Data Science Leader

Position Description

Job Title:             Data Science Leader
Location:            New York, NY preferred or US – Remote can be considered
Reports to:         Chief Technology Officer

Position Summary:

Are you an ambitious and mission-driven Technology Leader eager to make an impact in public health?

IAVI is seeking an ambitious Data Science Leader who will work closely with Chief Technology Officer as part of the Data and Analytics Engineering team.  The Data Science Leader will develop and implement data-driven strategies to drive business growth and enhance decision making. The Data Science Leader will help to define data management and governance strategies, collaborate on transformation projects, and leverage modern cloud data architectures to align data initiatives with organizational goals.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the design, development, and deployment of a large-scale IT ecosystem that will drive innovation in pharma R&D.
• Lead cross-functional teams in breakthrough AI/ML innovations.
• Build software to extract, transform and load data –Microsoft Fabric, Azure Data Factory, Synapse Lakehouse architecture.
• Lead the development of core platform services integrating Gen-AI, AI, and ML capabilities.
• Design and develop advanced AI solutions using Python, leveraging Lang Chain for building applications powered by LLMs.
• Build and optimize RAG pipelines using vector databases and embeddings to handle large amounts of structured and unstructured data.
• Cloud Resource Management: Manage cloud resources using infrastructure as code (e.g., ARM templates, Terraform, CloudFormation) and automation tools.
• Other tasks assigned by the Chief Technology Officer.

Education and Work Experience:

• Minimum of BS degree in computer science, Math, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field AND 10+ years’ experience in data science, software development, data modeling or data engineering work required;
• OR Advanced (MS or PhD) Degree in Computer Science, Math, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field AND 8+ years’ experience required.
• Experience with ML frameworks (e.g. scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch), cloud computing, data processing, API development, ML Ops, CI/CD pipelines, container orchestration, and coding languages is required.
• Data analytics and data engineering along with regulatory experience is preferred.

Qualifications and Skills:

• Hands on coding experience in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, or Python is required.
• Experience with security frameworks and compliance standards (SOC 1/2 , HIPAA, HiTrust, CSI, NIST) is preferred.
• Experience with Azure Machine Learning or similar systems, including deployment and monitoring of large-scale pipelines in cloud and Kubernetes environments is required.
• Expertise in Azure services including Azure Virtual Machines, Azure App Services, Azure SQL, Azure Functions, Insight/Monitor, etc, is preferred.
• Experience with ML and AL framework and libraries such as TensorFlow, sklearn, PyTorch, pandas, and transformers is preferred.
• Familiarity with DevOps practices and tools, such as Docker, Kubernetes, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Ability to perform well in a complex work environment and address numerous simultaneous requests effectively.
• Ability to deliver high-quality, accurate work within tight deadlines.
• Ability to work independently as well as function as a team player.

Organizational Overview: 

IAVI is a nonprofit scientific research organization dedicated to addressing urgent, unmet global health challenges including HIV and tuberculosis. Our mission is to translate scientific discoveries into affordable, globally accessible public health solutions. Through scientific and clinical research in Africa, India, Europe, and the U.S., IAVI is pioneering the development of biomedical innovations designed for broad global access. We develop vaccines and antibodies in and for the developing world and seek to accelerate their introduction in low-income countries. IAVI programs and partnerships are grounded in the regions of the world where the disease burden is the greatest, and our approach emphasizes sustainability. Our network of clinical research center partners in Africa and India helps strengthen in-country research capacity and supports the training and education of the next generation of scientists. The global impact of our science includes fundamental contributions to understanding the biology of HIV infection, which IAVI and others are applying toward advancing vaccine science and immunology. IAVI accelerates scientific discovery and development by fostering unique collaborations among academia, industry, local communities, governments, and funders to explore new and better ways to address public health threats that disproportionately affect people living in poverty. Our global reach, including a clinical research network in five countries in sub-Saharan Africa and in India, has allowed us to make fundamental contributions to understanding the epidemiology, transmission, virology, and immunology of HIV. This work played a key role in facilitating the design of promising HIV vaccine candidates, as well as the discovery of broadly neutralizing antibodies that are now being advanced as promising approaches for HIV prevention. Our integrated capabilities in vaccine and antibody discovery, development, and clinical research take advantage of bio-pharmaceutical industry expertise to accelerate the development and testing of prevention methods for HIV and other diseases. Through the Product Development Center, we support external researchers with technical and scientific expertise to accelerate the development of their own products.  

IAVI CORE VALUES: 

• Dedication to the Mission: We are committed to the translation of scientific discoveries into affordable, globally accessible public health solutions. 
• Innovative Evolution: We are committed to solving complex problems in creative and innovative ways, learning from our mistakes and successes and never giving up 
• Integrity: We are committed to meeting the highest ethical and professional standards in everything we do and to taking responsibility for our actions to earn respect 
• Collaboration: We are committed to embracing diversity, the power of global teamwork and the belief that by working as one we can make a difference

Disclaimer: Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and skills required of personnel so classified. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at-will” relationship. IAVI is an equal opportunity employer and applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.  

IAVI IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER actively committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive global organization. IAVI believes that diversity and inclusion among our teammates is critical, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a representative candidate pool. At IAVI, we celebrate the spectrum of colleagues’ experiences and believe that dedication to our mission above all is essential to our success as a scientific global non-profit. IAVI upholds these principles through IAVI’s Global Diversity and Inclusion Committee.  

IAVI has zero tolerance for discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, caste, national origin, home language, ancestry, religion, marital or civil partnership status, age, physical or mental disability, HIV status and any other medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and veteran status, in addition to any other status protected under the law in any of our locations worldwide. 

Compensation and Benefits Information for US-Based Candidates:   

Annual base salary for this position is: $180,000.00 - 200,000.00  

Please note, there may be some variation based on experience level. In addition, this position offers competitive benefits such as annual bonus, generous retirement savings plan, competitive health insurance benefits, and other benefits.