Early Pipeline Forecasting & Process Associate Director

Job Description

The Associate Director of Early Pipeline Forecasting & Process will lead commercial forecasting efforts across multiple pre-clinical and early clinical programs, shaping Vertex's understanding of potential opportunities long before pivotal data becomes available. This individual will build structured, assumption-driven models, stress-test evolving inputs, and synthesize insights across scientific, clinical, competitive, and market research sources. They will collaborate closely with marketing science and external vendors to ensure primary and secondary market research is appropriately interpreted and incorporated into forecasts.

The role serves as a key voice across the broader Vertex portfolio-coordinating portfolio-wide analytics during the long-range planning (LRP) cycle, aligning assumptions across programs, and communicating insights to senior stakeholders and governance bodies. Additionally, the Associate Director will take ownership of establishing, maintaining, and evolving forecasting standards, processes, and best practices across the global forecasting team to ensure consistency, accuracy, and efficiency.

They will also partner with Finance, Early Pipeline Strategy, and other cross-functional asset teams to support scenario planning, strategic framing, and investment decision-making. Success in this role requires strong analytical capabilities, excellent communication skills, and the ability to lead through influence in fast-moving, ambiguous early-development environments.

• Lead early-stage commercial forecasting efforts for pre-clinical and early clinical programs across multiple therapeutic areas.
• Develop structured, assumption-based demand models aligned with evolving scientific, clinical, and competitive information.
• Partner with GCS, R&D, and Finance to frame uncertainty, pressure-test assumptions, and ensure forecasts are aligned with corporate strategy.
• Translate early-stage insights into clear, concise presentations for asset teams, senior leadership, and governance forums.

• Collaborate closely with internal Marketing Science colleagues, primary market research vendors, and cross-functional partners to ensure research findings are appropriately interpreted, stress-tested, and incorporated into forecasts.
• Serve as the forecasting point‑of‑contact for interpreting quantitative and qualitative research‑without needing to independently design or execute PMR studies.

• Act as a key voice across the entire Vertex portfolio, helping connect insights, trends, benchmarks, and strategic implications across assets.
• Coordinate and disseminate portfolio-wide analytics during the LRP cycle, ensuring consistency, quality, and alignment across all programs.
• Partner with colleagues across Forecasting to maintain common standards, methods, and frameworks for assets at all lifecycle stages.

• Own the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of forecasting standards, tools, and processes for the global forecasting team.
• Ensure forecasting methodologies are consistent, efficient, and aligned across all therapeutic areas and lifecycle stages.
• Provide training, guidance, and resources to cross-functional teams to ensure the effective adoption of forecasting best practices.
• Help to audit and evolve our forecasting model across a product lifecycle to ensure forecasting is impactful and efficient.

• Demonstrated ability to build structured, assumption-driven models with limited or evolving data.
• Strong business acumen and the ability to connect early scientific and clinical signals to commercial opportunity.
• Experience interpreting primary and secondary market research and collaborating with Marketing Science and external vendors.
• Ability to synthesize complex information into clear, actionable insights for senior stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a proven ability to influence without authority.
• Strong problem‑solving skills with the ability to…