Engineer the Quantum RevolutionYour expertise can help us shape the future of quantum computing at Oxford Ionics.

View Open Roles

Senior Data Scientist - Drug Discovery - fully remote in UK

Hays
London
1 week ago
Create job alert

Your new company
You will be joining an expanding consultancy focused on supporting innovation in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry. Its specialist research division is dedicated to solving complex biological problems through advanced statistical modelling and ML/AI. They have an experienced team with a strong track record and are looking for an extra person to join them to work on statistical method development and application to real-world drug discovery & development problems.


Your new role
As a Senior Data Scientist, your work will centre on methodological innovation. You will:

  • Design and implement novel statistical approaches to interrogate large-scale genomic datasets
  • Develop new models to quantify genetic contributions to disease and complex traits
  • Evaluate and refine existing analytical frameworks to improve accuracy and interpretability
  • Ensure scientific rigour and reproducibility in all method development
  • Translate complex statistical outputs into meaningful insights for technical and non-technical audiences
  • Collaborate with engineering teams to embed new methods into scalable data pipelines
  • Contribute to peer-reviewed publications that showcase methodological advancements
  • Stay ahead of emerging techniques in statistical genetics and bioinformatics, integrating them into ongoing research


While pharma/biotech or consultancy industry experience is preferred, this role could also suit a recent PhD graduate or junior post-doc researcher with strong statistical method development.

The role can be fuly home based, or you can work from one of the company's offices across the UK.


What you'll need to succeed

  • PhD (or Master's with substantial experience) in statistics, maths, physics, data science, computing, statistical genetics or a related field with a strong methodological focus (or equivalent experience)
  • Demonstrated ability to create and validate new statistical / analytical models or workflows
  • Strong programming skills in R or Python, with experience in statistical libraries and bioinformatics tools
  • Familiarity with biobank-scale datasets and genomic databases
  • Experience with cloud platforms and scalable computing environments
  • A publication record that reflects methodological contributions to the field
  • Good communication skills, especially in explaining statistical concepts to diverse audiences



What you'll get in return
You'll be joining a highly experienced team doing cutting-edge work to support drug discovery & development efforts at a wide range of pharmaceutical and biotech companies. As well as lots of opportunities to develop your skills and career, this role offers a good package and the chance to make a significant impact.


What you need to do now
If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now.
If this job isn't quite right for you but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion on your career.

Keywords: Statistical, Genetics, Bioinformatics, Genomics, Data, Scientist, Lead, Senior, GWAS, Polygenic, Risk, Score, Mendelian, Randomisation, Causal, Inference, Computational, Biology, Genetic, Epidemiology, Variant, Annotation, Pathway, Method, Enrichment, Protein, Interaction, Networks, Biobank, Research, Modelling, Development

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Senior Data Scientist - Computer Vision

Senior Data Scientists

Senior Data Scientist

Senior Data Scientist

Senior Data Scientist

Senior Data Scientist

Subscribe to Future Tech Insights for the latest jobs & insights, direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

Pre-Employment Checks for Data Science Jobs: DBS, References & Right-to-Work and more Explained

Pre-employment screening in data science reflects the discipline's unique position at the intersection of statistical analysis, machine learning innovation, and strategic business intelligence. Data scientists often have privileged access to comprehensive datasets, proprietary algorithms, and business-critical insights that form the foundation of organisational strategy and competitive positioning. The data science industry operates within complex regulatory frameworks spanning GDPR, sector-specific data protection requirements, and emerging AI governance regulations. Data scientists must demonstrate not only technical competence in statistical modelling and machine learning but also deep understanding of research ethics, data privacy principles, and the societal implications of algorithmic decision-making. Modern data science roles frequently involve analysing personally identifiable information, financial data, healthcare records, and sensitive business intelligence across multiple jurisdictions and regulatory frameworks simultaneously. The combination of analytical privilege, predictive capabilities, and strategic influence makes thorough candidate verification essential for maintaining compliance, security, and public trust in data-driven insights and automated systems.

Why Now Is the Perfect Time to Launch Your Career in Data Science: The UK's Analytics Revolution

The United Kingdom stands at the forefront of a data science revolution that's reshaping how businesses make decisions, governments craft policies, and society tackles its greatest challenges. From the machine learning algorithms powering London's fintech innovation to the predictive models guiding Manchester's smart city initiatives, Britain's transformation into a data-driven economy has created an unprecedented demand for skilled data scientists that far outstrips the available talent. If you've been contemplating a career transition or seeking to position yourself at the cutting edge of the digital economy, data science represents one of the most intellectually stimulating, financially rewarding, and socially impactful career paths available today. The convergence of big data maturation, artificial intelligence mainstream adoption, business intelligence evolution, and cross-industry digital transformation has created the perfect conditions for data science career success.

Automate Your Data Science Jobs Search: Using ChatGPT, RSS & Alerts to Save Hours Each Week

Data science roles land daily across banks, product companies, consultancies, scaleups & the public sector—often buried in ATS portals or duplicated across boards. The fix: put discovery on rails with keyword-rich alerts, RSS feeds & a reusable ChatGPT workflow that triages listings, ranks fit, & tailors your CV in minutes. This copy-paste playbook is for www.datascience-jobs.co.uk readers. It’s UK-centric, practical, & designed to save you hours each week. What You’ll Have Working In 30 Minutes A role & keyword map spanning Core DS, Applied/Research, Product/Decision Science, NLP/CV, Causal/Experimentation, Time Series/Forecasting, MLOps-adjacent & Analytics Engineering overlaps. Shareable Boolean searches for Google & job boards that strip out noise. Always-on alerts & RSS feeds that bring fresh UK roles to you. A ChatGPT “Data Science Job Scout” prompt that deduplicates, scores match & outputs ready-to-paste actions. A simple pipeline tracker so deadlines & follow-ups never slip.