Director of AI Engineering Pfizer R&D

Where frontier AI meets world-class science to accelerate medicines to patients

Pfizer is building an AI-first R&D engine—one where AI is not a support function, but a core scientific capability shaping how medicines are discovered, developed, and delivered.

We are recruiting AI Engineers to be embedded into the various scientific disciplines of R&D including, Target Discovery, Medicinal and Biomedicine Design, ADME (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion), Translational & Genomics Medicine, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Preclinical Toxicology, Clinical Trial Design & Execution, Medical Functions, Real World Experience, Global Regulatory functions, Safety and Pharmacovigilance. You will help drive the discovery and development of Pfizer’s next generation of breakthrough medicines. These roles will be hired across the R&D organization- Preclinical & Translational Sciences, Inflammation & Immunology and Clinical Development Operations.

As a Director of AI Engineering, embedded within one of our core scientific disciplines, you’ll work shoulder-to-shoulder with leading scientists and clinicians to translate complex biology into new therapies, supported by AI models. Your models won’t live in notebooks—they’ll influence molecules selected, studies designed, and patients treated.

If you’re a rising AI technical leader (2–5 years post-graduate training) from a top research environment who thrives at the intersection of AI, biology, and real-world impact, this is an opportunity to help define how AI is applied and practiced in modern medicine, potentially impacting the lives’ of patients globally.

What you’ll do (you could be involved in one or more of these tasks, pending your expertise and interests) :

• Build AI that directly shapes R&D decisions

Design, develop, and scale production-grade AI systems embedded in drug discovery and development programs—where model outputs inform choices on molecules, experiments, trials, and patient access to clinical trials.

From molecular optimization and experimental design to clinical trial simulation, patient stratification, and operational forecasting—take ideas from concept through validation, deployment, and measurable value.

Apply state-of-the-art generative approaches to molecular and protein engineering. Prototype quickly, evaluate rigorously, and deploy responsibly in high-stakes scientific contexts.

Architect robust pipelines with modern MLOps : cloud and HPC environments, distributed training, reproducibility, governance, and observability—designed for scientific credibility and operational scale. Automate and standardize the entire lifecycle of ML systems, from initial development to long-term production maintenance, providing compliance and an audit trail.

Integrate multimodal data—omics, imaging, real-world evidence, and scientific literature—into representations that surface biological insight and guide experimental and clinical strategy.

Partner with scientific and strategy leaders to model uncertainty, run scenario analyses, and optimize resource allocation across a complex R&D portfolio.

Continuously assess emerging AI methods and tools, translating advances into practical, defensible applications for a specific R&D discipline

Mentor scientists and engineers, foster hands-on curiosity, and help build a culture where rigorous experimentation and learning are the norm.

Publish, present, and engage with the broader AI and life-sciences community at leading conferences and forums.

What you’ll bring

Ready to build AI that changes patient lives?

If you’re excited to take ownership of high-impact AI systems, work alongside exceptional scientists, and help define the future of AI-driven medicine, we’d love to connect.

Where will you be located :

We are fostering an on-site environment for maximal colleague interactions at one of our major innovation hubs, including Kendall Sq, Cambridge, MA; Groton, CT; La Jolla, CA; Bothell / Seattle, WA; and Thessaloniki, Greece

Work Location Assignment : This is a hybrid role requiring you to live within commuting distance and work on-site an average of 2.5 days per week.

Relocation assistance may be available based on business needs and / or eligibility.

Sunshine Act

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EEO & Employment Eligibility

Pfizer is committed to equal opportunity in the terms and conditions of employment for all employees and job applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender identity or gender expression, national origin, disability or veteran status. Pfizer also complies with all applicable national, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements of the Immigration and Nationality Act and IRCA. Pfizer is an E-Verify employer. This position requires permanent work authorization in the United States.

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