R&D Data Strategy Leader

At Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) – it all starts with animals!

As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose – all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People.

At Elanco, we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success. Here, you’ll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights.

Making animals’ lives better makes life better – join our team today!

Your Role:

As the Data Strategy Leader, you will mature and scale the strategic foundation for the R&D data lifecycle, ensuring scientific data remains a high-value asset that accelerates discovery and innovation. In this role, you will define and deliver a strategic data roadmap, establish a usable metadata strategy, and lead the transition toward a “Data-as-a-Product” mindset across the global R&D organization.

Your Responsibilities:

·       Deliver and execute a strategic data roadmap and governance framework for the R&D data lifecycle, aligned to business outcomes, AI/ML initiatives, regulatory expectations, and scientific innovation.

·       Design and implement an metadata strategy that ensures R&D data is discoverable, trusted, and structured to support high-quality analytics and AI/ML use cases.

·       Establish and manage a value-driven data quality roadmap, including KPIs that measure business impact, process recommendations, AI/ML enablement, bias mitigation, and program maturity.

·       Advance R&D data literacy by developing training and enablement resources that foster a culture of responsible, effective data utilization.

·       Lead change management and stakeholder engagement efforts to embed a “Data-as-a-Product” mindset across cross-functional R&D teams.

What You Need to Succeed (minimum qualifications):

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Data Science, Information Management, or a related field.

• Experience: 10+ years in data-centric roles, including experience in data governance, AI/ML governance, or data product management, with at least 2 years in a consultative or advisory capacity influencing senior leadership.

• Strategic Communication & Consultative Problem Solving: Proven ability to translate complex data strategies into executive-ready narratives and uncover root business needs through structured analysis.

What will give you a competitive edge (preferred qualifications):

·       Experience within R&D environments, with the ability to quickly build credibility and speak the language of scientific research teams.

·       Data experience in animal health, pharmaceutical, or regulated industries.

·       Demonstrated success influencing cross-functional teams and leading through influence in complex, matrixed organizations.

·       Strong understanding of data governance frameworks, AI risk management, and global regulations such as GDPR, CCPA, and emerging AI legislation.

·       Familiarity with metadata management, data lineage, master data strategies, and tools such as Databricks and Power BI.

Additional Information:

·        Travel: 10%

• Strategic Communication & Consultative Problem Solving: Proven ability to translate complex data strategies into executive-ready narratives and uncover root business needs through structured analysis.

Elanco is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status