Principal Data Scientist (Bioinformatics)

Placements24; Pretoria; Hybrid; ZAR 2,964,000 - 4,940,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully remote position

Competitive salary + equity

Health, dental and vision insurance

Professional development funding

Conference exposure (virtual/in person

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Principal Data Scientist specializing in Bioinformatics to lead ML initiatives for AI-driven drug discovery within a fully remote team.

You will architect scalable data pipelines, develop predictive models, and mentor junior scientists while collaborating with biologists, chemists, and engineers to accelerate target identification and therapeutic discovery.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. or Master's degree in Computer Science, Bioinformatics, Statistics, Computational Biology, or related field.
• 10+ years of experience in data science with a focus on bioinformatics and computational biology.
• Expertise in ML techniques (deep learning, gradient boosting, SVMs) applied to biological data.
• Proficiency in Python and R with relevant libraries.
• Experience with Spark/Hadoop and cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure).
• Strong understanding of biological data types (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics).
• Proven ability to lead complex data science projects from conception to deployment.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills; remote work experience.
• Experience publishing research or contributing to open-source projects.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and deploy ML models for large-scale biological data.
• Build robust data pipelines to handle massive datasets.
• Collaborate with biologists and chemists to translate questions into data problems.
• Conduct exploratory data analysis to uncover biological insights and targets.
• Develop predictive models for drug efficacy, toxicity, and patient stratification.
• Evaluate new data science techniques to enhance analytics.
• Communicate findings clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Mentor junior data scientists and contribute to technical roadmaps.
• Drive AI/ML innovations to accelerate drug discovery.

Skills

Deep learning

Gradient boosting

SVMs

Education

Ph.D. or Master's in Computer Science, Bioinformatics, Statistics, Computational Biology, or related field

Tools

Python

R

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Scikit-learn

Pandas

Spark

Hadoop

AWS

GCP

Azure

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a leader in AI-driven drug discovery, is seeking a highly experienced Principal Data Scientist specializing in Bioinformatics to join their fully remote team. This senior role is instrumental in driving the development and application of advanced machine learning algorithms to complex biological datasets, accelerating the identification of novel drug targets and therapeutic candidates. You will be responsible for architecting scalable data pipelines, developing predictive models, and collaborating with a world-class team of biologists, chemists, and software engineers to solve challenging scientific problems. This is an exceptional opportunity to make a significant impact on the future of medicine from anywhere in the world, with the core team collaborating virtually. The role demands a strategic thinker with deep expertise in both data science and biological sciences.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and deploy sophisticated machine learning models and algorithms for analyzing large-scale biological datasets (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, clinical data).
• Build and maintain robust, scalable data processing pipelines to handle massive datasets efficiently.
• Collaborate closely with domain experts (biologists, chemists) to understand scientific questions and translate them into data science problems.
• Conduct in-depth exploratory data analysis to uncover novel biological insights and identify potential drug targets.
• Develop predictive models for drug efficacy, toxicity, and patient stratification.
• Evaluate and implement new data science techniques and technologies to enhance analytical capabilities.
• Communicate complex findings and model behaviors clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Mentor junior data scientists and contribute to the team's technical roadmap and strategy.
• Drive innovation in the application of AI/ML to accelerate drug discovery and development processes.

Requirements

• Ph.D. or Master's degree in Computer Science, Bioinformatics, Statistics, Computational Biology, or a related quantitative field.
• 10+ years of experience in data science, with a significant portion focused on bioinformatics and computational biology.
• Expertise in machine learning techniques (e.g., deep learning, gradient boosting, SVMs) and their application to biological data.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python (with libraries like TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn, Pandas) and R.
• Strong experience with big data technologies (e.g., Spark, Hadoop) and cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure).
• Deep understanding of biological data types (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics) and relevant analysis methods.
• Proven ability to lead complex data science projects from conception to deployment.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience working in a remote, collaborative team environment is essential.
• Demonstrated ability to publish research or contribute to significant open-source projects.

Benefits

• This is a fully remote position offering unparalleled flexibility.
• Our client provides a highly competitive salary, substantial equity options, and a comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Employees have access to continuous learning opportunities, funding for professional development, and the chance to attend leading AI and bioinformatics conferences virtually or in person.
• The company fosters a dynamic, innovative culture that values scientific rigor and impact.
• Join a forward-thinking team that is revolutionizing drug discovery through cutting-edge data science, all while enjoying the benefits of a truly remote work arrangement.