Senior Data Scientist - Drug Discovery - fully remote in UK

ZipRecruiter; London; Remote; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

A growing consultancy in pharmaceuticals seeks a Senior Data Scientist to drive methodological innovation. Responsibilities include designing statistical approaches for genomic datasets and collaborating with engineering teams. The role is suitable for PhDs or experienced master's graduates with strong statistics and programming skills in R or Python. Competitive compensation and remote work options available.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Remote work options

Career development opportunities

Qualifications

• PhD (or Master's with substantial experience) in statistics, maths, or related field.
• Strong programming skills in R or Python.
• Ability to create and validate new statistical models.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement novel statistical approaches.
• Develop models to quantify genetic contributions to disease.
• Collaborate with engineering teams on data pipelines.

Skills

Statistical methods development

Programming in R or Python

Communication skills

Education

PhD or equivalent in a relevant field

Tools

Statistical libraries

Bioinformatics tools

Job description

Job Description

Your new company
You will be joining an expanding consultancy focused on supporting innovation in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry. Its specialist research division is dedicated to solving complex biological problems through advanced statistical modelling and ML/AI. They have an experienced team with a strong track record and are looking for an extra person to join them to work on statistical method development and application to real-world drug discovery & development problems.

Your new role
As a Senior Data Scientist, your work will centre on methodological innovation. You will:

• Design and implement novel statistical approaches to interrogate large-scale genomic datasets
• Develop new models to quantify genetic contributions to disease and complex traits
• Evaluate and refine existing analytical frameworks to improve accuracy and interpretability
• Ensure scientific rigour and reproducibility in all method development
• Translate complex statistical outputs into meaningful insights for technical and non-technical audiences
• Collaborate with engineering teams to embed new methods into scalable data pipelines
• Contribute to peer-reviewed publications that showcase methodological advancements
• Stay ahead of emerging techniques in statistical genetics and bioinformatics, integrating them into ongoing research

While pharma/biotech or consultancy industry experience is , this role could also suit a recent PhD graduate or junior post-doc researcher with strong statistical method development.

The role can be fuly home based, or you can work from one of the company's offices across the UK.

What you'll need to succeed

• PhD (or Master's with substantial experience) in statistics, maths, physics, data science, computing, statistical genetics or a related field with a strong methodological focus (or equivalent experience)
• Demonstrated ability to create and validate new statistical / analytical models or workflows
• Strong programming skills in R or Python, with experience in statistical libraries and bioinformatics tools
• Familiarity with biobank-scale datasets and genomic databases
• Experience with cloud platforms and scalable computing environments
• A publication record that reflects methodological contributions to the field
• Good communication skills, especially in explaining statistical concepts to diverse audiences

What you'll get in return
You'll be joining a highly experienced team doing cutting-edge work to support drug discovery & development efforts at a wide range of pharmaceutical and biotech companies. As well as lots of opportunities to develop your skills and career, this role offers a good package and the chance to make a significant impact.

What you need to do now
If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now.
If this job isn't quite right for you but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion on your career.

Keywords: Statistical, Genetics, Bioinformatics, Genomics, Data, Scientist, Lead, Senior, GWAS, Polygenic, Risk, Score, Mendelian, Randomisation, Causal, Inference, Computational, Biology, Genetic, Epidemiology, Variant, Annotation, Pathway, Method, Enrichment, Protein, Interaction, Networks, Biobank, Research, Modelling, Development