Director, Digital Experiment Capture

General Summary: 

Lab Solutions is the technology and digital capabilities organization supporting Vertex’s laboratory operations across the full research and development spectrum—from early discovery in non-GxP environments to heavily validated test and release laboratories within our manufacturing space. Lab Solutions owns the strategy, implementation, and ongoing support of the digital tools that enable scientists and lab professionals to do their best work. 

The Experiment Capture vertical within Lab Solutions is responsible for the Electronic Laboratory Notebook (ELN) and experiment data capture platforms that underpin scientific documentation across Vertex. This vertical ensures that data is captured accurately, compliantly, and efficiently—whether in a research lab generating early exploratory data or in a GxP-regulated manufacturing environment subject to regulatory oversight.

The Director, Experiment Capture will lead this vertical, serving as the strategic and operational owner of ELN platforms including Benchling, Dotmatics, and IDBS. This individual will drive platform roadmap, stakeholder alignment, and hands-on configuration and delivery, while serving as a trusted partner to scientific and operational leaders across the organization. 

Key Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Own the strategy, roadmap, and operational delivery for the Experiment Capture vertical, including ELN platforms Benchling, Dotmatics, and IDBS. 

• Lead and develop a team responsible for platform support, configuration, validation, and continuous improvement across non-GxP research and GxP-regulated laboratory environments. 

• Partner closely with scientists and lab operations leads to translate business and scientific requirements into scalable, compliant platform solutions. 

• Serve as a subject matter expert on ELN capabilities and experiment data workflows, advising on platform selection, configuration best practices, and integration strategies. 

• Navigate the intersection of non-GxP discovery science and GxP-regulated environments, ensuring platforms meet appropriate compliance requirements including 21 CFR Part 11 and relevant data integrity standards. 

• Communicate clearly and confidently with senior stakeholders from Group Lead to Senior Vice President level, presenting platform strategies, project status, and risk assessments in a compelling and accessible manner. 

• Engage hands-on with configuration requests and platform build activities—not limited to oversight only—to ensure high-quality, timely delivery. 

• Drive vendor relationships with ELN platform providers, managing escalations, roadmap alignment, and contract performance. 

• Ensure all platform activities are performed in accordance with applicable GxP, 21 CFR Part 11, and organizational change control and validation requirements. 

• Explore and incubate next-generation experiment capture concepts, including event-driven and passive documentation architectures that reduce direct interface dependency for bench scientists while maintaining compliant, attributable records. 

Knowledge and Skills  

• Demonstrated expertise with one or more ELN platforms, with strong preference for hands-on experience with Benchling, Dotmatics, and/or IDBS. 

• Proven understanding of both non-GxP research environments and GxP-regulated laboratories, including working knowledge of 21 CFR Part 11, data integrity principles, and computer system validation (CSV). 

• Software product management, including ownership of product roadmaps, backlog prioritization, and stakeholder management. 

• Track record of effective communication with senior leaders, including the ability to synthesize complex technical topics for executive audiences. 

• Demonstrated willingness and ability to engage in hands-on technical work (e.g., platform configuration, workflow build) alongside strategic responsibilities. 

• Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple competing priorities. 

• Ability to direct multiple technical teams associated with support and build needs independently. 

Education and Experience 

• Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. in a scientific discipline (e.g., biology, chemistry, biochemistry, or related field); formal scientific training is required. 

• 10+ years of experience in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or life sciences environments, with direct experience supporting laboratory informatics or scientific software platforms. 

• Familiarity with laboratory data integration patterns  

• Experience with agile or product-led delivery methodologies. 

• Knowledge of Vertex’s therapeutic areas or drug development lifecycle. 

• Vendor management experience with enterprise SaaS providers in the life sciences space. 

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