Data Scientist Assistant

University of Oxford; Oxford; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent academic institution seeks a highly motivated Data Scientist Assistant to join the Oxford Vaccine Group. This role involves analyzing complex datasets from vaccination studies and building reproducible data analysis pipelines. The ideal candidate will hold a degree in Data Science or a related field and have experience with bioinformatics and statistical methods. The position offers a full-time, fixed-term contract with a salary range of £35,681 to £41,636, ensuring opportunities for skill development and collaborative work.

Benefits

Paid skill enhancement days

Training funding opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience working with complex biological or clinical datasets.
• Ability to manage analytical tasks and meet deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills for reporting and presentations.

Responsibilities

• Support the analysis and integration of complex datasets.
• Develop and optimize data analysis pipelines.
• Maintain clinical trial databases and workflows.

Skills

Data analysis

Statistical methods

Bioinformatics

Version control (Git/GitHub)

Data visualization

Education

Degree in Data Science, Statistics, Bioinformatics, or related field

Tools

Snakemake

Nextflow

Job description

About the role

We have an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated Data Scientist Assistant to join the Oxford Vaccine Group (OVG) as part of the Correlates of Immunity – Artificial Intelligence (CoI-AI) Programme, a pioneering initiative that integrates controlled human infection models, advanced immunology, and AI-driven analytics to accelerate vaccine discovery.

The postholder will contribute to the data science and computational workstream of the programme, supporting the analysis and integration of complex datasets generated from vaccination studies, natural infection studies, and controlled human infection models. The role will focus on the processing, management, statistical analysis, and visualisation of immunological, clinical, and microbiological data to enable robust downstream interpretation and AI-driven discovery.

Working within a multidisciplinary team of data scientists, computational biologists, immunologists, and microbiologists, the postholder will develop, maintain, and optimise reproducible data analysis pipelines and databases. The role includes contributing to study planning, data interpretation, and reporting, ensuring analytical outputs are robust, harmonised, and suitable for publication and dissemination.

The Data Scientist Assistant will support day‑to‑day computational activities within OVG, including workflow development using systems such as Snakemake and Nextflow, bioinformatic and statistical analyses, and the maintenance of clinical trial databases. The postholder will be expected to use version control and collaborative code management platforms (e.g. Git/GitHub) as standard practice for developing reproducible and maintainable analytical workflows. The role requires a self‑motivated and well organised individual who can communicate effectively with the line manager and wider team to support programme objectives.

This position is offered full‑time on a fixed‑term contract initially for 2 years with the possibility to extend provided further external funding is available.

About the department

The Department of Paediatrics has been honoured with the Athena Swan Gold award, a national gender equality charter, recognising the Department's innovative policies and practices. We are committed to the professional development of our staff by providing up to ten paid days annually for skill enhancement and allowing applications for additional training funding. By joining us, you will have the opportunity to contribute to a forward‑thinking department.

About you

You will hold a degree (or be near completion of a higher degree) in Data Science, Statistics, Computing, Bioinformatics, Life Sciences, or a closely related discipline, with sufficient technical knowledge to contribute effectively to an established research programme. You will have demonstrable experience working with complex biological, clinical, or health‑related datasets and applying statistical or computational methods to support research questions.

You will be able to manage your own analytical tasks, deliver high‑quality outputs to agreed deadlines, and communicate results clearly through written reports, figures, presentations, and contributions to publications. You will have a collaborative approach, with the ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary teams spanning data science, immunology, microbiology, and computational research, and the willingness to develop new skills as required by the programme.

Application Process

You will be required to upload a CV and Supporting Statement as part of your online application. The Supporting Statement should include a cover letter and should also clearly describe how you meet each of the selection criteria listed in the job description.

Only online applications received before 12:00 midday on Friday 13th March 2026 will be considered. Interviews will be held as soon as possible thereafter.

£35,681 to £41,636 with a discretionary range to £45,212 per annum (pro‑rata)