AVP, AI & ML Applications

Overview

A global biopharmaceutical company on a mission to Solve On, Incyte follows science to find solutions for patients with unmet medical needs. Through the discovery, development, and commercialization of proprietary therapeutics, Incyte has established a portfolio of first-in-class medicines for patients and a strong pipeline of products in Hematology, Oncology and Inflammation and Autoimmunity

Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, Incyte has operations in North America, Europe, and Asia.

About Incyte

A global biopharmaceutical company on a mission to Solve On, Incyte follows science to find solutions for patients with unmet medical needs. Through the discovery, development, and commercialization of proprietary therapeutics, Incyte has established a portfolio of first-in-class medicines for patients and a strong pipeline of products in Hematology, Oncology and Inflammation & Autoimmunity. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, Incyte has operations in North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Enterprise Data and AI (EDAI) department is a new global function for Incyte. We are responsible for building Incyte’s capabilities in data, analytics, computational sciences, and AI, to enable learning, optimize decisions, improve efficiency, and accelerate the development of indispensable medicines for patients. The Associate Vice President (AVP), AI/ML Applications, leads a team of full-time employees and contractors who design and implement AI solutions to Incyte’s highest priority opportunities in partnership with all business areas of Incyte, including R&D, commercial, and operational/functional areas of our business.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic/Leadership

Develop the enterprise AI/ML capability roadmap in partnership with business leaders and customer-facing EDAI teams
Partner with the CDAIO, IT, Legal, Privacy, and other stakeholders to establish effective, ethical AI governance, and set appropriate policies and guardrails
Ensure AI solutions meet applicable regulatory, quality, and data privacy requirements, including GxP and computer system validation where relevant
Set the vision for Incyte’s agentic AI transformation, prioritizing investments to match opportunities
Lead build/buy/partner decisions for AI platforms and solutions

Delivery & Execution

Deliver high-ROI, area-specific and enterprise-scale AI solutions
Oversee central AI/ML and agentic AI development teams
Build a team and operating model that links customer-facing EDAI teams with AI solutions, tools, and platforms.
Recruit, develop, and retain a high-performing AI/ML team while fostering a culture of innovation, operational excellence and continuous improvement
Evaluate opportunities and deliver innovative, high-impact solutions in Research, Development, Regulatory Affairs, Quality, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, International and US Commercial, HR, IT, Communications, and other business areas.
Oversee development of advanced AI training content and the enterprise AI-enablement program
Serve as Incyte’s senior technical expert on AI application development
Build and support an enterprise AI/ML community of practice
Develop business-area strategy together with business executive leaders and EDAI ‘vertical’ teams
Partner with engineering and IT teams to establish safely governed and configured AI solutions and to ensure appropriate compute infrastructure for AI workloads
Evaluate and develop high-value external relationships and partnerships
Manage a budget of $5-10M

Essential

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

Experience leading teams who develop and deploy agentic, gen-AI, and predictive/ML solutions at enterprise scale, in production within R&D, Commercial, and Operational domains
Excellent communication skills. Ability to communicate technical topics to technical and non-technical audiences
Advanced degree in CS, applied mathematics, or similar quantitative science (PhD preferred)
10+ years of relevant professional experience, including at least 5 years in a biomedical or life sciences setting
7+ years of people management experience
Experience developing and participating in AI governance for a large enterprise
Track record of leading high-impact, enterprise-scale AI projects and platforms with significant
Demonstrated ability to be effective within a complex organizational structure
Ability to manage executive-level stakeholder and partner expectations and interact professionally at all levels of the organization
Curious, service-oriented, collaborative, and motivated by patient benefit
Sound judgment in prioritizing competing demands
Strong developer of talent within and outside span of control
Willing to roll up sleeves to get things done. This role will involve occasional hands-on work in addition to people management.
Strong ethical judgment and the ability to consistently represent the interests and mission of the company and the patients we serve
Experience coaching teams and stakeholders on prioritization, presenting results persuasively and accurately, delivering difficult news and saying no when required, working proactively across groups, and identifying the business need behind a request and framing it in a broader enterprise context.
Willingness to invest in understanding diverse stakeholder cultures, motivations, and practices to enable consensus-based solutions.
Rigorous attention to accuracy, quality, and compliance
Experience managing capital and operating budgets and stewarding resources effectively
Demonstrates self-awareness, professionalism, adaptability, and the ability to lead through challenging situations
Thinks and acts strategically at the enterprise level, putting company priorities ahead of individual team interests

Desirable

Relevant peer-reviewed publications in applied AI/ML
10+ years of biotech/pharmaceutical experience
Proven ability to build and leverage cross-functional and external relationships
Direct experience in various roles delivering producti