Senior Principal, Statistical Programmer

Novartis UK; Budock Water; Hybrid; GBP 49,000 - 91,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible / hybrid work

14+ weeks parental leave

Insurance plans

Retirement plans

Wellbeing resources

Job summary

Novartis UK is seeking a Senior Principal Statistical Programmer in London, with hybrid working options. The role leads complex programming strategies across studies, coordinating internal and external programmers, and ensuring regulatory-ready outputs.

You will collaborate with cross-functional teams, develop CDISC-compliant specifications, and drive modern programming practices. Strong leadership and communication are essential for success in this globally integrated role.

Qualifications

• BS/MS in statistics, computer science, mathematics, data science or equivalent field.
• Extensive experience with statistical programming languages (R/SAS/Python) and reproducible workflows.
• Experience contributing to analysis plans and technical specifications.
• Knowledge of CDISC standards and regulatory requirements.
• Strong communication and global collaboration skills.
• Prior experience as Trial/Lead/Program Programmer on multiple studies.

Responsibilities

• Lead SP activities for trials or programs, coordinating internal/external programmers.
• Propose study-level programming strategies and ensure data standardization.
• Guide junior programmers and provide supervision as needed.
• Maintain relationships with cross-functional teams and manage timelines/resources.
• Ensure QC, traceability, and reproducibility of datasets and outputs.
• Stay current with CDISC, eCTD, Define.xml and version-control workflows.

Skills

Statistical programming

Cross-functional collaboration

Leadership experience

Regulatory familiarity

Education

BS/MS in statistics/CS/math/data science

Tools

R

SAS

Python

Job description

Summary

Location: London, UK Remote working can be considered

Location: London, UK Remote working can be considered

This role is based in London, UK. Novartis is unable to offer relocation support for this role. Please only apply if this location is accessible for you.

Step into a pivotal role where your expertise shapes the future of clinical development. As a Senior Principal Statistical Programmer, you will lead complex programming strategies across high-impact studies and programs, partnering with cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality, regulatory-ready outputs. This is your opportunity to influence innovation, drive modern programming practices, and make a tangible difference in bringing life-changing medicines to patients faster.

About The Role

Key responsibilities

• Lead SP activities as Trial Programmer for one or multiple trial(s) or as a Lead/ Program Programmer for a program or an indication.
• May coordinate activities of internal/ external programmers. Make SP decisions and propose strategies at study, program or indication/ disease level.
• May act as functional manager of associates including providing supervision and guidance to these programmers on operational / functional expertise and processes.
• Build and maintain effective working relationship with cross-functional teams, able to summarize and discuss status of deliverables and critical programming aspects (timelines, scope, resource plan), e.g. as SP representative in study- or program-level team.
• Review eCRF, data structures, and ensure program-level standardization for effective pooling and efficient case record tabulation (CRT) production.
• Comply with company, department and industry standards (e.g. CDISC) and processes, assess and clarify additional programming requirements, review, develop and influence programming specifications as part of the analysis plans (incl. program-level strategies).
• Provide and implement statistical programming solutions; ensure knowledge sharing. Act as programming expert in problem-solving aspects.
• Ensure timely and quality development and validation of datasets and outputs for clinical study reports (CSRs), regulatory submissions/interactions, safety reports, publications, post-marketing activities or exploratory analyses (as required) in the assigned drug development studies/program. Understand Git-based version control workflows and their role in supporting collaborative, traceable, and reproducible programming activities.
• Responsible for quality control and inspection readiness of all assigned statistical programming deliverables as well as accuracy and reliability of statistical analysis results. Establishes robust expectations and frameworks for reproducibility, documentation, and code quality across complex workflows; leads refinement of templates, standards, and governance.
• Maintain up-to-date advanced knowledge of statistical programming languages (e.g. R, SAS, ) as well as industry requirements (e.g. CDISC, eCTD, Define.xml), act as an expert for advanced analysis, reporting, automation and enterprise-scale workflow optimization, and drive adoption of reusable solutions and modern approaches across studies or programs

Essential Requirements

• BS/MS degree in statistics, computer science, mathematics, data science, life science or equivalent relevant degree
• Extensive experience and deep expertise in Statistical programming languages (e.g., R, SAS, or Python) to drive standardization across studies or programs and effectively adopt R packages (e.g. Tidyverse), R Shiny Applications, AI-enabled tools etc. to support data visualization, version control (e.g. Git-based), and reproducible workflows.
• Advanced experience in contributing to statistical analysis plans and/or constructing technical programming specifications
• Advanced knowledge of industry standards including CDISC data structures as well as a solid understanding of the development and use of standard programs
• Good understanding of regulatory requirements relevant to Statistical Programming (e.g. GCP, study procedures)
• Proven communications and negotiation skills, ability to work well with others globally and influence
• Experience as Trial/Lead/Program Programmer for several studies or project-level activities, including coordination of team of internal or external programmers on a given study/program, ability to transfer own knowledge to others

Benefits & Rewards

At Novartis, we’re committed to reimagining medicine together - and rewarding the people who make it happen.

Expected Annual Base Salary Range for role: £49,140.00 - £91,260.00 Annual

The base salary offered is determined based on gender-neutral objectives, such as relevant skills, competencies and experience in accordance with the Novartis pay setting policy and upon joining Novartis will be reviewed periodically.

In addition to your base salary, you may be eligible for a performance-based bonus depending on certain performance parameters.

The rewards of being part of our team go far beyond base pay and incentives. We also offer a variety of competitive benefits in kind to help you thrive personally and professionally, such as insurance plans, retirement plans, wellbeing resources and global recognition programs. In addition, we provide flexible and hybrid working options, where possible, and minimum 14 weeks paid parental leave.

Pay equity is a fundamental principle of our employment policy and reflects our commitment to create a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment that treats all employees with dignity and respect, as outlined in our Code of Ethics.

Read our brochure to learn more about our global total rewards offering: https://www.novartis.com/sites/novartis_com/files/novartis-life-handbook.pdf

Note: Benefits and compensation may vary by country and are subject to local legal requirements, including provisions of collective bargaining agreements where applicable. A full overview of your compensation package, including any relevant collective bargaining agreement details applicable to your role based on your employment location and Novartis employer entity, will be communicated separately to you during the application process.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion / EEO paragraph

Novartis is committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and diverse teams’ representative of the patients and communities we serve.

Why Novartis:

Helping people with disease and their families takes more than innovative science. It takes a community of smart, passionate people like you. Collaborating, supporting and inspiring each other. Combining to achieve breakthroughs that change patients’ lives. Ready to create a brighter future together? https://www.novartis.com/about/strategy/people-and-culture

Benefits and Rewards:

Learn about all the ways we’ll help you thrive personally and professionally.

Read our handbook (PDF 30 MB)