Senior Data Scientist

The Foundation for the National Institute of Health (FNIH) is seeking a Senior Data Officer (SDO), an executive role responsible for helping to establish and lead the organizations data strategy, governance, and infrastructure to ensure that data is a trusted, secure, and high-value asset across all programs and partnerships.

The SDO will oversee scalable data systems that enable high-quality data integration, access, and reuse across a diverse portfolio of scientific partnerships and research initiatives. This includes assisting in the oversight of Data COUNTS, the organizations role in serving as the trusted broker for NIHs federated electronic health record (EHR) data platform.

Working closely with scientific, technology, and partnership leaders, the SDO will ensure that data across the organization is standardized/harmonized, governed, secure, and accessibleenabling downstream use in research, clinical development, regulatory engagement, and publicprivate collaborations.

This position will report to the Senior Vice President of Translational Science within the Science Partnerships department (or their designated report) and is based at the FNIH offices located in North Bethesda, MD.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Data Strategy

• Help define and lead the organizations enterprise data strategy aligned with mission, scientific priorities, and growth objectives

• Position data as a strategic asset to support research, partnerships, and organizational decision-making

• Establish long-term roadmaps for data infrastructure, interoperability, and scalability

• Develop and implement enterprise-wide data governance frameworks, including data standards, quality, access, and lifecycle management

• Ensure the FNIH owned data is in compliance with privacy, security, and regulatory requirements (e.g., HIPAA, GDPR, NIST 800-171 etc. where applicable)

Data Architecture & Infrastructure for Current Use and AI Enablement

• Oversee design and implementation of modern data architecture, including cloud-based platforms, data lakes, and federated data systems as need for the FNIH research partnerships

• Ensure harmonized integration of heterogeneous data types (clinical, genomic, imaging, digital, etc.) through common data models and standards for FNIH partnerships, implementing the same standards across partnerships when relevant

• Establish infrastructure and governance to support responsible and scalable use of AI/ML across the organization

• Partner with scientific and analytics leaders to ensure data is AI-ready, high-quality, and fit for advanced modeling

• Ensure data systems and practices meet requirements for regulatory-grade data where applicable

• Support audit readiness and data traceability for research and regulatory use cases

Partnership Data Strategy

• Enable secure, compliant, and efficient data sharing across publicprivate partnerships

• Develop frameworks for multi-party data collaboration, including federated and privacy-preserving approaches

• Build trust with external partners through strong data governance and transparency

• Work with the project teams to establish clear policies for data ownership, sharing, and use across internal and external stakeholders

• Provide executive oversight of real-world evidence and AI data initiatives lead by the FNIH

Organizational Leadership

• Partner with IT, security, legal, and scientific leadership to align data strategy across the organization and its partnerships

• Drive a culture of data quality, accountability, and stewardship

• Serve as the organizations senior authority on data strategy and governance

• Communicate data strategy and progress to executive leadership, board members, and external stakeholders

• Represent the organization in external forums on data governance, interoperability, and infrastructure

Qualifications

Required

• Advanced degree (PhD, MD, MS, or equivalent) in data science, computer science, information systems, or related field

• 15+ years of experience in data leadership roles, including enterprise data strategy, governance, and architecture

• Demonstrated experience building and scaling large, complex data platforms or ecosystems

• Deep expertise in data governance, data architecture, and regulatory compliance

• Experience working with complex, multi-institutional or regulated data environments

Preferred

• Experience in biomedical research, healthcare, or life sciences

• Familiarity with real-world data sources (EHR, claims, registries) and common data models (e.g., OMOP)

• Experience enabling AI/ML at scale within an enterprise data environment

• Experience in publicprivate partnerships or multi-stakeholder collaborations

This is a hybrid position and requires regular visits to FNIH headquarters in Bethesda, MD. This position may also require occasional travel for meetings, conferences and any other relevant engagements.

At FNIH we are committed to living our core values every day. If you are excited about this role and the work of the Foundation, but your experience doesnt align perfectly with all the qualifications in the job description, we encourage you to apply nonetheless. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles at FNIH.

Compensation details: 190000-240000 Yearly Salary

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