Job Description
General Summary:
Vertex is seeking an innovative and experienced leader to head the, planning and delivery of key technology capabilities to support Vertex’s expanding international organization. Vertex is in a transformational period where we are accelerating our capabilities, technology, and data to augment our scientific mission, enable Vertex to grow in scale and be on the forefront of science, medicine, and technology.
This individual will be the Data, Technology and Engineering (DTE) leader responsible for partnering with our international organization to deliver technical solutions. Additionally, this role will serve as the DTE site lead for the Paddington (UK) international headquarters (IHQ) and be the point person for all key DTE activities supporting IHQ personnel and across international country teams. Identifying current business challenges and leveraging their experience to anticipate future ones, this person will partner closely with the International Commercial team and DTE colleagues both in International and in the US to ensure that solutions address critical business needs.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
* Provide business engagement leadership and manage relationships with senior business leaders and other key business partners to anticipate, understand, and solve for critical business need at the IHQ and across international country sites.
* Provide input and influence key technical decisions with a focus on harmonizing disparate processes and technologies across business functions and geographies.
* Provide overall portfolio leadership for all technical projects supporting the international organization collaborating with the PMO to track portfolio execution and delivery.
* Provide guidance, direction, mentoring as needed to all International DTE staff.
* Support ongoing recruiting activities for international DTE and, where needed, broader international organization.
* Responsible to International leadership on DTE roadmaps, program delivery, technology operations, and budget.
* Serve as DTE escalation point and communication channel for any critical issues or outages (especially during non-US hours)
* Represent DTE on local direction, needs, and challenges, escalate issues to DTE leadership as needed.
* Serve as subject matter expert on data privacy, information security and data governance topics for international organization.
* As a people manager within the organization, has financial accountabilities and human resource responsibilities for assigned staff.
Knowledge and Skills:
* Excellent communication, interpersonal, and collaborative skills
* Expert understanding of modern Information Technology - cloud computing, DevOps, Agile methodologies, cybersecurity
* Substantial program/ project management, demand/ resource management, and system life cycle expertise
* Exceptional analytical and problem solving abilities
* Superior people management skills and proven success in building/ developing high-performing teams
* Significant depth of experience with large-scale system implementations, upgrades, and ongoing enhancements
* Proven ability to run operational support and maintenance of large technology environments effectively and efficiently
* Significant experience running IT managed services or outsourced/ offshore teams
* Significant experience working in highly regulated industries
Education and Experience:
* Bachelor's degree required preferably in technology discipline. Advanced degree preferred.
* Extensive experience as a leader in information technology or the equivalent combination of education and experience
* Extensive experience working in technology roles and in leadership positions within pharmaceutical or biotech industry.
* Excellent communication skills including the ability to produce strategic documents, present solutions to non-technical, senior leadership audience and listen effectively to understand business needs.
* Experience operating in a matrixed environment, established track record of successful cross-functional team leadership.
* A strong background in both Waterfall and Agile software development methodology
* Expertise in business process reengineering, technology implementation/optimization, and data management
* Demonstrated ability to influence and guide executive leadership decision making.
* Understanding of industry trends, directions, and challenges, especially in the EU and internationally
* Demonstrated ability to operate in a rapid growth environment.
* Strong understanding of applicable local (EU) legal and regulatory landscape