Data Scientist / Engineer - DNA-Encoded Library Technology (DELT)

1201 F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG; Basel; On-site; CHF 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Roche is seeking a Scientific Data Scientist & Engineer – DNA-Encoded Library Technology (DELT) to join the DELT team at Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED). You will blend chemical biology, cheminformatics and data science to transform screening data into actionable insights and build automated workflows for hit identification in small-molecule discovery.

You will collaborate with experimentalists, computational chemists and ML experts to enable scalable, reproducible

Qualifications

• Holds a PhD or MS in a quantitative field (e.g., Bioinformatics, Stats, CS).
• Strong Python and statistical programming skills.
• Experience deploying pipelines at scale in HPC or cloud environments.
• Proficient in data visualization tools (Spotfire/Tableau).
• Knowledge of cheminformatics and lab data systems (LIMS/SQL) is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Advance DELT data analytics with robust statistical methods and predictive models.
• Develop accessible analytical tools and workflows for DELT scientists.
• Design and maintain automated, reproducible data processing pipelines.
• Build computational workflows and data resources for chemical space exploration.
• Collaborate with scientists and ML teams to translate challenges into scalable solutions.
• Communicate insights clearly to multidisciplinary audiences.
• Promote reproducibility and data integrity in a compliant research environment.

Skills

Python

Statistics

Data visualization

Communication

Chemoinformatics

Software engineering

Education

PhD or MS in quantitative field

Tools

RDKit/OpenEye

LIMS

SQL

HPC/Cloud

Tableau/Spotfire

Job description

At Roche you can show up as yourself, embraced for the unique qualities you bring. Our culture encourages personal expression, open dialogue, and genuine connections, where you are valued, accepted and respected for who you are, allowing you to thrive both personally and professionally. This is how we aim to prevent, stop and cure diseases and ensure everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Join Roche, where every voice matters.

The Position

In Roche’s Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development organisation (pRED), we make transformative medicines for patients in order to tackle some of the world’s toughest unmet healthcare needs. At pRED, we are united by our mission to transform science into medicines. Together, we create a culture defined by curiosity, responsibility, and humility, where our talented people are empowered and inspired to bring forward extraordinary life-changing innovation at speed. Therapeutic Modality (TMo) organisation, accountable for translating disease biology into high-quality drug candidates across small molecules, large molecules, oligonucleotides, and genomic medicines. By integrating deep modality expertise with cross-disciplinary collaboration, TMo drives innovation within and across platforms to enable differentiated, sustainable therapeutic impact. The DELT team lies in Molecular Discovery Technologies within the Small Molecule Research Discovery (SMRD) department, which is part of Therapeutic Modalities (TMo) within Roche Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED). We deliver leading-edge science to drive the success of Roche’s early pipeline discovery research activities through strong expertise in high-throughput or focused screening platforms, DNA-encoded library technology (DELT), protein science & enzymology/biophysics, cell-based assays, biostructure determination, computer-assisted drug design, and medicinal chemistry. We are accountable for the provision of high-quality chemistry starting points for small-molecule projects and generating molecular and mechanistic insights that are critical for the advancement of discovery projects.

Opportunity

We are looking for a Scientific Data Scientist & Engineer – DNA-Encoded Library Technology (DELT) to join our team at the intersection of chemical biology, cheminformatics, and data science. In this role, you will help shape the next generation of data-driven DNA-Encoded Library Technology (DELT) by combining scientific data analysis, scalable data engineering, and advanced computational approaches. You will transform complex screening data into actionable scientific insights and develop robust, automated workflows that accelerate hit identification and support small-molecule drug discovery. Working closely with experimental scientists, computational chemists, and machine learning experts, you will bridge scientific innovation and practical implementation, enabling more informed, reproducible, and efficient decision-making across our DELT platform.

Your impact

• You advance our DELT data analytics by applying robust statistical methods, predictive models, and advanced analytical approaches to interpret large-scale DEL screening datasets, identify promising chemical starting points, and support hit and lead discovery programs.
• You develop intuitive, accessible analytical tools and workflows that empower DELT screening scientists and project teams to rapidly evaluate selection results, prioritise compounds, and make informed experimental decisions.
• You design, implement, and maintain automated, reproducible data processing and analysis pipelines that transform complex experimental outputs into reliable, decision-ready insights.
• You develop computational workflows and searchable building‑block data resources to support chemical space exploration, reaction prediction, library design, and synthesis strategy optimisation.
• You partner closely with experimental scientists, computational chemists, and machine learning teams across Roche’s small-molecule research organisation to translate evolving scientific challenges into scalable computational solutions.
• You communicate scientific insights by presenting analytical results, computational approaches, and technical developments clearly to scientific and multidisciplinary audiences, supporting knowledge sharing and adoption of new capabilities.
• You champion scientific excellence by promoting reproducibility, data integrity, and robust engineering practices while contributing to a safe and compliant research environment.

Who you are

You are highly passionate about DNA-encoded library technology, pushing the boundaries of the field, as well as discovering and taking on new challenges. We are looking for a highly motivated data scientist with a strong enthusiasm for chemical biology and pushing the technology to the next step, who is interested in performing state‑of‑the‑art research in the pharmaceutical industry.

• You hold a PhD or M.S. in Bioinformatics, Statistics, Computer Science, Data Science, Cheminformatics, Software Engineering, or a related quantitative field.
• You have a strong software engineering background with experience deploying pipelines at scale in HPC or cloud platforms.
• You possess proven experience in high‑throughput scientific data analysis (preferably with large‑scale screening data, DEL selection outputs, or NGS processing pipelines) and a demonstrated ability to architect reliable, user‑friendly tools that simplify complex analytical workflows for non‑expert scientists.
• You demonstrate strong proficiency in Python and statistical programming, along with expertise in data visualisation frameworks (e.g., Spotfire, Tableau, or modern web dashboarding tools).
• You bring an understanding of hit‑triaging, noise reduction, statistical ranking, and signal verification in large‑scale datasets, with demonstrated capability in cheminformatics (including handling chemical structures, building‑block metadata, or toolkits like RDKit/OpenEye) and laboratory data systems (LIMS, SQL, relational databases), integrating computational tools with experimental workflows as a plus.
• You are a critical thinker and problem solver with a continuous improvement mindset and a track record of conceptualising scalable scientific solutions, paired with strong communication skills to translate complex quantitative findings for multidisciplinary and non‑quantitative stakeholders.

If you’re ready to make a meaningful impact on patients and healthcare systems worldwide, this is the place for you.

Who we are

A healthier future drives us to innovate. Together, more than 100’000 employees across the globe are dedicated to advance science, ensuring everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Our efforts result in more than 26 million people treated with our medicines and over 30 billion tests conducted using our Diagnostics products. We empower each other to explore new possibilities, foster creativity, and keep our ambitions high, so we can deliver life‑changing healthcare solutions that make a global impact. Let’s build a healthier future, together. Roche is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe it’s urgent to deliver medical solutions right now – even as we develop innovations for the future. We are passionate about transforming patients’ lives. We are courageous in both decision and action. And we believe that good business means a better world. That is why we come to work each day. We commit ourselves to scientific rigor, unassailable ethics, and access to medical innovations for all. We do this today to build a better tomorrow. We are proud of who we are, what we do, and how we do it. We are many, working as one across functions, across companies, and across the world. We are Roche.