Data Scientist, Ophthalmology & Precision Medicine (Remote)

Character Bio; Jersey City (NJ); Hybrid; USD 132,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Medical, dental, vision

401(k)

Paid time off

Job summary

Character Biosciences, a precision medicine company focused on ophthalmology, is seeking a Data Scientist, I/II, to join the Data Science team in a hybrid role based in Jersey City/NJ. You will analyze multi-modality medical data to identify targets and inform clinical trial design.

You will implement analytic methodologies, partner with cross-functional teams, and contribute to the ongoing enhancement of Character’s data platform, with opportunities to publish and advance drug discovery

Qualifications

• PhD in Statistics, Data Science or a related technical field.
• 1–3 years applying statistical methods to healthcare data (claims/EMR).
• Experience analyzing biomedical imaging data (retina/OCT preferred).
• Strong coding skills in Python and/or R; production-quality analyses.

Responsibilities

• Develop models for biomarker imaging, disease progression and survival analyses.
• Collaborate with clinical and biostatistics teams on trial design.
• Enhance data platform with analytic modules and tools for interactive analysis.
• Contribute to data-driven strategic planning and publications.

Skills

Python

R

Survival analysis

Longitudinal models

Bayesian methods

Mixed-effects modeling

Data pipelines

Imaging analytics

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication skills

Education

PhD in Statistics, Data Science or related field

Tools

Python

R

AI tools

Job description

Character Biosciences is a precision medicine company pioneering targeted therapies for ophthalmology. Our patient data platform integrates genomics with deep, longitudinal clinical and imaging data, enabling us to uncover genetic drivers of disease progression, advance novel therapeutics, and define patient stratification strategies that improve clinical success.

Our interdisciplinary team spans human genetics, clinical science, data science and engineering, and drug discovery and development. We are advancing two programs for Dry Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) into the clinic, with additional discovery-stage programs underway.

Founded in 2018, Character has raised capital from leading investors at the intersection of healthcare and technology, including an oversubscribed $110+ million Series B in 2025 co-led by aMoon and Luma Group, with participation from Bausch + Lomb, Innovation Endeavors, Sanofi Ventures, Catalio Capital Management, S32, KdT Ventures, and Jefferson Life Sciences. We also maintain a multi-target drug discovery collaboration with Bausch + Lomb to develop innovative precision medicines for AMD.

Role : Data Scientist, I/II

Reports to: Director, Biostatistics

Department: Data Science

Location : Remote / Hybrid

The Opportunity

We are looking for an experienced data scientist with expertise analyzing medical and life science data to join us as a member of our team. You will be making mission-critical contributions to Character’s drug discovery and development programs by leveraging our multi-modality dataset to support the identification of new therapeutic targets and inform our clinical trial design strategy. You will have responsibility for determining and implementing scientific and analytical methodologies, for providing data-driven guidance to cross-functional teams, and to contribute to the continued improvement of Character’s data platform. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a lean, fast-moving environment and enjoys tackling scientifically interesting problems using unique multimodality data.

This is a hybrid role based at our Jersey City, NJ headquarters reporting to the Director of Biostatistics and Data Science.

Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:

• Contribute to the implementation of models and analyses to support Character Bio's drug discovery and development activities, including quantitative biomarker from imaging and phenotype development, disease progression and time-to-event (survival) modeling, and real-world-data analyses
• Partner with the clinical development and biostatistics team on pre-specified and exploratory analyses to bring our real-world data to bear on trial design and interpretation
• Collaborate on cross-functional analyses with members of the genomics, clinical research, and biology teams.
• Develop and implement improvements and extensions to Character's data platform including analytic pipeline modules and interactive analysis tools across both our AMD and glaucoma programs.
• Contribute to Character's data and analytics strategic planning and roadmap
• Contribute to scientific publications and the communication of Character's data science work to internal and external stakeholders.

Skills and Qualifications:

• PhD in Statistics, Data Science or a related technical field
• 1–3 years of professional experience applying statistical and data science methods to real-world healthcare data (e.g.,claims, EMR, or other observational data)
• Hands-on experience analyzing biomedical imaging data, ideally retinal imaging such as optical coherence tomography (OCT), fundus autofluorescence, or fundus photography (experience with other modalities such as MRI, CT, or histopathology/IHC is also relevant)
• A strong statistician's grounding combined with hands-on software skills: comfortable writing production-quality
• Python and/or R code and leveraging modern AI tools to implement analyses
• Deep knowledge of machine learning and statistical methods, including survival/time-to-event analysis, mixed-effects modeling, and Bayesian methods (an area we are looking to expand further, particularly within our genetic analyses)
• Experience developing longitudinal models on biomedical data, particularly real-world data including electronic medical records (EMRs) and/or claims data
• Experience developing and implementing data analysis software modules and tools as part of data pipelines and to enable interactive analysis
• Strong problem-solving skills, with a focus on using data to drive action and decision making
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to work cross functionally in a team-oriented environments

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience developing and deploying encoder-based deep learning models in production.
• Experience with ophthalmology data, particularly clinical data related to AMD or Glaucoma

The annual pay range for this full-time position is $132,000 - $155,000 for Scientist I and $149,000 - $175,000 for Scientist II + equity + benefits. Actual compensation packages are based on a wide array of factors unique to each candidate including but not limited to skill set, years and depth of experience, certifications and work location.

Benefits include a competitive salary, strong equity incentives, medical, dental, vision, 401(k), and an accrued paid time off policy. Character is committed to recruiting, developing, and supporting colleagues from all backgrounds. We embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion as an integral part of our culture.

EEO Statement

Character Biosciences is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.

Work Authorization

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States.