Director, Data Science & AI/ML - Animal Health
Boehringer Ingelheim
Summary
The Director, Data Science & AI/ML leads the development and adoption of advanced analytical capabilities across Commercial Excellence within Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health US. Reporting to the VP, Commercial Excellence, this leader connects business priorities with scientific expertise to solve complex challenges and deliver measurable value across species businesses and commercial functions.
Job description
The role combines strong business acumen, people leadership and analytical judgment. You will lead a multidisciplinary team and co-create analytical products and services with business partners, taking accountability for their roadmap, launch, adoption and continuous evolution. Through close partnership with IT, you will facilitate their industrialization, integration and scaling.
Duties & Responsibilities
- Shape the strategy and portfolio. Define and execute the Data Science and AI/ML roadmap across Commercial Excellence. Translate business challenges into clearly scoped initiatives, prioritize investment based on expected value and feasibility, and establish measurable success criteria.
- Advance customer understanding and commercial action. Lead behavioral segmentation and predictive modeling across customer potential, propensity, retention, churn and lifetime value. Connect these capabilities to targeting, personalization, next-best-action and resource allocation.
- Solve complex business challenges. Apply predictive and prescriptive analytics, experimentation, causal methods, simulation and optimization to improve commercial decisions, customer experiences and operational effectiveness.
- Unlock value from diverse data. Combine structured and unstructured information, including transactions, engagement signals, field notes, customer feedback and documents, to generate actionable intelligence. Evaluate opportunities for generative and agentic AI where they address a clear business need.
- Own analytical products and services. Co-create solutions with Commercial Excellence and species businesses, managing their lifecycle from discovery and prioritization through validation, launch, adoption, continuous improvement and retirement. Partner with IT to facilitate industrialization and sustainable integration into business processes.
- Deliver and demonstrate business impact. Establish business cases and track adoption, incremental value, decision quality and efficiency. Communicate results and limitations clearly, and adjust the portfolio as evidence and priorities evolve.
- Build a business-oriented team. Recruit, coach and develop talent that combines scientific rigor with commercial understanding. Guide analytical approaches, challenge assumptions and ensure appropriate validation, explainability and responsible use.
- Lead change and capability development. Stay current with emerging methods and industry practices, translating relevant advances into practical capabilities. Act as a change agent within and beyond Commercial Excellence, building confidence and adoption through executive communication, collaboration and education.
Requirements
- Advanced degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Data Science or a related quantitative discipline
- Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in applied data science, advanced analytics or AI/ML
- Demonstrated people leadership and delivery of complex cross-functional initiatives
- Experience in Animal Health, life sciences, healthcare or other complex commercial environments
- Strong business and financial acumen including P&L drivers, customer economics, margins, ROI and investment prioritization
- Demonstrated experience translating behavioral segmentation, predictive analytics and other advanced methods into commercial actions and measurable outcomes
- Experience generating business value from structured and unstructured data with sound judgment on data quality
- Working knowledge of Python, SQL and relevant analytical tools
- Proven ownership of analytical or AI products through launch, adoption and continuous improvement
- Strong executive communication, storytelling and stakeholder influence
- Demonstrated ability to develop multidisciplinary teams
- Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without restriction
- Must be willing to take a drug test and post-offer physical (if required)
- Must be 18 years of age or older
Benefits
- Competitive compensation
- Work-life balance
- Networking opportunities
- Professional development
Company overview
Boehringer Ingelheim is a leading global research-driven biopharmaceutical company founded in 1885 and headquartered in Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany. As one of the world's top 20 pharmaceutical companies and the largest privately-owned pharmaceutical firm, it operates across three main business areas: Human Pharma, Animal Health, and Biopharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing. The company focuses on developing innovative therapies for diseases with high unmet medical needs, including cardiometabolic diseases, oncology, respiratory diseases, immunology, central nervous system disorders, and retinal health. With over 54,500 employees across 78 countries, Boehringer Ingelheim generated approximately €26.8 billion in revenue in 2024. The company maintains a strong research and development network with facilities in Germany, the United States, Austria, Japan, and Switzerland, investing significantly in advancing treatments for both human and animal health. Notable products include Jardiance (empagliflozin) for diabetes, Ofev (nintedanib) for pulmonary fibrosis, Spiriva (tiotropium) for respiratory conditions, and Pradaxa (dabigatran) for anticoagulation therapy.