Data Program Lead- Global Data Network (GDN)

About the Role

We're looking for a highly organized, relationship-driven Data Program Lead to own the sourcing, scoping, contracting, and quality of datasets delivered through the GDN. You'll sit at the intersection of our global data partner network and our commercial team — translating client research needs into precise cohort and data requirements, negotiating and managing partner data agreements, working with global data providers to source and package data, and ensuring everything that reaches a client meets Velsera's standard for regulatory-grade quality. This role reports to the SVP of Sales, Life Sciences and Global Data Networks.

Key Responsibilities

Data Partner Relationship Management

• Serve as a primary point of contact for a portfolio of global data partners (health systems, biobanks, academic medical centers, and registries) contributing to the GDN
• Build and maintain trusted, long-term relationships with partner site data teams, ensuring smooth, ongoing collaboration
• Track and manage partner-specific data governance requirements and compliance obligations
• Monitor partner performance against turnaround time (TAT) commitments and proactively resolve delays or bottlenecks

Partner Contract Negotiation & Ownership

• Lead negotiation of data use agreements (DUAs), data partner contracts, and renewal terms with global data providers
• Partner with Legal and Compliance to ensure all agreements meet regulatory, privacy, and data governance standards (HIPAA, GDPR, or equivalent)
• Own the full contract lifecycle for assigned partners — drafting, redlining, executing, and tracking renewal/expiration timelines
• Structure flexible engagement terms (multi-year collaborations vs. short-term access) that balance partner sustainability with commercial speed

Cohort Scoping & Data Sourcing

• Work directly with the commercial team and clients to translate research questions into precise, well-defined cohort and dataset specifications (e.g., diagnosis, biomarker, treatment history, WES/WGS/RNA-Seq, proteomics, longitudinal EMR)
• Identify which data partners across the network can fulfill a given request, and coordinate the sourcing process end-to-end
• Support flexible engagement models, from short-term, single-cohort requests to multi-year longitudinal collaborations

Data Review & Quality Packaging

• Review sourced datasets for completeness, accuracy, and fitness for purpose before delivery
• Coordinate harmonization of multimodal data (clinical, genomic, imaging, pathology) into a client-ready, curated package
• Partner with Velsera's data scientists and domain experts to resolve data quality issues, gaps, or inconsistencies
• Maintain documentation and QC records to support the regulatory-grade standard clients expect

Turnaround Time (TAT) & Project Management

• Own project timelines from initial request through data delivery, keeping internal stakeholders and data partners aligned
• Proactively flag risks to TAT and drive mitigation plans to keep delivery on track (Velsera's benchmark: 80% of data requests fulfilled within weeks)
• Provide regular status updates and reporting to the SVP and commercial team
• Continuously identify process improvements to reduce sourcing, contracting, and delivery time across the network

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Act as the connective tissue between Commercial, Data Science, Legal/Compliance, and external data partners
• Support the commercial team in pre-sales scoping conversations by advising on data feasibility, contract terms, and realistic timelines
• Contribute to the ongoing growth and quality of the GDN partner network by surfacing gaps or new partnership opportunities

Required

• Bachelor's degree in life sciences, health informatics, public health, data science, or a related technical field (or equivalent work experience)
• 5-7 years of experience in program/project management, data operations, clinical data management, or a similar role within life sciences, real-world data (RWD), or healthcare data environments
• Experience supporting or leading contract/agreement negotiations (e.g., data use agreements, vendor or partner contracts)
• Working knowledge of clinical and genomic data types (EMR/EHR, WES, WGS, RNA-Seq, proteomics, pathology, radiology) and how they're used in research contexts
• Understanding of data quality principles, cohort/stratification concepts, and data harmonization challenges across multimodal sources
• Familiarity with data privacy, de-identification standards, and regulatory considerations relevant to healthcare data (HIPAA, GDPR, or equivalent)
• Strong project management skills — able to manage multiple concurrent requests, timelines, and stakeholders without losing track of detail
• Excellent relationship-building and communication skills, with comfort operating across technical (data science), commercial, legal, and external partner audiences
• Self-directed, detail-oriented, and comfortable in a fast-moving, federated, multi-partner environment

Preferred

• Experience working with federated data networks, biobanks, or multi-institution data consortia
• Background in genomics, bioinformatics, or clinical research coordination
• Experience with IRB processes or research governance
• Prior experience supporting a commercial or business development team from a technical/data operations seat