Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq ARWR) is a commercial stage biopharmaceutical company that develops medicines that treat intractable diseases by silencing the genes that cause them. Using a broad portfolio of RNA chemistries and efficient modes of delivery, Arrowhead therapies trigger the RNA interference mechanism to induce rapid, deep, and durable knockdown of target genes. RNA interference, or RNAi, is a mechanism present in living cells that inhibits the expression of a specific gene, thereby affecting the production of a specific protein. Arrowhead’s RNAi-based therapeutics leverage this natural pathway of gene silencing.
Arrowhead is focused on developing innovative drugs for diseases with a genetic basis, typically characterized by the overproduction of one or more proteins that are involved with disease. The depth and versatility of our RNAi technologies enables us to potentially address conditions in virtually any therapeutic area and pursue disease targets that are not otherwise addressable by small molecules and biologics. Arrowhead is leading the field in bringing the promise of RNAi to address diseases outside of the liver, and our clinical pipeline includes disease targets in the liver and lung with a promising pipeline of preclinical candidates.
Arrowhead’s corporate headquarters is in Pasadena, CA with research and development teams in Madison, WI & San Diego, CA, and a state of the art manufacturing facility in Verona, WI. Our employees are nimble, science-driven innovators who are collaborating to bring new therapies to patients in need.
The Position
The Executive Director of Artificial Intelligence and Enterprise Data Management will lead the strategy, development, and deployment of enterprise-wide data, generative AI, and agentic AI capabilities to accelerate innovation and improve operational efficiency, while ensuring regulatory compliance. This role will serve as a key enabler across the organization, transforming fragmented data into a strategic asset and driving AI adoption across R&D, CMC, Clinical, Manufacturing, and G&A functions.
This leader will act as both a strategist and operator, educating the organization on emerging technologies, aligning cross-functional priorities, and delivering scalable AI and data solutions that create measurable business value.
This role is based onsite 5 days a week from one of Arrowhead's office locations.
Responsibilities
Enterprise AI & Data Strategy
- Define and execute a unified enterprise data and AI strategy aligned with company growth and R&D and commercialization goals
- Identify high-impact AI and data opportunities across all functions (R&D, Clinical, CMC, Manufacturing, G&A and etc.)
- Drive executive alignment on AI and data strategy, including opportunities, risks, and investment priorities
- Lead the design and implementation of an enterprise data platform enabling data integration across R&D, CMC, Clinical, and commercial domains
- Establish scalable data architecture to support real-time pipelines, advanced analytics, machine learning, agentic AI workflows, and AI-driven insights
- Enable interoperability and data sharing across previously siloed systems
AI Governance & Responsible AI
- Define and own the enterprise AI acceptable-use policy, responsible AI framework, and guardrails for LLM deployment in regulated (GxP) workflows
- Ensure alignment with emerging regulatory guidance on AI/ML (FDA AI framework, NIST AI RMF, ISO 42001) and maintain audit-ready documentation for AI systems in regulated contexts
- Establish AI model lifecycle governance including validation, performance monitoring (LLMOps), and deprecation procedures
- Partner with Legal, Compliance, and Information Security to manage AI vendor risk and data privacy obligations
Data Governance & Compliance
- Establish enterprise data governance frameworks including ownership, stewardship, data classification, quality standards, and lifecycle management
- Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements including GMP, GLP, GCP, SOX and data integrity standards
- Partner with Information Security to implement robust data protection, privacy, and AI governance guardrails
AI Enablement & Deployment
- Partner with IS and business function leaders to identify opportunities for data integration and AI-driven value creation
- Act as a bridge between technical and non-technical stakeholders to ensure adoption and impact
- Partner with business and IS leaders to prioritize, design, and deploy AI solutions that improve decision-making and operational efficiency
- Oversee development and scaling of AI agents and technology across functions such as Commercial, Finance, HR, and Legal
- Manage strategic relationships with AI vendors and development partners, including contracting, performance oversight, and alignment to enterprise standards
- Ensure all AI tools and vendors comply with security, data governance, and regulatory requirements in partnership with Information Security and Legal
Organizational Leadership
- Build and lead a high-performing, multidisciplinary team spanning data engineering, data science, AI/ML, and informatics
- Integrate and scale the existing digital workspace/agent experimentation team into a formal enterprise function
- Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning
Requirements
- 12+ years of experience in data, analytics, AI/ML, or informatics leadership roles
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, Life Sciences, or a related field.
- Proven experience building and scaling enterprise data platforms and AI capabilities
- Experience in life sciences, biotechnology, pharmaceutical industry, or technology industry
- Demonstrated success operating in regulated environments
- Experience supporting commercial-stage organizations or scaling companies
- Deep understanding of modern data architectures, cloud platforms, and AI/ML technologies
- Strong business acumen with ability to translate strategy into execution
- Experience leading cross-functional transformation initiatives
- Ability to balance innovation with risk management and compliance
Preferred
- Advanced Degree in Data Science, Engineering, Life Sciences or Business.
- Pharmaceutical industry experience
Arrowhead provides competitive salaries and an excellent benefit package.
Candidates must have current, valid authorization to work in the country where this role is located.
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Skills Required
- 12+ years of experience in data, analytics, AI/ML, or informatics leadership roles
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, Life Sciences, or a related field
- Proven experience building and scaling enterprise data platforms and AI capabilities
- Experience in life sciences, biotechnology, pharmaceutical industry, or technology industry
- Demonstrated success operating in regulated environments
- Experience supporting commercial-stage organizations or scaling companies
- Deep understanding of modern data architectures, cloud platforms, and AI/ML technologies
- Strong business acumen with ability to translate strategy into execution
- Experience leading cross-functional transformation initiatives
- Ability to balance innovation with risk management and compliance
What We Do
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals is a clinical stage, Nasdaq listed (ticker ARWR) company developing medicines that treat intractable diseases by silencing the genes that cause them. Using a broad portfolio of RNA chemistries and efficient modes of delivery, our therapies trigger the RNA interference mechanism to induce rapid, deep and durable knockdown of target genes. RNA interference, or RNAi, is a mechanism present in living cells that inhibits the expression of a specific gene, thereby affecting the production of a specific protein. Our RNAi-based therapeutics are at the leading edge of genetic-based therapy with the potential to bring life changing treatments for patients. Our Targeted RNAi Molecule (TRiMTM) platform utilizes ligand-mediated delivery and is designed to enable tissue-specific targeting while being structurally simple. The TRiM platform builds on more than a decade of work on actively targeted drug delivery and offers several advantages including simplified manufacturing and reduced costs; multiple routes of administration; and potential for improved safety. Our employees are nimble, science-driven, and innovative professionals. A career at Arrowhead offers the opportunity to collaborate with top notch scientists to rapidly discover and develop RNAi-based therapeutics to add to our growing pipeline. Research and development activities are located in Madison, WI. Our R&D group includes fully-integrated capabilities for chemistry, biology, and toxicology. Madison is an exciting and sophisticated city that includes state government, the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin, and major research organizations. Our HQ, clinical and regulatory operations are located in Pasadena, CA. Just north of Los Angeles and resting in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, Pasadena is known for its natural scenic beauty, vibrant cultural and academic environment and rich architectural setting.
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