Executive Director, Data & Methods

Job Description

The Executive Director, Data & Methods will lead a top-tier, multidisciplinary team of scientists and engineers to deliver foundational computational, AI, ML, and scientific methods and data capabilities that support research across all therapeutic modalities and scientific domains at Vertex. This leader will set AI and computational strategy that spans the full breadth of modern drug discovery and scientific therapeutic development; and will translate vision into scalable platforms, methods, and tools that serve every modality and measurably speed up discovery and translation, through the development of cutting-edge methods that leverage critical proprietary and public data to drive impact across our global research portfolio. The role will report to the Head of Data & Computational Sciences.

This is a Boston based, hybrid role (3 days/week onsite).

Key Duties & Responsibilities

• Set the strategy and multi-year roadmap for foundational computational, ML/AI, and scientific methods across Global Research
• Lead a multidisciplinary organization of scientists, engineers, and managers — building structure, growing other leaders, and driving organizational effectiveness as a leader of leaders.
• Serve as a senior scientific and technical authority on state-of-the-art computational methods and the responsible adoption of AI/ML in drug discovery and translation.
• Define and execute the AI/ML strategy — development, deployment, governance, and the change management needed to embed new methods into scientific workflows.
• Build scalable platforms and scientific software — durable, production-grade, reusable capabilities that serve stakeholders across modalities, not one-off tools.
• Champion technical excellence — best practices in software and data engineering, reproducibility, validation, and quality.
• Partner with other technology leaders at Vertex to deploy research-grade methods into scalable platforms and define AI, compute, and data infrastructure needs
• Attract, develop, and retain outstanding talent, fostering an inclusive, rigorous, high-trust culture — and translate complex science into clear recommendations for senior leadership.
• Drive adoption and impact by ensuring computational methods, AI/ML tools, and data products are embedded in real scientific workflows and deliver measurable value to research teams.
• Stay externally current on advances in computational science, AI/ML, data, and scientific software, and translate the most relevant opportunities into Vertex priorities.

Required Education Level

• Advanced degree (PhD preferred) in Computational Chemistry, Computational Biology, Computer Science, Bioinformatics, Data Science, or a related field.

Required Experience

• 15+ years of progressive experience in computational science, ML/AI, and scientific methods for drug discovery, with significant time in biotech, pharma, or comparably complex environments.
• Proven success as a leader of leaders — building and scaling high-performing scientific and technical organizations.
• Deep, recognized expertise in at least one computational science domain (e.g. ML/AI for scientific applications, computational chemistry, computational biology), with credibility bridging multiple domains.
• Strong scientific software engineering foundation and experience overseeing maturation of research-grade methods into production-grade systems.
• Track record defining and operationalizing AI/ML strategy in a scientific or R&D setting, and building shared platforms or enterprise computational capabilities.
• Experience leading cross-functionally across science and technology, influencing senior stakeholders, and developing talent across levels.
• Exceptional communication skills, including translating complex technical strategy for executive audiences.
• Ability to balance scientific ambition with practical delivery, prioritizing capabilities that are robust, reusable, and aligned to research needs.
• Strong judgment in responsible AI/ML use, including model evaluation, reproducibility, transparency, governance, and fit-for-purpose deployment in scientific settings.
• The highest level of ethics and commitment to Vertex’s core values and beliefs.

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