Back to jobs
New

Executive Director, Data, AI & Collaboration Services

Princeton, New Jersey, United States, South San Francisco, California, United States

About Us 

Kardigan is a heart health company working to make cardiovascular disease preventable, curable and no longer the leading cause of death in the world.

It is Kardigan’s mission to develop multiple targeted treatments in parallel that bring people with cardiovascular diseases to the cures they deserve.
 
Led by Tassos Gianakakos, Jay Edelberg, M.D., Ph.D., and Bob McDowell, Ph.D., Kardigan’s co-founders have reunited after leading MyoKardia to discover and develop mavacamten, the first cardiac myosin inhibitor, resulting in an acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb in 2020.
 
We have a cutting-edge discovery and translational research platform, a pipeline of late-stage candidates, and an industry-leading team that is driven to improve the lives of patients.
 
At Kardigan, we are motivated by our values which guide how we work, interact, and achieve our goals. Driven by patients and their families, we are deeply committed to improving the lives of patients and prioritizing their needs above all else. We believe in being authentic—leading with truth to bring out the best in others by creating an environment where every person knows they will be fully accepted. With an eagerness to learn, we encourage the highest levels of curiosity and are open to changing our minds. We are committed to winning as a team with urgency, excellence, and intention, and support each other no matter what role we play or where we sit. Lastly, we strive to enable the impossible because patients are counting on us. We are not afraid to take risks to unlock innovation and advance scientific discoveries.
 
These values are the foundation of our work, empowering us to make a real difference, every day.
 
 

Position Title: Executive Director, Data, AI & Collaboration Services 

Department: Information Technology 

Reports To: VP, Head of IT 

Location: South San Francisco, CA (preferred) or Princeton, NJ – On-site 4 days per week (Mon to Thurs) 

  

Job Overview 

The Executive Director, Data Strategy, AI & Collaboration is a pivotal role that will define and drive Kardigan's approach to harnessing data, artificial intelligence, and modern collaboration technologies as strategic assets across the enterprise. This leader will own the end-to-end roadmap for these interconnected domains — with a deliberate emphasis on Data and AI — while ensuring that collaboration platforms amplify the effectiveness of scientific, clinical, and business teams. 

Operating within IT alongside peers in IT Operations and Solution Delivery, this individual will serve as the company's foremost internal expert and thought leader on data-driven decision-making and AI-enabled innovation. They will work at the intersection of technology, science, and business strategy — translating ambition into concrete, measurable capabilities. The role demands both visionary leadership and a willingness to roll up one's sleeves: building programs from the ground up, influencing without large teams, and delivering lasting impact in a resource-efficient model. 

This is a rare opportunity for a technically deep, strategically minded leader to shape the data and AI foundation of a company where every decision ultimately serves patients. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities 

  • Data Strategy, Implementation & Governance 
    • Develop and own the enterprise data strategy, roadmap, and governance framework, ensuring data is treated as a first-class strategic asset across all  corporate functions (e.g. R&D, G&A, and Commercial & Medical) 
    • Architect and implement a scalable, cloud-native data platform — including data lake, data warehouse, and data mesh components — that enables self-service analytics and supports both structured and unstructured scientific data 
    • Establish enterprise-wide data standards, ontologies, master data management (MDM) practices, and metadata management to drive data quality, lineage, and discoverability 
    • Define and enforce data governance policies, access controls, and stewardship programs in compliance with FDA 21 CFR Part 11, ICH E6(R2), GDPR, HIPAA, and other applicable regulatory frameworks 
    • Partner with Legal, Regulatory Affairs and Quality to ensure data integrity requirements are embedded by design into all data platforms and pipelines 
    • Build the organizational capabilities — processes, roles, tools, and culture — needed to sustain data excellence as the company grows 

 

  • Artificial Intelligence Strategy & Implementation 
    • Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive AI strategy that identifies, prioritizes, and delivers measurable value across the organization 
    • Establish the company's AI/ML platform, including infrastructure for model development, validation, deployment, monitoring, and retraining, leveraging cloud-native services 
    • Drive the responsible adoption of Generative AI — including large language models (LLMs) and multimodal models — for use cases such as scientific literature synthesis, regulatory document drafting, clinical data exploration, and internal knowledge management 
    • Build and maintain an AI governance framework encompassing model validation, explainability, bias detection, human oversight requirements, and alignment with FDA AI/ML guidance and the EU AI Act 
    • Identify and manage strategic partnerships with AI vendors and technology providers to accelerate capability development  
    • Champion a culture of data literacy and AI fluency across business and scientific functions; develop internal training programs and communities of practice 
    • Stay ahead of the rapidly evolving AI landscape — evaluating emerging technologies and providing executive-level counsel on when and how to adopt 
  • Collaboration Tools  
    • Own the strategy, architecture, and roadmap for enterprise collaboration platforms — including Microsoft 365 / Teams, SharePoint Online — with a focus on enabling seamless, compliant collaboration across internal teams and external partners 
    • Drive platform consolidation, rationalization, and integration to reduce fragmentation and improve the employee experience 
    • Lead change management and adoption programs, working closely with functional leaders to maximize the value of collaboration investments 

  

  • Executive Leadership & Organizational Impact 
    • Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to the VP, Head of IT, and functional leaders on data, AI, and digital innovation topics; regularly present roadmaps, business cases, and progress to senior leadership and the board as appropriate 
    • Build, lead, and develop a high-performing team; leverage a hybrid model of employees, managed service providers, and strategic partners to maximize impact with efficient resource utilization 
    • Define OKRs, KPIs, and value metrics for the Data, AI & Collaboration portfolio; establish reporting cadences and accountability mechanisms to track delivery and business impact 
    • Own the budget, vendor relationships, and contract governance for the portfolio; negotiate enterprise agreements with technology and service providers 
    • Collaborate closely with IT Operations and Solution Delivery peers to ensure architectural coherence, cybersecurity alignment, and integration across the IT landscape 
    • Represent Kardigan in external forums, industry consortia, and regulatory advisory groups as a voice for responsible, innovation-forward use of data and AI in life sciences 

 

Qualifications and Preferred Skills 

  • Education 
    • Bachelor's degree required in Computer Science, Data Science, Bioinformatics, Engineering, or a related quantitative discipline 
    • Advanced degree (M.S., Ph.D., or MBA) strongly preferred 

  

  • Required Experience 
    • 12+ years of progressive experience in data, analytics, or technology leadership, with a minimum of 5 years at the Director level or above in a life science, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or medical device company 
    • Demonstrated track record of building and executing enterprise data strategy and governance programs in a GxP-regulated environment, including firsthand knowledge of FDA 21 CFR Part 11, ICH E6(R2), and data integrity principles 
    • Proven experience architecting and delivering cloud-based data platforms at scale — hands-on proficiency with at least one major platform (e.g. Snowflake, Databricks, Azure Synapse, AWS, or GCP equivalent) 
    • Direct experience implementing AI and machine learning solutions in a life sciences context, including model validation, documentation, and governance in a regulated setting 
    • Deep familiarity with the Microsoft 365 ecosystem and enterprise collaboration platforms  
    • Track record of operating effectively in fast-paced, lean, resource-constrained organizations; comfortable as a builder and an operator simultaneously 
    • Demonstrated executive presence and ability to influence C-suite, board members, and cross-functional senior stakeholders 

  

  • Strongly Preferred Experience 
    • Experience with clinical data standards (CDISC, SDTM, ADaM) and integration of clinical trial data into enterprise analytics platforms 
    • Hands-on familiarity with generative AI platforms (Azure OpenAI Service, AWS Bedrock, Anthropic Claude API) and validated deployment in a regulated environment 
    • Knowledge of Veeva Vault (eTMF, RIM, QualityDocs), CTMS, LIMS, or ELN systems and their data integration patterns 
    • Experience with real-world data (RWD) and real-world evidence (RWE) platforms and their applications in drug development and commercial strategy 
    • Exposure to federated data architectures, data mesh, or data fabric patterns in a multi-site or multi-partner setting 
    • Familiarity with emerging AI regulatory frameworks including FDA's AI/ML-Based Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) guidance and the EU AI Act 
    • Prior experience in a company scaling from clinical stage through commercial launch 

 

  • Core Competencies 
    • Strategic vision paired with operational execution — the rare ability to set direction and get things done 
    • Deep technical depth in data engineering, ML/AI, and cloud architecture; credible with both engineers and scientists 
    • Exceptional communication and storytelling skills; able to translate technical complexity into compelling executive narratives 
    • Entrepreneurial mindset with high tolerance for ambiguity and a bias for action 
    • Collaborative leadership style; builds trust quickly across diverse functions and seniority levels 
    • Strong business acumen — understands how data and AI investments connect to pipeline value, competitive differentiation, and patient outcomes 
    • Unwavering commitment to responsible AI, data ethics, patient privacy, and regulatory compliance 

 

Exact Compensation may vary based on skills, experience and location.

Pay range

$269,000 - $340,000 USD

Create a Job Alert

Interested in building your career at Kardigan? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Education

Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Kardigan’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.