Director - Principal Engineer, Digital R&D DP&TS Platform and Data Engineering

Pfizer’s mission to deliver breakthroughs that change patients’ lives is rooted in our commitment to science and innovation. Within Discovery, Preclinical, and Translational Solutions (DP&TS), we accelerate the journey from target identification to clinical translation by leveraging advanced digital technologies, AI, and data‑driven insights.

We are building a high‑impact, outcome‑oriented platform engineering team focused on enabling scalable, secure, and resilient infrastructure and developer experiences. This role is critical to building cutting‑edge platform capabilities that power scalable, secure, and innovative advanced analytics, machine learning, and data science across the R&D organization.

This role is not narrowly defined. We are seeking self‑starters who take initiative, adapt quickly, and possess a diverse skill set. You will be expected to learn rapidly, collaborate effectively, and deliver impactful outcomes.

Reporting to the Senior Director of DP&TS Platform and Data Engineering, this role will define and deliver the platform design and architecture strategy that supports solution delivery, ensuring alignment with scientific goals, regulatory requirements, and enterprise digital strategy. You will lead a team of platform engineers and collaborate closely with product, data science, and digital partners to deliver secure, scalable, and high‑performance capabilities. You will have direct reports with accountability for setting direction, deploying resources, and leading pay, performance, goal setting, and development discussions.

In this role, you will drive architectural decision, champion engineering excellence, and steer cross‑functional collaboration to deliver resilient, high‑impact solutions. This global role empowers you to shape infrastructure strategies, mentor technical talent, and influence product direction across regions and business units. You will also be a catalyst for DevSecOps adoption, embedding security and automation seamlessly into the development lifecycle to ensure trusted delivery at scale.

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• Architect scalable, secure data platforms for scientific discovery: design and develop infrastructure that enables seamless ingestion, processing, and analysis of high‑dimensional biomedical, omics, and clinical datasets; ensuring reproducibility, compliance, and performance.
  
• Champion DevSecOps across research and analytical workflows: embed security and automation into development pipelines, ML model development, and platform operations to ensure privacy, compliance, security, and traceability.
  
• Foster collaboration across scientific and engineering teams: bridge domain and technical expertise to align platform capabilities with research goals, cultivating shared understanding and agility across integrative biology, computational research, and engineering teams.
  
• Influence technical direction and cross‑functional alignment: shape engineering roadmaps and advocate for cohesive platform strategies that balance innovation, risk management, and business priorities.
  
• Govern platform standards and lifecycle accountability: establish and uphold platform design standards, lifecycle policies, and governance models that maintain flexibility and scalability without compromising control or integrity.
  
• Uphold system reliability and analytical accuracy: oversee platform health through robust observability, automated testing frameworks, incident response strategies, lifecycle governance, service level agreements, and audit trails that meet regulatory, compliance, and industry principles (GxP, FAIR, etc.).
  
• Advance responsible innovation and domain‑specific AI adoption: identify emerging technologies and champion thoughtful experimentation with AI/ML techniques while ensuring transparency, interpretability, and ethical data use in R&D contexts.
  
• Lead and mentor talent in platform engineering: guide engineers and scientists in best practices, critical thinking, and cross‑disciplinary collaboration to build future‑ready data and analytical platforms; foster a culture of continuous learning, elevating technical excellence, and shaping leadership potential.
  
• Govern platform lifecycle and scientific data stewardship: define standards and stewardship models for managing diverse research assets; balancing agility, traceability, and compliance throughout discovery lifecycles.
  

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• Education: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., Computer Science, Data Science, Bioinformatics, Engineering, or related discipline).
  
• 8+ years of hands‑on infrastructure and software engineering experience.
  
• Architecting scalable cloud‑based platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure).
  
• Building and securing data pipelines and infrastructure supporting advanced analytics and machine learning.
  
• Leading DevSecOps initiatives in regulated environments (e.g., GxP, HIPAA).
  
• Proficiency in Python, TypeScript, Java, or other modern high‑level language.
  
• Expertise in infrastructure‑as‑code tools (e.g., Terraform, Ansible, CloudFormation, Helm) and CI/CD (e.g., GitHub Actions).
  
• Deep understanding of modern data architectures (e.g., lakehouses, distributed systems).
  
• Demonstrated experience in working with regulated data, compliance frameworks, and secure development practices.
  
• Ability to lead complex engineering efforts across global, cross‑functional teams.
  
• Fluent in English; capable of clear technical communication across scientific and engineering disciplines.
  
• Candidate demonstrates a breadth of diverse leadership experiences and capabilities including: the ability to influence and collaborate with peers, develop and coach others, and oversee and guide the work of other colleagues to achieve meaningful outcomes and create business impact.
  

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• Education: Master’s or PhD in a relevant field (e.g., Computer Science, Data Science, Bioinformatics, Engineering, or related discipline).
  
• Experience supporting pharmaceutical R&D, life sciences, or computational biology.
  
• Familiarity with biomedical data standards (e.g., HL7 FHIR, CDISC) and FAIR data principles.
  
• Proven success in designing AI/ML platforms for scientific discovery or clinical research.
  
• Strong record of mentoring and growing engineering talent in high‑complexity domains.
  
• Thought leadership in platform strategy, ethical AI adoption, and responsible innovation.
  
• Experience influencing cross‑functional decisions, especially at the intersection of science and technology.
  

Travel up to 10% may be required for business activities.

The annual base salary for this position ranges from $162,900.00 to $261,000.00.* In addition, this position is eligible for participation in Pfizer’s Global Performance Plan with a bonus target of 20.0% of the base salary and eligibility to participate in our share‑based long‑term incentive program. We offer comprehensive and generous benefits and programs to help our colleagues lead healthy lives and to support each of life’s moments. Benefits include 401(k) plan with employer matching, paid vacation, holiday and personal days, paid caregiver/parental and medical leave, and health benefits (medical, prescription drug, dental and vision coverage). Learn more at Pfizer Candidate Site – U.S. Benefits | (uscandidates.mypfizerbenefits.com). Compensation structures and benefit packages are aligned based on the location of hire. The United States salary range provided does not apply to Tampa, FL or any location outside of the United States.

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• The annual base salary for this position in Tampa, FL ranges from $141,000.00 to $235,000.00.
  

Relocation assistance may be available based on business needs and/or eligibility.

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Pfizer is committed to equal opportunity in the terms and conditions of employment for all employees and job applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender identity or gender expression, national origin, disability or veteran status. Pfizer also complies with all applicable national, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements of the Immigration and Nationality Act and IRCA. Pfizer is an E‑Verify employer. This position requires permanent work authorization in the United States.

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