Job Description
General Summary:
The Senior Director, Innovation and Business Transformation provides strategic leadership for technology-enabled transformation across Medical Writing Science (MWS), harnessing digital, AI, machine learning, automation, analytics, and emerging technology capabilities to transform how the function operates and delivers scientific work. Partnering with MWS leaders and enterprise technology teams, the role identifies and prioritizes high-value opportunities, translates the MWS transformation vision into strategic priorities and executable initiatives, and influences functional and enterprise capability roadmaps. The Senior Director champions innovative approaches across clinical regulatory document development, scientific and medical publications, knowledge management, and related scientific workflows while ensuring alignment with enterprise strategy, architecture, and governance. The role advises leadership on transformation opportunities, investment priorities, organizational readiness, adoption, and value realization.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
- Translate the MWS transformation vision and intended future state into strategic priorities, roadmaps, and executable initiatives.
- Anticipate external technology-enabling tools and industry trends and translate relevant developments into strategic opportunities for MWS.
- Lead strategy execution and operating effectiveness across Innovation and Business Transformation, recommending prioritization, sequencing, resource allocation, and investment decisions for MWS technology-enabled transformation initiatives
- Champion innovative solutions for knowledge management, data utilization, and end-to-end clinical regulatory document development and scientific and medical publication workflows.
- Advance transformation opportunities based on strategic relevance, scientific and business value, feasibility, risk, organizational readiness, sustainability, and enterprise alignment.
- Establish and lead governance for opportunity intake, evaluation and prioritization, responsible AI and risk assessment, transformation delivery, adoption, and value realization.
- Serve as a transformation partner between MWS and enterprise technology organizations, representing functional priorities and influencing enterprise capability, platform, and solution roadmaps.
- Maintain accountability for transformation outcomes and value realization, ensuring investments deliver measurable improvements in quality, scientific delivery, workforce capacity, user experience, compliance, and organizational effectiveness.
- Create the conditions for solutions to scale responsibly through reuse, common standards, sustainable support models, and alignment with enterprise platforms and architecture.
- Lead, coach, and develop leaders and teams, strengthening business transformation, change management, technology, and leadership capabilities across the organization.
Knowledge and Skills:
- Extensive leadership experience in business transformation, digital innovation, AI strategy, advanced analytics, process reinvention, or technology-enabled operating-model change within a complex, regulated organization.
- Demonstrated success translating executive vision into transformation strategy, establishing strategic roadmaps and governance, prioritizing significant transformation investments, and delivering measurable business outcomes.
- Strong understanding of the life-sciences value chain and the application of AI, data, digital platforms, automation, analytics, and emerging technology to scientific and operational work.
- Ability to translate external technology and industry trends to practical, differentiated opportunities and strategic choices for a scientific function.
- Experience establishing governance and responsible AI approaches and leading organizational adoption, change, value-realization, and sustainable operating approaches.
- Proven people-leadership, including developing leaders, establishing decision rights and accountability, and building high-performing transformation teams.
- Exceptional communication, influence, strategic judgment, and organizational leadership skills, with demonstrated ability to operate effectively across business and technology organizations.
Education and Experience:
- 12 years of progressive experience in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, life sciences, technology-enabled transformation, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- 5 years of leadership experience building, leading, and developing teams and/or transformation capabilities in complex matrixed organizations.
- Bachelor's degree in life sciences, computer science, engineering, or equivalent discipline required; advance degree preferred.
At Vertex, we embrace continuous learning and encourage employees to stay informed on advances in AI, technology, automation, and industry trends. We seek talent who bring an external perspective, demonstrate curiosity and sound judgment, and thoughtfully adopt new capabilities that improve decision-making, drive innovation, increase efficiency, and help deliver better outcomes for patients.
Pay Range:
$186,400 - $279,600Disclosure Statement:
The range provided is based on what we believe is a reasonable estimate for the base salary pay range for this job at the time of posting. This role is eligible for an annual bonus and annual equity awards. Some roles may also be eligible for overtime pay, in accordance with federal and state requirements. Actual base salary pay will be based on a number of factors, including skills, competencies, experience, and other job-related factors permitted by law.
At Vertex, our Total Rewards offerings also include inclusive market-leading benefits to meet our employees wherever they are in their career, financial, family and wellbeing journey while providing flexibility and resources to support their growth and aspirations. From medical, dental and vision benefits to generous paid time off (including a week-long company shutdown in the Summer and the Winter), educational assistance programs including student loan repayment, a generous commuting subsidy, matching charitable donations, 401(k) and so much more.
Flex Designation:
Hybrid-Eligible Or On-Site EligibleFlex Eligibility Status:
In this Hybrid-Eligible role, you can choose to be designated as:
1. Hybrid: work remotely up to two days per week; or select
2. On-Site: work five days per week on-site with ad hoc flexibility.
Note: The Flex status for this position is subject to Vertex’s Policy on Flex @ Vertex Program and may be changed at any time.
#LI-Hybrid
Company Information
Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation.
Vertex is committed to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person's race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital status, or any characteristic protected under applicable law. Vertex is an E-Verify Employer in the United States. Vertex will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law.
Any applicant requiring an accommodation in connection with the hiring process and/or to perform the essential functions of the position for which the applicant has applied should make a request to the recruiter or hiring manager, or contact Talent Acquisition at [email protected]
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in life sciences, computer science, engineering, or an equivalent discipline
- Advanced degree
- 10 years of progressive experience in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, life sciences, technology-enabled transformation, or a related field, or equivalent education and experience
- 3 years of leadership experience building, leading, and developing teams and/or transformation capabilities in complex matrixed organizations
- Significant experience leading business transformation, digital innovation, AI enablement, advanced analytics, process reinvention, or technology-enabled operating model change within a complex, regulated organization
- Experience translating strategic priorities into coordinated transformation initiatives, integrated implementation approaches, and measurable outcomes
- Strong understanding of the life sciences environment and applying AI, data, digital platforms, analytics, automation, and emerging technologies to scientific and operational workflows
- Experience leading complex, interconnected initiatives from opportunity assessment through implementation, adoption, and value realization
- Experience applying governance, responsible AI, risk management, privacy, security, compliance, and human-oversight principles
- Proven matrix leadership and ability to influence without direct authority, coach project contributors, and create accountability for results
- Exceptional communication, collaboration, influence, strategic judgment, and stakeholder management skills
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Vertex Pharmaceuticals and has not been reviewed or approved by Vertex Pharmaceuticals.
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Parental & Family Support — Policies provide 12 weeks of 100% paid bonding leave for all U.S. parents with additional fully paid time for birth parents. Family-forming supports include adoption and surrogacy assistance, fertility options like IVF and egg cryopreservation, breast‑milk shipping, subsidized childcare, backup care, and a DCFSA match.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time off includes roughly four weeks of vacation, 13 holidays, sick time, and two companywide shutdowns (summer and year‑end). Some roles also include flexible or unlimited time off and paid volunteer time.
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Retirement Support — Programs include a 401(k) plan with employer contributions and an employee stock purchase plan. Filings describe employer contributions occurring in company stock, supporting long‑term ownership.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Insights
What We Do
Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation to create transformative medicines for people with serious and life-threatening diseases. We discovered and developed the first medicines to treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis (CF), a rare, life-threatening genetic disease. In addition to clinical development programs in CF, Vertex has more than a dozen ongoing research programs focused on the underlying mechanisms of other serious diseases. Founded in 1989 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, our corporate headquarters is now located in Boston’s Innovation District, and our international headquarters is in London, United Kingdom. We currently employ approximately 3,500 people in the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia and Latin America with nearly two-thirds of our staff dedicated to research and development. Vertex is consistently recognized as one of the industry’s top places to work by Science Magazine, The Boston Globe, Boston Business Journal and the San Diego Business Journal. Our research and medicines have also received esteemed recognitions, including the Robert J. Beall Therapeutics Development Award, the French Prix Galien and the British Pharmacological Society awards.
