Translational Bioinformatics Scientist

Astellas Pharma; Cambridge; Hybrid; CAD 130,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Astellas Pharma seeks a bioinformatician to support innovative therapies through computational biology and bioinformatics. The position involves collaboration on translational research and the development of new analytical tools. A Ph.D. is required, along with strong skills in Python and R, to analyze complex datasets. This remote-friendly role offers a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package, contributing to important medical solutions.

Benefits

Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance

Generous Paid Time Off options

401(k) match and annual company contribution

Company paid life insurance

Annual Corporate Bonus and Quarterly Sales Incentive

Long Term Incentive Plan

Referral bonus program

Qualifications

• 4-6 years’ experience in bioinformatics for drug discovery/development.
• Experience with advanced spatial transcriptomics or imaging analytics.
• Good communication skills for technical concepts.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with Global Translational Medicine Leads on analysis plans.
• Analyze multi-omics and clinical data for biomarker discovery.
• Develop analytical methodologies for translational research.

Skills

Python

R

Bioinformatics

Computational Biology

Spatial Transcriptomics

Clinical Imaging

Education

Ph.D. in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, or Biomedical Sciences

Tools

Deep Learning Frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow)

Job description

Do you want to be part of an inclusive team that works to develop innovative therapies for patients? Every day, we are driven to develop and deliver innovative and effective new medicines to patients and physicians. If you want to be part of this exciting work, you belong at Astellas!

Astellas Pharma Inc. is a pharmaceutical company conducting business in more than 70 countries around the world. We are committed to turning innovative science into medical solutions that bring value and hope to patients and their families. Keeping our focus on addressing unmet medical needs and conducting our business with ethics and integrity enables us to improve the health of people throughout the world. For more information on Astellas, please visit our website at www.astellas.com .

This position is based in Cambridge, MA. Remote work from certain states may be permitted in accordance with Astellas’ Responsible Flexibility Guidelines. Candidates interested in remote work are encouraged to apply.

Purpose And Scope

Responsible for providing computational biology and bioinformatics expertise to translational research, patient selection strategy and clinical biomarker analyses for multiple drug discovery and development programs. Develop computational tools, perform hands-on data analyses and generate analysis reports. Responsibilities also include developing new bioinformatics and computational capabilities to support new modalities and therapeutic focus areas.

Essential Job Responsibilities

• Collaborate with Global Translational Medicine Leads to design and execute analysis plans that address key translational research questions from asset teams. These may include indication and/or patient selection, biomarker discovery (pharmacodynamic, prognostic, and predictive, and disease biomarkers)
• Identify and leverage relevant public and proprietary datasets to support translational objectives, and effectively communicate findings and insights to cross-functional asset teams.
• In alignment with current and future portfolio needs, partner with Global Translational Bioinformatics Leads to develop and implement novel analytical methodologies and platforms, such as spatial transcriptomics workflows and integrated data portals, to enable cutting-edge translational research.
• Support the ingestion, curation, and archiving of large-scale omics and imaging datasets generated from Astellas-sponsored clinical trials and academic collaborations.
  
  

Qualifications

Required

• Ph.D. in computational biology, bioinformatics, or other biomedical sciences with 4-6 years’ experience in applying bioinformatics or computational approaches to drug discovery/development, preferably in a biopharma setting
• Strong hands-on experience with Python, R, or similar languages commonly used in bioinformatics or image analysis
• Demonstrated expertise in analyzing multi-omics and clinical data to support research into disease mechanisms, patient stratification and biomarker discovery
• Experience in at least one of the following domains: advanced spatial transcriptomics analytics (oncology), advanced imaging analytics (oncology), or ophthalmology clinical imaging biomarker analytics
• Strong problem-solving mindset and willingness to work collaboratively in cross-functional clinical research environments
• Good communication skills, especially in explaining technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Eager to learn new technologies and passion in translational / clinical research
  
  

Preferred

• Exposure to deep learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow) and experience training or fine-tuning models on oncology imaging (H&E, IHC, mIF, etc) or omics data is a plus
• Some experience in ophthalmic imaging analysis (OCT, FAF, etc.) is a plus but not required
  
  

Salary Range

$130K – $170K (NOTE: Final salary could be more or less, based on experience)

Benefits

• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Generous Paid Time Off options, including Vacation, Sick time, plus national holidays including Heritage Days, and Summer and Winter Breaks
• 401(k) match and annual company contribution
• Company paid life insurance
• Annual Corporate Bonus and Quarterly Sales Incentive for eligible positions
• Long Term Incentive Plan for eligible positions
• Referral bonus program
  
  

Category Translational Medicine and Strategy

Astellas is committed to equality of opportunity in all aspects of employment.

EOE including Disability/Protected Veterans