Data Science Summer Intern - DSSI

Ascendis Pharma; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 22,320 - 33,480; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Mentorship and professional development opportunities

Practical experience with R and RStudio

Job summary

A global biopharmaceutical company in California is offering a Data Science Summer Intern position aimed at supporting its Global Biometrics department. Interns will engage with R-based data analysis and reporting, and gain exposure to clinical data science workflows. Ideal candidates are pursuing or have completed a Master's or PhD in a quantitative field, possess foundational R skills, and will learn in a collaborative setting during the 8-12 week internship.

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in or recently completed a relevant Master's or PhD program.
• Foundational R programming skills demonstrated through coursework or projects.
• Strong attention to detail and effective written and verbal communication.

Responsibilities

• Support the maintenance and enhancement of R Markdown reports.
• Collaborate with cross-functional team members to understand analytical requirements.
• Apply standard practices for reproducible research and version control.

Skills

R programming skills

Attention to detail

Effective communication

Education

Master’s or PhD program in Data Science, Statistics, Biostatistics, Computer Science

Tools

RStudio

Git

Job description

Overview

Ascendis Pharma is a dynamic, fast-growing global biopharmaceutical company with locations in Denmark, Europe, and the United States. Today, we are advancing programs in Endocrinology Rare Disease and Oncology. We pride ourselves on exceptional science, visionary leadership, and skilled and passionate colleagues. Guided by our core values of Patients, Science, and Passion, we use our TransCon® drug development platform to fulfill our mission of developing new and potentially best-in-class therapies to address unmet medical needs. Our culture fosters a place where skilled, adaptable, and highly resourceful professionals can truly make their mark. We offer a dynamic workplace for employees to grow and develop their skills.

The Data Science Summer Intern will support the Global Biometrics department by contributing to R-based data analysis and reporting solutions used by clinical development teams. This role provides hands-on experience with exploratory analyses, surveillance-style reporting, and reproducible analytics in a collaborative and regulated research environment. This internship is structured as a learning and development opportunity. The intern will receive mentorship from experienced data scientists and gain exposure to real-world clinical data science workflows, tools, and best practices.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the maintenance and enhancement of R Markdown reports and Shiny apps
• Contribute to clear and well-documented analytical deliverables (code comments, README files, and basic user documentation)
• Collaborate with cross-functional team members to understand analytical requirements and incorporate feedback
• Apply standard practices for reproducible research, version control, and organized project structure

Learning and Development Opportunities

• Practical experience using R and RStudio in an enterprise data science setting
• Exposure to reproducible reporting, structured analytical workflows, and version control practices
• Introduction to enterprise analytics, development, and AI-enabled productivity tools (e.g., Posit environment, Azure DevOps, Microsoft CoPilot)
• Insight into how data science supports clinical development and evidence-based decision-making
• Ongoing mentorship and guidance from senior data scientists within Global Biometrics

Requirements

• Currently enrolled in, or recently completed, a Master’s or PhD program (preferably in the second year or beyond) in Data Science, Statistics, Biostatistics, Computer Science, or a related quantitative field
• Foundational R programming skills, demonstrated through coursework or academic projects
• Familiarity with RStudio and R Markdown through academic or project experience
• Strong attention to detail and a willingness to learn in a regulated environment
• Effective written and verbal communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience with R Markdown or similar reporting frameworks
• Exposure to R packages such as dplyr, ggplot2, renv, flexdashboard, and Shiny
• Familiarity with Git or other version control systems
• Coursework, projects, or interest in healthcare, life sciences, or clinical research
• Previous internship, academic project, or applied coursework involving data analysis

Work Environment

• Remote (U.S.); candidates located in the SF Bay Area or Metropolitan Atlanta are preferred
• Collaborative team environment with regular feedback, coaching, and support
• Internship duration aligned with standard summer internship program timelines (8-12 weeks)

Compensation and Benefits

• This is a summer internship position with a duration of 8-12 weeks.
• You will be an external W2 contractor; no Ascendis benefits will be provided for this limited duration contract.
• Opportunity for mentorship and professional development.