Principal Statistical Methodologist: ML in Drug Development

UCB; Slough; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

UCB is seeking a Principal Statistical Methodologist to join the Statistical Innovation team in Biometric and Data Sciences. Based in Slough or other offices, you will shape evidence generation and apply ML, AI, and simulation to drug development decisions.

You will develop reusable tools, communicate with cross-functional teams, and contribute to publications and external collaborations. Doctoral degree, 3+ years in pharma, strong R/Python, and ICH knowledge are required.

Qualifications

• Doctoral degree in statistics, biostatistics, mathematics, computer science or closely related discipline with strong statistical grounding.
• 3+ years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry with exposure to clinical development.
• Proficient in scientific programming (R and Python) with good software engineering practices.
• Demonstrated expertise in machine learning/AI with hands-on application to real problems; knowledge of LLMs, causal inference, synthetic data or digital-twin is advantageous.
• Good knowledge of ICH guidelines and regulatory expectations.
• Ability to work autonomously, manage multiple priorities, and deliver high-quality outputs.
• Clear written and spoken English with ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical audiences.

Responsibilities

• Develop and apply advanced computational and statistical methods, including ML/AI, to inform design, analysis, and decision-making across development.
• Build robust, reusable tools and workflows with emphasis on reproducibility and software quality.
• Address emerging problems like synthetic/external control data and digital-twin approaches with quantitative rigor.
• Collaborate with colleagues to translate complex methods into clear insights for technical and non-technical audiences.
• Share tools, code, and methods across the team and organization to boost internal capability.
• Contribute to the group’s external profile through publications, conferences, and cross-industry initiatives.

Skills

Statistical inference

Machine learning

Communication

Autonomy

Education

Doctoral degree in statistics/biostatistics/math/CS

Tools

R

Python

Version control

Testing

Reproducible workflows

Job description

UCB is seeking a Principal Statistical Methodologist to join the Statistical Innovation team in Biometric and Data Sciences. Based in Slough or other offices, you will shape evidence generation and apply ML, AI, and simulation to drug development decisions.

You will develop reusable tools, communicate with cross-functional teams, and contribute to publications and external collaborations. Doctoral degree, 3+ years in pharma, strong R/Python, and ICH knowledge are required.