Lead Scientist, BioAI

Novo Nordisk; Greater London; On-site; GBP 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A global healthcare company in Greater London is seeking a (Principal) Lead Scientist to drive cutting-edge analyses of cellular phenotype data for drug discovery. The role includes leading AI-driven projects and translating screening insights to drug targets. The ideal candidate should possess a Master’s degree in a relevant field, ideally with a PhD, and have experience in scientific leadership and high-dimensional data analysis. This position offers the chance to engage with senior experts and lead impactful projects in a collaborative environment.

Benefits

Opportunities for learning and development

Inclusive recruitment process and equality of opportunity

Qualifications

• Master’s degree required; PhD preferred in relevant fields.
• Experience in scientific leadership with cross-functional teams.
• Expertise in applying AI and systems biology methods.
• Strong motivation for biology-focused data analysis.
• Proficiency in Python/R for data curation and analysis.

Responsibilities

• Lead AI and data analysis projects for drug target discovery.
• Translate screening analysis results into drug target candidates.
• Interrogate high-dimensional biological data.
• Develop relationships with stakeholders to align strategies.
• Contribute to the overarching systems biology strategy.

Skills

Scientific leadership

AI and data analysis

High-dimensional datasets analysis

Python/R data analysis

Excellent communication skills

Education

Master’s degree in cellular/molecular/computational biology

PhD (strongly preferred)

Job description

Your new role

As (Principal) Lead Scientist, you will perform cutting edge analyses of cellular phenotype data derived from ultra‑high throughput genetic and compound screens to identify new drug targets for cardiometabolic disease. You will have direct impact on our early pipeline and lead the scientific deliveries from our flagship genome‑scale in‑vitro perturbation screens producing high‑content imaging and functional genomics data and help us translate these into compelling drug projects. This is a senior scientific role in which you will have the opportunity to have major impact on our early pipeline and engage directly with senior therapy area disease experts, computational biologists, and engineering teams.

Your responsibilities will include

• Scientific leadership and execution of high‑value AI and data analysis projects for target discovery
• Translation of ultra‑high throughput in‑vitro screening analysis results/insights into drug target candidates and pipeline projects
• Systems biology‑guided interrogation of high‑dimensional cell‑painting embeddings & omics (incl. DRUG‑seq/perturb‑seq) data derived from genetic & chemical perturbations
• Keep pace with cutting edge biology‑focused AI methods and contribute to the development of internal evaluations/benchmarks to keep our models focused on value to our discovery pipeline
• Develop collaborative and strategic relationships with key stakeholders in our therapy areas to ensure alignment with the global Novo Nordisk drug discovery strategy and portfolio
• Provide input to our overall systems biology strategy, including scientific direction and implementation

The role requires up to 10% overnight travel, potentially international.

Your new department

You will join the BioAI department, part of AI and Digital Innovation in Research & Development (R&D). BioAI is a global department with colleagues in Denmark, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Our scientists have significant expertise across a diverse set of disciplines in machine learning, graph data science, computer vision, and agentic reasoning, all applied to impacting early target discovery. Driving data‑first decision making in our R&D pipeline is a key objective for BioAI as we seek to strengthen the Novo Nordisk portfolio and deliver new medicines for patients across our core cardiometabolic disease areas.

Your skills & qualifications

To succeed in the role, we expect you to have:

• Master’s degree is a must, and PhD is strongly preferred in cellular/molecular/computational biology or similar preferably combined with several years of experience in a pharma/tech bio context
• Scientific leadership experience in cross‑functional teams with a track record of progressing novel biological hypotheses, ideally focused on drug target identification within a pharma industry context
• Experience applying cutting edge AI and systems biology methods to generate, analyse, and interpret high‑dimensional datasets, preferably from HCI/omics data on in‑vitro genetic/compound screens
• Independence and motivation to perform in‑depth biology‑focused data analysis and work with project and leadership teams to progress targets
• Experience working in Python/R to curate and analyse data
• Experience in CMD‑relevant cellular/molecular biology is an advantage
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, detail oriented with strong presentation and documentation skills

What we offer

There is, of course, more on offer here than the uniqueness of our culture and the extraordinary results we produce. Being part of a global healthcare company means opportunities to learn and develop are all around us, while our benefits are designed with your career and life stage in mind.

More information

For further information, please reach out to Robert Kitchen, Head of BioAI at [e-mail]

Deadline

1 February 2026 (Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis).

We commit to an inclusive recruitment process and equality of opportunity for all our job applicants.

At Novo Nordisk, we're not chasing quick fixes – we're creating lasting change for long‑term health. For over 100 years, we've been driven by a single purpose: to defeat serious chronic diseases and help millions of people live healthier lives. This dedication fuels our constant curiosity and inspires us to push the boundaries of what's possible in healthcare. We embrace diverse perspectives, seek out bold ideas, and build partnerships rooted in shared purpose. Together, we're making healthcare more accessible, treating and preventing diseases, and pioneering solutions that create change spanning generations. When you join us, you become part of something bigger – a legacy of impact that reaches far beyond today.