R&D Senior Product Owner Data Governance and Semantics (Parma, IT)

About us

Based in Parma, Italy, Chiesi is an international research-focused pharmaceutical and healthcare group with 90 years’ experience, operating in 31 countries with more than 7,000 employees (Chiesi Group). To achieve its mission of improving people’s quality of life by acting responsibly towards society and the environment, the Group researches, develops and markets innovative drugs in its main therapeutic areas: Discover more here

We are proud to be the largest global pharmaceutical group to be awarded B Corp Certification, a recognition of high social and environmental standards. We are a reliable company that adopts and promotes a transparent and ethical behavior at all levels.

We believe that the success of Chiesi is built and shaped by our people and our strong set of shared Values and Behaviors. Our people make a critical difference to our success, which is why it is vital that we attract and retain the right talent who will continue to enrich our culture by living and breathing our values and behaviors.

In fact, we are a global family made up of different cultures, different genders, generations, ethnicities, abilities, sexual identities and many other enriching diversities.

Chiesi Research & Development

Our R&D team represents a fundamental asset for the business. It is divided into integrated functional areas focusing on pipeline projects including discovery and preclinical research, global technical development, drug delivery technology, clinical development, regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance, intellectual property, quality assurance, R&D project and portfolio management.  Headquartered in the new purpose-built and fully integrated Research and Development Centre in Parma (Italy), the team also has important operations in Paris (France), Chippenham (UK), Cary (US), Stockholm (Sweden), Toronto (Canada) and Shanghai (China).

Who we are looking for

Job Context

As part of Chiesi’s global R&D transformation, we are building a unified R&D Data Ecosystem anchored by the creation of a next-generation central repository, data governance, and semantic platforms. This strategic initiative aims to bring together people, platforms, and processes to establish a trusted, connected, and intelligent data foundation for entire R&D.

By harmonizing data products enablement, governance, and semantics, we will enable consistent understanding and interoperability of scientific and operational data across domains, empowering insights, and cross-functional collaboration, turning fragmented information into a strategic asset.

The R&D Data Strategy, Enablement & Governance will oversee the management and governance of Chiesi's R&D data ecosystem and facilitate the entire cultural shift within R&D.

This is what you will do

The R&D senior product owner Data governance and semantics will lead data knowledge management strategy and execution for data governance and semantics to maximize the value of R&D Data. This role is both strategic and hands-on:

you will define the semantic and quality aspect of the R&D Data Pipeline through metadata definitions, Data Catalogues creation, ontologies, knowledge graph and quality observability that make R&D data organized, discoverable and reliable.

In collaboration with R&D functional SME and GICT, you establish and enforce governance processes, ensuring that R&D Data Pipeline is consuming high quality Data to drive new insights. Your influence will span scientific, and GICT teams as you champion a data-driven culture across R&D.

You will be responsible for

1.    Semantic & Knowledge Strategy:

- Lead the creation of semantic layer, data model, and ontologies that unify R&D data ecosystem with focus on clinical data domains.

- Architect a knowledge graph that integrates heterogeneous R&D data.

- Ensure metadata and business glossaries are linked and machine-readable, enabling advanced data discovery and AI-driven insights.

2.     R&D Meta Data and Standardization:

- Develop and implement a comprehensive R&D data governance framework.

- Define policies, standards and best practices for data stewardship (roles, ownership, quality rules).

- Work closely with functional SME (e.g. clinical, safety, CMC) to ensure data is defined, documented and maintained according to governance policies aligned with Chiesi Global guideline.

- Promote adoption of ALCOA+/FAIR principles.

3.   Data Product Ownership:

- Define product requirements, prioritize features, and manage the backlog for data sets delivered by the engineering team.

- Collaborate with engineers to oversee pipeline and schema changes so that outputs meet the needs of end users.

- Monitor product KPIs (data quality scores, usage metrics) and iterate on enhancements.

4.   Data Quality Management:

- Establish R&D data quality frameworks: set validation rules, quality metrics and automated monitoring to ensure integrity of critical data.

- Integrate data quality checks (profiling, anomaly detection) into pipelines and alert stewards on exceptions.

5.    Stakeholder Engagement & Leadership:

- Communicate the value of data governance and semantic initiatives at all levels.

- Influence leaders by demonstrating how structured data and knowledge graphs improve research productivity and compliance.

- Act as a mentor and ambassador, resolving conflicts and balancing technical and business priorities.

6.    Continuous Improvement:

- Establish metrics to track governance effectiveness (e.g. percentage of approved metadata, data quality improvements).

- Review and refine governance policies over time.

- Stay current on industry trends and recommend enhancements to processes and tools for continuous digital transformation of R&D.

You will need to have

Advanced degree (Master’s/PhD) in Life Sciences, Data Science, or a related field.

Minimum of 5 years of experience in R&D clinical domain

Proven hands-on experience designing and implementing solutions in complex R&D environment.

Minimum of 3 years of experience in a Product Owner or similar strategic role, managing a product backlog and roadmap.

Strong background in data modeling techniques.

Experience working in the Pharmaceutical R&D or Life Sciences domain is highly preferred, with an understanding of R&D data flows and regulatory requirements.

Technical Skills: Strong expertise in graph databases, semantic, and ontology platforms (e.g. neo4j, snowflake). Experience with data governance and metadata tools (e.g. Informatica),

Data Quality Management and data transformation (design and implementation of quality rules)

Product Management Skills: Proven product owner mindset with experience in agile environments. Able to write product requirements, define roadmaps, and deliver data solutions iteratively. Strong analytical skills to translate complex research needs into governable data products

Leadership & Communication: Excellent interpersonal skills with a track record of influencing without authority. Able to engage cross-functional teams (scientists, GICT,) and drive consensus. Strategic thinker with strong business acumen and the ability to articulate vision to executives and practitioners alike.

Fluent english

Location

Europe - Hybrid or remote

Budgeted salary range

The package outlined below is based on the role being located in Italy. Where the role is offered in a different Country, the applicable salary, bonus and benefits will be aligned to the relevant local market and internal frameworks. Full details of the applicable package will be provided at the appropriate stage of the recruitment process.

The budgeted salary range approved for this role is between €59.000 and €74.000. This range reflects the typical compensation expected for candidates with the experience and expertise required for the position.

Final offer may vary based on the selected candidate's skills, experience, qualifications, overall profile, and internal equity considerations.

This role is eligible to participate in an annual bonus scheme, subject to company and individual performance.

In addition, we offer a comprehensive benefits package including pension, private medical insurance, wellbeing programme, flexible benefits programme and more.

What we offer

You would join a dynamic, fast-growing, challenging and friendly environment.

In Chiesi we firmly believe that our people are our most valuable asset, that is why we invest in continuous training, learning and development. Therefore, we strive to continuously promote and satisfy development needs, paying particular attention to the quality of our working environment and to collective well-being.

We want our people to come to work happy every day, and we know how important it is to find the right work-life balance in order to be able to give our best. That is why we offer flexible working approach, remote working, support in the relocation process, tax assistance service for foreign colleagues and many other people-care services.

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