Head of Data Engineering & Factory

Job Description Summary

Job Title: Head of Data Engineering & Factory
#LI-Hybrid
Location: Cambridge, USA
Relocation Support: This role is based in Cambridge, USA. Novartis is unable to offer relocation support: please only apply if accessible.

Ready to shape how data powers scientific breakthroughs? As Head of Data Engineering & Factory, you will lead the vision and evolution of a cutting-edge Data Product Factory-transforming how scalable, artificial intelligence-ready data products are built, delivered, and consumed across Biomedical Research. This is a high-impact leadership role where you will combine deep technical expertise with strategic thinking to industrialize data engineering, accelerate innovation through automation and artificial intelligence, and enable a truly data-centric organization. You will work at the forefront of modern engineering practices, driving measurable outcomes while empowering teams to build reliable, high-quality data products at scale.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

• Define and execute the vision, roadmap, and operating model for the Data Product Factory
• Lead industrialization of scalable, production-grade data product engineering across Biomedical Research domains
• Drive adoption of standardized engineering patterns, reusable blueprints, and contract-first design principles
• Ensure all data products are artificial intelligence-ready with standardized interfaces, metadata, and controlled access mechanisms
• Lead modernization of engineering practices using automation-first and artificial intelligence-native approaches
• Oversee end-to-end lifecycle of data products including build, certification, deployment, and deprecation
• Establish and scale continuous integration, continuous deployment, and development and operations capabilities across platforms
• Embed governance, security, lineage, and policy-as-code into engineering workflows by design
• Build and lead high-performing engineering teams, driving technical excellence and organizational capability growth
• Partner with domain and platform leaders to align business priorities with engineering delivery outcomes

Essential Requirements

• Over 10 years of experience in software engineering, platform architecture, or enterprise data infrastructure
• Proven track record building and scaling enterprise data platforms or productized data systems
• Strong experience leading engineering teams within complex, matrixed organizational environments
• Deep expertise in continuous integration, continuous deployment, and automated testing practices in production environments
• Demonstrated experience embedding governance, access control, lineage, and compliance within engineering workflows
• Experience enabling artificial intelligence use cases through well-designed data products, interfaces, and metadata frameworks
• Strong ability to apply automation and artificial intelligence to improve engineering productivity and operational efficiency
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills with proven experience influencing senior leadership

Desirable Requirements

• Experience designing agent-compatible interfaces, metadata frameworks, and retrieval-augmented data access patterns
• Proven success mentoring multidisciplinary engineering teams across platform, data, quality, and artificial intelligence domains

The salary for this position is expected to range between 1,76,400.00 - 3,27,600.00 USD per year.

The final salary offered is determined based on factors such as relevant skills and experience, and will be reviewed periodically upon joining Novartis. Novartis may update the published salary range based on company and market factors.

Your compensation will include a performance-based cash incentive and, depending on the level of the role, eligibility for annual equity awards.

US-based eligible associates receive a comprehensive benefits package that includes health, life, and disability coverage, a 401(k) plan with company contribution and matching, and a range of additional benefits. Associates are also eligible for a generous time-off package, including vacation, personal days, holidays, and other leave options.

EEO Statement:

The Novartis Group of Companies are Equal Opportunity Employers. We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.

Accessibility and reasonable accommodations

The Novartis Group of Companies are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, or to perform the essential functions of a position, please send an e-mail to View email address on click.appcast.io or call View phone number on click.appcast.io and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Please include the job requisition number in your message.

Salary Range

$1,76,400.00 - $3,27,600.00

Skills Desired

Clinical Trials, Data Architecture, Data Governance, Data Integration, Data Management, Data Products, Data Quality, Data Science, Data Strategy, Drug Development, Global Project Management, Operations, People Management