Senior Expert Data Scientist

Job Description Summary

The Senior Expert Data Scientist is responsible and accountable for all analytics work, scientific and operational, for one or more assigned projects in collaboration with interdisciplinary teams. Works independently on their assignment and may provide strategic input to the project with oversight.

Activities include helping to formulate the problems and opportunities in crisp business or scientific terms; develop and implement predictive / prognostic models; understand and identify relevant data modalities (digital, omics, high dimensional data) propose and lead implementation of modern analytical/computational science/bioinformatics including statistical and machine learning models; effectively communicate data insights to the teams.

 

Job Description

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Your responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

1. Study level:

a. Responsible for all data science tasks on the assigned clinical or non-clinical projects, and perform these tasks for mid- to high- complexity projects with a good level of independence. Responsible for implementing data science planning, data provisioning, analytical activities including exploratory analyses, reporting and communication of methods and results, ensuring reproducible and agile ways of working. Contribute to planning and execution of exploratory analyses, and/or PK, PK/PD analyses, exploratory biomarker and diagnostic analyses, and data science consultation. Initiate, drive and implement novel and innovative methods in alignment with other quantitative team members.

b. Explain data science methodology and interpret analysis results. Provide data science expertise to support submission activities, meetings with and responses to Health Authorities and other drug development activities, as required.

c. Contribute to interactions with external review boards/ethics committees, external consultants and other external parties with oversight as appropriate. Represent Novartis in data science discussions at external congresses, conferences, scientific meetings.

d. Represent the Analytics Line Function on cross-functional teams for the assigned projects. Responsible for functional alignment and ensuring line function awareness throughout the assigned projects.

e. Collaborate with other line functions. Explain methods and results in a manner easily understood by non-analytical folks, and provide adequate justifications, sensitivity analyses for actions/decisions/statements, when required.

f. Establish and maintain sound working relationships and effective communication with the Clinical Colleagues and Biostatistics & Pharmacometrics team.

2. Project level:

a. Understand complex and critical business problems, formulates integrated analytical approach to mine data sources, employ statistical methods and machine learning algorithms to discover actionable insights and automate process for reducing effort and time for repeated use. High agility to be able to work across various business domains. Able to use business presentations, smart visualization tools and contextual story-telling to translate findings back to business users with a clear impact.

b. Oversee all Data science resources and deliverables for assigned projects. Track trial timelines and milestones with increasing autonomy. Ensure timeliness and adequate quality, reliability and reproducibility of all Data Science deliverables for the assigned projects and/or non-clinical related activities.

c. Contribute to project team preparation for HA Advisory Committees and meetings as applicable. No direct team management.

d. Contribute to planning, assessment, prioritization and tracking of effective partnership with vendors.

3. Franchise or Global Line Function level: Significantly contribute to initiatives at global line function level.

4. Enterprise level:

a. Actively contribute to cross-functional organizational / process /scientific consulting improvement initiatives

b. Contribute to the review and implementation of health authority guidance

c. Identify, evaluate, and promote the use and the acceptance within and outside the organization, of innovative methods, through scientific collaborations, publications in scientific peer reviewed journals, presentations and chairing sessions at professional meetings.

5. External level:

a. Contribute to interactions with external review boards/ethics committees,

external consultants and other external parties with oversight as appropriate.

b. Represent Novartis in statistical discussions at external congresses, conferences, scientific meetings.

6. People Management: Mentor new hires and/or junior Statisticians

WHAT YOU’LL BRING TO THE ROLE:

• MS (in Statistics or equivalent) with 4+ years relevant work experience or PhD (in Statistics or equivalent) with relevant work experience (including internship).
• Influences decisions that directly impact the assigned clinical trial and team ability to deliver objectives.
• Proven knowledge and expertise in data science and its application to clinical trials. Depending on the assignment, may require proven expertise in pharmacokinetics, exposure-response modelling, exploratory biomarker, diagnostic analyses, applied Bayesian statistics, or data exploration skills. Proficiency in use of software packages (e.g. Python, R). Knowledge of drug development and Health Authority guidelines. Able to work on a multidisciplinary team to achieve team objectives.
• Experience in Franchise/Therapeutic Area and/or regulatory activities would be advantageous

 

Skills Desired

Automation, Biostatistics, Clinical Trials, Computer Programming, Metadata Management, Statistical Analysis