Pharmaceutical, Biotech, and Medical Device Opportunities

My client, a global biopharma company in Southern CA, is dedicated to achieving one of the most ambitious goals – to treat and CURE cancer. This mission is at the heart of everything they do, from early research to product development.  While they’ve come a long way to make what others viewed as impossible, possible…they know this is just the beginning.

For the past three decades, members of their team have been at the forefront of cancer immunotherapy. Changing the paradigm of cancer treatment with what is potentially the biggest breakthrough since the introduction of combination chemotherapy.

This company is committed to providing a work experience where all people feel they are equally respected and valued, uniqueness is an asset. This team is grounded by one common goal – curing cancer. Every day, they aim to establish a direct line between that purpose and their day-to-day work. Their focus is on providing therapeutic options that healthcare providers can use to make a difference in the lives of their patients. Patients are their top priority.

Currently seeking an experienced and visionary Director of Data science – Omnichannel & Customer Analytics to join their Advanced Analytics & Data Science Team. In this key leadership role, you will be responsible for strategizing and leading data science and machine learning capabilities to support the company’s omnichannel ambitions. This is a blank slate role as they are in the early stage of building the capability. 99% of the focus will be US focus currently, but the role is global and will expand globally at some point.

YOU:

• Must have pharmaceutical commercial experience either on the manufacturer side OR the management consultancy side
• Must have AI and Machine Learning experience
• Must have strong Advanced Analytics (Data Science) experience, to include building models
• Must have strong communication skills
• An advanced degree in math or computer science or machine learning is a plus
• Management consultancy experience is a plus
• Oncology, hematology or rare disease experience is a plus
• POSITION BASED IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA OFFICE OR SOUTHERN SAN FRANCISCO BUT RELO WILL ONLY BE PROVIDED TO THE LOS ANGELES AREA LOCATION

The focus of the Director is to develop advanced data capabilities to enhance and elevate customer and patient experiences across various communication modes, including channels, content, and messaging. Such actions are crucial in helping us fulfill our overarching mission of expanding access to cell therapy for as many eligible patients as possible.

The Director will work in close partnership with diverse stakeholders to support the Commercial Sales, Marketing, and Market Access teams. Utilizing an extensive skill set encompassing technical knowhow of advanced modelling techniques, functional expertise, therapeutic area knowledge, communication proficiency, leadership, and influencing skills, this individual will strive to achieve impactful results. The Director, internally known as the Director of Marketing Sciences, will collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop analytical frameworks, translate data into strategic decisions, and develop state of the art holistic solutions to support our omnichannel aspirations.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Strategic and Value Realization: Provide creative and inspirational vision relating to data science in facilitating the development and implementation of best-in-class strategies for omnichannel customer engagement. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align data science initiatives with overall business goals. Cultivate change and adoption in the organization.
• Omnichannel Orchestration: Develop, operationalize, and enhance omnichannel orchestration by leveraging data science and advanced analytics to address complex needs within HCP journeys.
• Production grade code deployment and ML Operations: This position will also be responsible for coaching a team of commercial ML Ops specialists to develop and maintain/monitor company grade models and production pipelines that can deliver optimized marketing strategies at an individual customer level at scale.
• Strategic Recommendations: Provide strategic recommendations to brand and marketing leads for optimizing key conversion points across sales and marketing channels based on quantitative testing and insight. Translate complex data analyses into actionable business strategies.
• Stakeholder Management: Manage relationships with internal stakeholders, including Sales, Marketing, Omnichannel teams, brand teams,data-driven, and other commercial stakeholders. Act as an internal consultant, developing strategies to uncover business opportunities and drive growth.
• Internal Consultancy: Act as an internal consultant by proactively developing strategies to uncover business opportunities and actionable insights that can drive business growth and efficiency.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate with both internal and external vendors to coordinate cross-functional analytics projects. Ensure that advanced analytics is integrated into the front-line consideration of all related teams.
• Subject Matter Expertise and Evaluation: Maintain in-depth knowledge of commercial data sets and act as a subject matter expert in data science & AI capabilities. Stay abreast of emerging data science capabilities and industry trends to enhance personalization and customer engagement models. Evaluate and recommend new capabilities that can improve existing techniques and cultivate business growth.
• Statistical Storytelling: Develop and present data driven solutions and insights in a compelling manner to ensure stakeholder buy-in and support for data-driven initiatives.
• Leadership: Provide visionary leadership in the role of data science, driving the development and execution of best-in-class strategies for omnichannel customer engagement. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align data science initiatives with overall business goals and drive organizational change and adoption.
• Project Management: Assist in project prioritization, and overall project management to ensure the effective implementation of key initiatives.
• Data Ethics: Champion data ethics and ensure rigorous compliance with privacy regulations (GDPR, HIPAA), embedding ethical considerations into all data-related activities.
• AI/ML Model Development:
  • Develop advanced machine learning (ML) models to leverage customer data and other data sources, enhancing customer engagement across various communication platforms such as digital platforms, social media, and CRM data.
  • Lead advanced analyses of customer behavior patterns and preferences using cutting-edge techniques, including machine learning, data mining, and predictive analytics. Translate these insights into actionable recommendations for optimizing engagement strategies.
  • Spearhead the creation of personalized customer experiences through sophisticated personalization models. Utilize thoughtful insights to tailor marketing content, product recommendations, and communication strategies.
  • Create and implement measurement strategies and controlled experiments to understand the impact of our programs and refine them for maximum effectiveness.

REQUIREMENTS:

Basic Qualifications:

• Doctorate and 8+ years of experience OR Master’s Degree and 10+ years of experience OR Bachelor’s Degree and 12+ years of experience OR Associate’s Degree and 14+ years of experience OR High School Diploma/GED and 16+ years of experience
• Advanced Degree: A Ph.D. or Master’s degree in Data Science, Statistics, Computer Science, Mathematics, Operations Research or a related field is a plus, as is a MBA or equivalent business qualification
• 8+ years of experience in the pharmaceutical or life sciences industry.
• Extensive experience in data science, machine learning and analytics with a proven track record in the pharmaceutical or healthcare sector.
• Prior experience in oncology, hematology, and/or rare disease in commercial is a plus.
• Deep programming experience in languages such as Python, R, or similar, with the ability to independently develop, test, and implement data programs. Proficiency in using data manipulation and visualization libraries.
• Ability to influence and drive analytical projects end-to-end through collaboration. This role requires a high degree of collaboration with cross-functional stakeholders including Omnichannel/Digital teams, Marketing, Sales, Commercial Operations, and IT.
• Possess a strong working knowledge of Data Science – tools and approaches, a strong customer orientation and focus, and the ability to thrive in a transformational environment.
• In-depth knowledge of advanced analytics, machine learning, AI techniques, and their practical applications is essential.
• Experience in developing and supporting teams to develop end-to-end ML solutions and applications at large scale, preferably in a cloud environment. A deep understanding of ML Engineering and ML Operations is a plus.
• Ability to independently conduct various statistical tests such as correlation, decision tree, regression, and random forest to predict and assess customer behavior in the disease treatment journey (HCPs, patients, etc.).
• Experience in developing teams to create end-to-end advanced analytics solutions and applications at large scale, preferably in a cloud environment.
• Deep leadership skills with a demonstrated ability to lead a team of external data scientists and analysts.
• Deep understanding of database structures, data wrangling, cleansing, and manipulation.
• Ability to influence and facilitate analytical projects end-to-end through collaboration with cross-functional stakeholders, including Marketing, Sales, Commercial Operations, and Market Access.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to convey complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Excellent business acumen and the ability to align data science strategies with overarching business goals.