Associate Principal IT Product Lead - Technical Services

Summary / Job Purpose

The Associate Principal IT Product Lead – Digital Applications will lead a portfolio of digital products critical to Exelixis’s success and ambition to launch innovative medicines. The role drives 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. Within a product‑centric model, the lead will define product roadmaps, foster cross‑functional collaboration, and lead agile product teams to deliver innovative digital solutions that accelerate drug discovery, development, and commercialization.

• Product Strategy & Roadmap – Own a portfolio of products and develop the vision, strategy, and roadmap for in‑scope digital products (e.g., Clinical Trials Applications, R&D Informatics, Commercial Operations Platforms). Partner with senior product leads and business stakeholders to translate user needs into clear product requirements and user stories. Lead market research, competitive analysis and technology assessments to inform product planning and identify innovation opportunities.
  
  Prioritize initiatives based on business impact, technical feasibility and compliance needs.
• Product Development & Delivery – Own the product lifecycle from ideation through launch and post‑launch optimization, applying Agile methods (Scrum, Kanban). Ensure user stories and acceptance criteria are well defined and aligned with the product vision. Coordinate with engineering, architecture and QA teams for timely delivery of scalable, secure, high‑quality applications. Manage external vendors and service providers to support product roadmaps.
  
  Promote user‑centric design through research, usability testing and feedback.
• Stakeholder Management & Cross‑Functional Collaboration – Act as key liaison between IT and business functions, translating technical concepts into business language and vice versa. Build collaborative relationships with stakeholders to align product vision and priorities across multiple functional areas. Facilitate communication and coordination across product, business and IT teams to support effective decision‑making.
• Operational Excellence, Quality & Compliance – Lead maintenance of operational stability, performance and security of digital applications in partnership with IT operations and infrastructure teams. Manage vendor relationships and third‑party software solutions. Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements (GxP, HIPAA, GDPR) and internal quality and security standards across product releases. Report on KPIs to assess product success, adoption and business impact.

No supervisory responsibilities.

• Education – Bachelor’s degree in a related discipline with 11 years of experience; or Master’s degree in mathematics, statistics or engineering with 9 years of experience; or PhD with 5 years of experience. Equivalent combinations of education and experience also acceptable.
• Experience – Minimum 6 years supporting Enterprise IT enabling business functions. Minimum 8+ years of progressive IT experience, with at least 6+ years in a leadership role focused on digital applications or product management within life science or pharmaceutical industry. Proven experience leading product development teams in an agile/product‑centric model. Strong understanding of drug discovery, clinical development or commercialization lifecycle within a pharma or biotech company.
  
  Success in delivering complex digital products that drive significant business value. Knowledge of SaaS or cloud platforms (e.g., Veeva, Salesforce, AWS, Azure) and functional capabilities common in pharma (LIMS, SAP ERP, EDC, CTMS, CRM). Regulatory framework and GxP compliance experience.
• Knowledge & Skills – Exceptional leadership and team‑building skills. Strong strategic thinking and problem‑solving abilities with data‑driven decision making. Excellent communication, presentation and interpersonal skills, influencing and collaborating at all levels. Deep understanding of product…