Principal Statistician

At GSK, we have bold ambitions for patients, aiming to positively impact the health of 2.5 billion people by the end of the decade. R&D is committed to discovering and delivering transformational vaccines and medicines to prevent and change the course of disease. Science and technology are coming together in a way they never have before, and we have strong tech-enabled capabilities that allow us to build a deeper understanding of the patient, human biology and disease mechanisms, and transform medical discovery.  We are revolutionising the way we do R&D. We’re uniting science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together.

Find out more:

Our approach to R&D.   

This is an exciting opportunity to channel your passion for Innovation in the field of Statistics and Data Science to help shape the future of the Biostatistics function and transform the way in which GSK uses data and quantitative thinking to drive disease-aligned decision-making in R&D. We are recruiting a group of technically skilled statisticians to focus on enhancing disease-level knowledge for the company’s core strategic focus of oncology, immunology, respiratory, vaccines and infectious diseases. Working within our methodological centre for statistical innovation, and alongside colleagues deployed to project-facing programme and asset teams, you will build on existing work to build ‘disease-drug-trial’ models across the chevron of translational medicine and clinical development.

Biostatistics is the single-largest functional group of Statisticians, Programmers and Data Scientists within GSK R&D across the US, UK, Europe and India. Our mission is to put statistical thinking at the heart of R&D decision-making; to ensure that predictive models and well-designed experiments and trials deliver robust evidence as the input to those decisions – ultimately making the R&D process more efficient and increasing the probability of success. We are investing in our cutting-edge innovation capabilities by expanding the Statistics & Data Science Innovation Hub (SDS-IH) led by Prof Nicky Best. The vision of SDS-IH is to be the catalyst for innovation and advanced data-driven decision making.

In this role you will…

• Enhance our disease understanding through the implementation of advanced statistical and/or machine learning methodologies across a range of areas from complex in-vitro models through to market access activities involving real world data to directly support business critical projects.
• Identify opportunities to utilize statistical methods to further enhance our disease understanding. Collaborate with cross functional quantitative groups to help determine the optimal analytical methods using appropriate data sources.
• Contribute to the planning and implementation of projects within Biostatistics, ensuring they have clear objectives, achievable timelines, intermediate milestones, and well-defined criteria for success
• Present statistical principles, methods, study designs, and/or results transparently and precisely to GSK researchers and management across all levels, ensuring appropriate understanding and contributing to better quantitative decision-making across drug development
• Interact with external scientific groups (industry, academia, regulators) and vendors through presentations, publications, and collaborations, in order to contribute to innovation and uptake of novel statistical methodology and tools within GSK and across the pharmaceutical industry.

Why you? 

Qualifications & Skills:

• PhD in Statistics, Biostatistics, or a closely related discipline (with formal statistical training).
• Individuals with an MS (or equivalent) in Statistics, Biostatistics, or a closely related discipline (with formal statistical training) may be considered provided they have some post-graduate experience in clinical trials research in the pharmaceutical or a related industry and evidence of leading statistical methodology innovation.
• Evidence, through publication, of methodological innovation and technical strength in advanced statistical modelling and/or modern machine learning techniques.
• Proficiency in coding languages such as R, SAS or Python.
• Proficient in both spoken and written English, with the capability to clearly communicate both new and established statistical methods and results based on those methods to peers without substantial statistical training

Preferred:

• Excellent learning agility with ability to independently gain new statistical knowledge and skills
• Prior experience in statistical consulting, working alongside researchers from various fields to devise practical solutions in response to other researchers’ scientific questions of interest
• Experience of applying foundational statistical methodologies in at least one of the following key areas:  study/experimental design, linear models, generalized linear models, linear and generalized mixed models, survival analysis, Bayesian methods, longitudinal data analysis, and causal inference and demonstrate the ability to expand their expertise into new areas as needed
• Prior experience applying quantitative methodology in at least one of the following key areas: complex innovative trial design (e.g., Bayesian adaptive design), mathematical and/or computational models for disease processes, analysis of high-dimensional data (e.g., ‘omics data, imaging data)
• Knowledge of or interest multiple aspects of drug development, including drug discovery, preclinical development, and clinical development
• Evidence of ability to publish quantitative methodological research or scientific research findings using advanced quantitative methodologies.
• Demonstrable evidence of influencing and partnering with diverse stakeholders of varying levels of seniority.

Application close date: 12th Sept 

Why GSK?

Uniting science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together.

GSK is a global biopharma company with a special purpose – to unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together – so we can positively impact the health of billions of people and deliver stronger, more sustainable shareholder returns – as an organisation where people can thrive. We prevent and treat disease with vaccines, specialty and general medicines. We focus on the science of the immune system and the use of new platform and data technologies, investing in four core therapeutic areas (infectious diseases, HIV, respiratory/ immunology and oncology).

Our success absolutely depends on our people. While getting ahead of disease together is about our ambition for patients and shareholders, it’s also about making GSK a place where people can thrive. We want GSK to be a place where people feel inspired, encouraged and challenged to be the best they can be. A place where they can be themselves – feeling welcome, valued, and included. Where they can keep growing and look after their wellbeing. So, if you share our ambition, join us at this exciting moment in our journey to get Ahead Together.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we are open to all talent. In the US, we also adhere to Affirmative Action principles. This ensures that all qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to neurodiversity, race/ethnicity, colour, national origin, religion, gender, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, disability, genetic information, military service, covered/protected veteran status or any other federal, state or local protected class*(*US only).

We believe in an agile working culture for all our roles. If flexibility is important to you, we encourage you to explore with our hiring team what the opportunities are.

Should you require any adjustments to our process to assist you in demonstrating your strengths and capabilities contact us on Ukdiversity.recruitment@gsk.com or 0808 234 4391. 

Please note should your enquiry not relate to adjustments, we will not be able to support you through these channels. However, we have created a UK Recruitment FAQ guide. Click the link and scroll to the Careers Section where you will find answers to multiple questions we receive

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