of 8 years experience working in clinical data programming, data engineering, or related data-management/clinical operations function, as well as:
• 2 years people management experience.
• Demonstrated deep subject matter expertise in clinical development. OR
• Advanced Degree (Masters or Doctorate) with a minimum of 4 years experience working in clinical data programming, data engineering, or related data-management/clinical operations functions, as well as:
• 2 years people management experience.
• Demonstrated deep subject matter expertise in clinical development.
Headcount responsibility: 6-8
Required Skills: Data Analysis, Data Engineering, Data Validation, Electronic Data Capture (EDC), Good Clinical Practice (GCP), Integration Architecture, Metadata Management Preferred Skills:
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Employee Status: Regular Relocation: No relocation VISA Sponsorship: No Travel Requirements: No Travel Required Flexible Work Arrangements: Hybrid Shift: Not Indicated Valid Driving License: No Hazardous Material(s): n/a Job Posting End Date: 08/10/2026*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.