Senior Scientist in Computational Biology / Bioinformatics for a Fixed Term Contract (20 Months)

Job Description

Our Company has a rapidly growing interdisciplinary team of scientists in London and exciting plans to establish ‘Skylab’, a new laboratory space at the Francis Crick Institute. This will complement the construction of a new state-of the-art Research and Discovery Centre in London’s ‘Knowledge Quarter’ opposite King’s Cross Railway station. Our new site will employ circa 800 people across our research and commercial divisions.

We are now seeking a highly motivated Senior Scientist in Computational Biology / Bioinformatics for a Fixed Term Contract (20 Months) to join our Neuroscience Translational Analytics team within The Data, AI & Genome Sciences department.

Role overview:

The qualified individual will be an expert in the field of Computational Biology & Bioinformatics. They will have deep expertise in the application of computational approaches to analyze multi-modal biological datasets to decode causal biology with the goal of identifying novel drug targets and diseases biomarkers in neurodegenerative diseases. In this role, they will work alongside other computational biologists and data scientists to inform all stages of our Neuroscience drug development pipeline. As such, they will leverage cutting-edge AI/ML and analytics approaches to integrate human genetics, multi-scale molecular profiles of patient-derived samples, and functional genomics data derived from a wide-array of preclinical models to address challenging problems in early target discovery, characterization of mechanisms of action and discovery of patient stratification biomarkers. They will be expected to operate in a collaborative environment, working with cross-functional teams of computational biologists, data scientists, bench scientists and clinical colleagues.

This role will be based at our Discovery Centre in Kings Cross, London.

What you will do:

• Leverage Bioinformatics, System Biology, Statistics and Machine Learning methods to analyse high-throughput omics datasets, with a specific focus on novel target and biomarker discovery in Neuroscience.  

• Lead computational analyses and data integration projects involving genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and other multi-omics data.

• Provide high-quality data analysis and timely support for target and biomarker discovery projects supporting the organization’s growing Neuroscience portfolio.

• Participate in experimental design, provide bioinformatics input, and assist in interpreting results from both in-vitro and in-vivo studies.

• Keep up-to-date with the latest bioinformatics analysis methods, software, and databases, integrating new methodologies into existing frameworks to enhance data analysis capabilities.

• Work with experimental biologists and functional area scientists to support discovery projects.

• Communicate study results effectively to the project team and wider scientific community through written and verbal means, including proposals for further experiments, presentations at national and international meetings, and publications in leading journals.

What you will need:

• PhD in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Biostatistics, Computer Science, or a related discipline.

• Ideally neuroscience-related research experience in a pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry setting.

Required Experience and Skills:

• Demonstrated expertise in bioinformatics, computational biology, machine learning, multi-omics data analysis, biological data integration and interpretation.

• Extensive and demonstrated experience in the computational analysis of multi-modal and multi-scale (e.g. single cell, spatial) molecular profiles of patient-derived samples.

• Proficient in one or more programming languages (e.g., Python, R) and a strong understanding of public and industry-standard databases and tools.

• Competent with Linux environments and experience with cloud platforms.

• Experience with version control systems, such as Git (e.g., Github).

• Good working knowledge of public and proprietary bioinformatics databases, resources and tools.

• Familiarity with public repositories of DNA, RNA, protein, single-cell and spatial profiling data.

• Ability to critically evaluate scientific research and apply novel informatics methods in translational applications.

• Strong problem-solving skills, self-motivated, attention to detail, and ability to handle multiple projects.

• Proven ability to conduct research individually and collaboratively.

• Background and experience in analysing data sets related to neurobiology is strongly preferred.

• In-depth understanding of drug target and biomarker identification in an industry setting is preferred.

• Proven track record of contributions to peer-reviewed publications in the field of bioinformatics or computational biology.

• Excellent communication skills (written, presentation, and oral).

Your role at our company is integral to helping the world meet new breakthroughs that affect generations to come, and we’re counting on your skills and inventiveness to help make meaningful contributions to global medical advancement. At our company, we’re inventing for life. 

We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing diverse, talented, and committed people together. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when diverse ideas come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively for the common good. We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplac

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully 
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company.  No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails. 

Employee Status:

Relocation:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Job Posting End Date:

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.