Senior Staff IT Product Lead - Digital Applications (Market Access)
Exelixis
Summary
The Senior Staff IT Product Lead - Digital Applications will lead a portfolio of digital products critical to Exelixis's success and ambition to launch innovative medicines for patients. This role is pivotal in driving the strategy, development, and operational excellence of our digital application ecosystem, ensuring alignment with business objectives and a strong focus on user experience and value delivery. Operating within a product-centric model, the Senior Staff IT Product Lead will be responsible for defining product roadmaps, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and leading agile product teams to deliver innovative and impactful digital solutions that accelerate drug discovery, development, and commercialization.
Job description
Product Strategy & Roadmap
- Own two or more digital products coupled with a thorough understanding and execution of the vision and strategy for those digital products within the Digital Applications job family (e.g., Clinical Trials Applications, R&D Informatics, Commercial Operations Platforms).
- Work with business owners and stakeholders to gather user needs and drive the development of product requirements and user stories.
- Support other leads in market research and technology reviews to support product planning and identify potential areas for improvement.
- Evaluate product initiatives by helping assess business value, technical feasibility, and compliance considerations.
- Own the architecture and design of one or two products and ensure digital solutions are aligned with enterprise design and security standards.
Product Development & Delivery
- Own product development activities across one or more digital products through the lifecycle—from concept to launch and post-launch support—using Agile practices (e.g., Scrum, Kanban).
- Draft user stories and acceptance criteria across two or more digital products.
- Collaborate with engineering, architecture, and QA teams to support the delivery of secure, scalable, and high-quality digital applications.
- Coordinate with vendors and service providers to support product delivery timelines and operational needs across two or more digital products.
- Improve user experience across one or more digital products by incorporating feedback from usability testing and end user research.
Stakeholder Management & Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Support communication between IT and business teams by helping translate technical concepts into business-friendly language across two or more functional areas.
- Build working relationships with stakeholders to support alignment on product goals and deliverables across two or more functional areas.
- Actively contribute in team meetings and cross-functional discussions to stay aligned on priorities and progress.
- Own planning sessions and provide input on product-related decisions as appropriate to two or more digital products.
Operational Excellence, Quality & Compliance
- Maintain the stability, performance, and security of digital applications in collaboration with IT operations and infrastructure teams.
- Manage vendor interactions and support the use of third-party software solutions.
- Support compliance efforts by helping ensure product features and processes meet regulatory and internal standards (e.g., GxP, HIPAA, GDPR).
- Support quality assurance activities to help ensure product deliverables meet expectations to two or more digital products.
- Implement and maintain robust data management & AI practices to protect sensitive information and ensure its accuracy and reliability to two or more digital products.
- Monitor product performance metrics and KPIs to support continuous improvement efforts to two or more digital products.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in related discipline and 9 years of related experience; or Master's degree in mathematics or statistics or engineering and 7 years of related experience; or PhD in a related discipline and 5 years of related experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience
- Minimum of 5 years of experience supporting Enterprise IT enabling business functions
- Minimum of 7+ years of progressive experience in IT, focused on digital applications or product management within the life science or pharmaceutical industry
- Proven experience leading product development teams in an agile/product-centric operating model
- Strong understanding of the drug discovery, clinical development, or commercialization lifecycle within a pharmaceutical or biotechnology company
- Demonstrated success in defining and delivering complex digital products that drive significant business value
- Experience with SaaS platforms (Veeva, Salesforce) or cloud solutions (AWS, Azure), or functional capabilities such as LIMS, SAP ERP, EDC, CTMS, CRM systems
- Experience with regulatory frameworks and compliance in a GxP environment
- Strong understanding of Patient Assistance Program operations, GPO rebate management, government pricing programs (340B, Medicaid Rebates, Medicare Part D), and commercial contracting methodologies
- Hands-on experience with ETL/ELT technologies, data lakes, data warehousing, data orchestration platforms (dbt), CRM platforms, business intelligence platforms, master data management, and AI and intelligent automation technologies
- Knowledge of industry data providers such as IQVIA, Symphony Health, Komodo, MMIT, Definitive Healthcare, or similar ecosystems
- Exceptional leadership and team-building skills
- Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities with a data-driven approach
- Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills
- Deep understanding of product management methodologies (e.g., Agile, Scrum, Kanban) and product lifecycle management
- Solid technical acumen with the ability to understand complex IT architectures and development processes
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
Benefits
- 401(k) Matching
- Medical, Dental & Vision
- Life & Disability Insurance
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Discretionary Annual Bonus
- Company Stock Purchase
- Long-Term Incentives
- 15 Vacation Days
- 17 Paid Holidays
- Up to 10 Sick Days
Company overview
Exelixis, Inc. is an oncology-focused biotechnology company headquartered in Alameda, California, that specializes in the discovery, development, and commercialization of innovative cancer treatments. Founded in 1994, the company has evolved into a multi-platform cancer organization with a proven track record in the challenging biotech sector. Exelixis is best known for its flagship molecule cabozantinib, an inhibitor of multiple tyrosine kinases including MET, AXL, VEGF receptors, and RET, which has led to several approved drugs for difficult-to-treat cancers. The company's portfolio includes four approved drugs, with two derived from cabozantinib, and it maintains a robust pipeline of next-generation cancer treatments. With approximately 1,500 employees across five continents, Exelixis operates as a publicly traded company (NASDAQ: EXEL) and has established strategic alliances with major pharmaceutical and biotechnology partners. The company's mission centers on transforming science into new treatments that give cancer patients and their families hope for the future, with every employee united in this ambitious cause.