Vice President of Engineering - Certara

About Certara 

Certara is a growing company that provides a dynamic and exciting place to work. Our purpose is to assist in accelerating the development of meaningful medicines that make an impact on our society and the people that need them most. Innovation and creativity are highly valued, and everyone is given the opportunity for training and continuous development. Our portfolio spans the discovery, preclinical, clinical and post-marketing phases of drug development, working with 1,200 commercial companies, 250 academic institutions, and numerous regulatory agencies.    

Certara is focused on the use of model-informed drug development to supplement or replace traditional drug development processes with in silico approaches which include modeling and simulation, clinical trial simulation, real-world evidence generation, paired with extensive drug development, regulatory and market access expertise.

Our Vice President of Engineering holds a key leadership position within our organization, responsible for driving the strategic direction and operational excellence of our software development and deployment processes. They play a role in shaping our DevOps strategy, leading a talented team of engineers, and overseeing critical aspects of our technology infrastructure. Their contributions will be instrumental in ensuring the reliability, scalability, and security of our clinical trial workflow platform. You will be responsible for the leadership, management, growth, and execution of the engineering team and given appropriate resources to accomplish the company’s goals.

• Engineering Leadership and Strategy: Provide strategic direction and leadership for our engineering organization, overseeing the development of our clinical workflow platform. Define and execute a roadmap for technology initiatives, aligning engineering efforts with company goals and customer needs. Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and excellence within the engineering team, driving continuous improvement and operational efficiency.
• Product Development and Delivery: Lead the end-to-end product development lifecycle, from inception and design to implementation and delivery, ensuring the timely release of high-quality software solutions. Collaborate closely with product management and design teams to translate customer requirements into scalable, user-centric features and enhancements. Establish and enforce best practices for software development, quality assurance, and release management to maintain high standards of reliability and performance.
• Technical Excellence and Innovation: Drive technical innovation and excellence across our engineering organization, staying abreast of industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices. Foster a culture of experimentation and learning, encouraging engineers to explore new technologies, tools, and methodologies to drive innovation and efficiency. Champion the adoption of agile development practices, DevOps principles, and continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines to accelerate time-to-market and improve product quality.
• Team Building and Talent Development: Recruit, retain, and develop top engineering talent, building a diverse and inclusive team that reflects our values and fosters creativity and collaboration. Provide mentorship, coaching, and career development opportunities to help engineers grow and advance in their careers. Create a supportive and empowering environment where engineers feel valued, motivated, and inspired to do their best work.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including product management, design, sales, and customer success, to ensure alignment and drive successful outcomes. Act as a liaison between engineering and other departments, advocating for engineering priorities and facilitating communication and collaboration across teams. Build strong relationships with key stakeholders, including customers, partners, and industry organizations, to drive innovation and deliver value to our customers.

• Have 10+ years of professional development experience
• Department head or business-unit leadership experience
• Deep technical expertise in software development methodologies, architecture, and technologies, with proficiency in languages such as Java, Python, or C++.
• Familiarity with modern software development practices, including agile methodologies, DevOps principles, and continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines.
• Experience with database technologies (SQL, NoSQL), web development frameworks, and microservices architecture.
• Track record of successfully navigating challenges and overcoming obstacles to deliver high-quality software solutions that meet customer needs.
• Knowledge of regulatory compliance requirements relevant to the life science and clinical trial industry, such as CDISC, HIPAA, GDPR, FDA regulations, etc.
• Strong communication skills including client communication
• Experience working closely with sales, marketing, and customer success teams to understand customer needs, gather feedback, and drive product innovation.
• Minimum of Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field; MBA or equivalent

Certara bases all employment-related decision on merit, taking into consideration qualifications, skills, achievement, and performance. We treat all applicants and employees without regard to personal characteristics such as race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, nationality, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental condition, genetic information, military service, or other characteristic protected by law.