Please note that this position can be based in Princeton, NJ, or San Diego, CA. Acadia's hybrid model requires this role to work in our office three days per week on average.
Position Summary
The Sr. Director, Commercial Advanced Analytics & Data Strategy is a strategic leadership role responsible for defining, building, and scaling the analytics capabilities, data strategy, and governance frameworks that enable commercial decision-making across the organization. This role ensures that high quality data, advanced analytics, and AI enabled insights are seamlessly integrated into commercial strategy, planning, launch execution, and in market optimization. The Sr. Director serves as a strategic partner cross-functionally, translating business priorities into scalable analytics products and platforms while ensuring governance, compliance, and measurable business impact.
Over time, this role will build and mature commercial advanced analytics and data capabilities, establish fit‑for‑purpose operating models, and define future talent and capability needs to support the evolving business. The role will work closely with Acadia’s AI team, which provides shared AI expertise across Commercial and R&D, as well as with IT teams responsible for enterprise data, infrastructure, and platform enablement.
Primary Responsibilities
Commercial Analytics Strategy & Leadership
Partner with Commercial leadership to define the advance analytics vision, strategy and initiatives that enables the development of scalable analytics and decision-support capabilities that drive business outcomes
Lead and govern advanced analytics projects, predictive analytics, and AI/machine learning solutions supporting brand strategy, launch planning, patient support, segmentation, targeting, omnichannel optimization, and sales effectiveness.
Enable AI-driven commercial use cases such as next-best-action, customer engagement optimization, automated forecasting, and scenario planning.
Balance innovation with rigor by ensuring analytics solutions are interpretable, validated, and compliant with internal and external requirements including privacy laws
Translate commercial business questions into analytics use cases, models, and decision frameworks.
Ensure analytics outputs and insights are actionable, adopted, and embedded into commercial planning, existing workflows, processes, systems and demonstrate measurable outcomes.
Act as a trusted advisor to Commercial leadership, influencing decisions through data-driven insights
Partner with the Enterprise AI team to identify, prioritize, and scale high-value AI and advanced analytic capabilities, solutions and governance.
Data Strategy, Governance and Cross-Functional Enablement Leadership
Establish commercial data strategy to support the organization in achieving its business objectives. This includes leading the acquisition, implementation, and evolution of the commercial data assets, including syndicated claims, EMR, prescription, HUB/SP/Partner, promotional, and digital data.
Partner cross-functionally with Enterprise Data, IT, and infrastructure teams to enable scalable data platforms, data pipelines, and tools that support analytics, AI, and self-service insights.
Oversee vendor selection and management for data sources, analytics tools, and platforms.
Establish governance frameworks for data access, analytics validation, and model lifecycle management.
Collaborate with legal/compliance teams to mitigate risk and ensure compliance with HIPAA, GDPR, CCPA, and internal data privacy and security policies.
Partner with IT data and infrastructure teams to align commercial analytics needs with enterprise architecture, platform standards, security requirements, and long-term data strategy.
Leadership & Communication
Serve as a bridge between business stakeholders and technical teams, ensuring clarity of requirements and outcomes.
Influence senior executives through concise storytelling, visualization, and business impact measurement.
Build, lead, retain and mentor a high-performing team and capability in support of advanced analytics, data acquisition, and data governance, while fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and innovation.
Assess and evolve organizational capabilities, talent, and ways of working needed to scale commercial advanced analytics over time.
Other responsibilities as assigned.
Education/Experience/Skills
Bachelor’s degree in data science, statistics, engineering, computer science, or a related field; Advanced degree (MS, PhD, or MBA) preferred. Targeting 12 years of progressively responsible experience in commercial analytics, data science, or data infrastructure data strategy, or related functions, with significant experience in biotech or pharmaceutical organizations. An equivalent combination of relevant education and experience may be considered.
Key Skills:
Advanced analytics, modeling, and visualization tool experience (AI/ML, predictive analytics (Python), SQL, R and PowerBI).
Experience working with modern data platforms and cloud technologies (e.g., Snowflake, Databricks, DataRobot, Dataiku, AWS, Azure, GCP).
Deep experience and understanding of commercial datasets, data environments, and data vendors (including Hub, Specialty Pharmacy, patient services, Veeva CRM, syndicated claims, prescriptions, payer, social media/website, Google, Facebook etc.).
Proven ability to lead cross-functional AI/ML and Analytical initiatives and influence senior stakeholders and to drive adoption of analytic solutions.
Solid understanding of pharmaceutical commercialization concepts including launches, brand planning, and lifecycle management.
Demonstrated experience in leading data governance initiatives and processes.
Demonstrated ability to design and communicate complex systems and analytical solutions to both technical and non-technical audiences, aligning resources and execution to achieve functional and enterprise goals.
Proven abilities with executive-level communication, data storytelling, and change leadership.
Demonstrated impact of analytics on commercial strategy, decision making, performance, and ROI.
Proven ability to lead, coach, and develop talent while building organizational capability in a fast-evolving environment.
Experience partnering effectively with cross-functional partners and business stakeholders to deliver scalable analytics solutions.
Ability to balance strategic vision with hands-on prioritization and execution in fast past environment.
Physical Requirements
This role involves regular standing, walking, sitting, and the use of hands for handling or operating equipment. The employee may also need to reach, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, and maintain visual, verbal, and auditory communication in a standard office environment and while working independently from remote locations. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. This position requires the ability to travel independently overnight and/or work after hours as required by travel schedules or business needs.
In addition to a competitive base salary, this position is also eligible for discretionary bonus and equity awards based on factors such as individual and organizational performance. Actual amounts will vary depending on experience, performance, and location.
What we offer US-based Employees:
- Competitive base, bonus, new hire and ongoing equity packages
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- Employer-paid life, disability, business travel and EAP coverage
- 401(k) Plan with a fully vested company match 1:1 up to 5%
- Employee Stock Purchase Plan with a 2-year purchase price lock-in
- 15+ vacation days
- 13 -15 paid holidays, including office closure between December 24th and January 1st
- 10 days of paid sick time
- Paid parental leave benefit
- Tuition assistance
EEO Statement (US-based Employees): Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every one of the qualifications in the exact way they are described in job postings. We are committed to building a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and innovative company, and we are looking for the BEST candidate for the job. That candidate may be one who comes from a less traditional background or may meet the qualifications in a different way. We strongly encourage you to apply, especially if the reason you are the best candidate isn’t exactly what we describe here.
It is the policy of Acadia to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and employment applicants without regard to considerations of race, including related to hairstyle, color, religion or religious creed, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, gender transition, country of origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, legally-protected medical condition or information, marital status, domestic partner status, family care status, military caregiver status, veteran or military status (including reserve status, National Guard status, and military service or obligation), status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, enrollment in a public assistance program, or any basis protected under federal, state or local law.
As an equal opportunity employer, Acadia is committed to a diverse workforce. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation. Furthermore, you may request additional support if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access Acadia’s career website due to your disability, along with any accommodations throughout the interview process. To request or inquire about your reasonable accommodation, please complete our Reasonable Accommodation Request Form or contact us at talentacquisition@acadia-pharm.com or 858-261-2923.
Please note that reasonable accommodations granted throughout the recruiting process are not guaranteed to be the same accommodations given if hired. A new request will need to be submitted for any ADA accommodations after starting employment.
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