Scientific Data and Workflow Principal Scientist

Job Description

Location: South San Francisco, CA, USA OR West Point, PA, USA (with some travel and opportunity for some remote work)

About Us: The Workflow and Data Capture (WDC) team within Pharmacokinetics, Dynamics, Metabolism, and Bioanalytics (PDMB) at our company's Research Laboratories is dedicated to optimizing data collection and utilization to drive the discovery and development of new medicines. Our team focuses on enhancing workflows through automation, data capture, data pipelines, and visualizations that support our company’s translational modeling, AI/ML, and decision-making platforms. We work with varied and challenging data types including enablement of automated laboratory instruments and robotic platforms, scientific results for decision support, and operational metrics.

Role Overview: We are seeking a full-time Data and Workflow Principal Scientist to lead efforts in streamlining data workflows and improving data integration. The role involves collaborating with scientists across PDMB and beyond to identify and lead projects that enhance data handling and application. The technically strong candidate will provide technical oversight of a small team of data scientists and work closely with the Senior Director of WDC and senior staff to shape and implement our long-term data strategy.

Key Responsibilities:

• With a strong knowledge of current and emerging technologies, lead collaborations with scientists and IT partners to optimize data collection, access and use in drug discovery and development.

• Provide technical oversight of a team of data scientists to develop prototypes, implement solutions, applications and integrations ensuring use of appropriate technologies, compliance with our company's data security requirements, and good coding practices including Git version control.

• Collaborate on complex cross-functional projects, ensure optimal alignment of resources and delivery of value.

• Build and maintain a broad network of scientific and IT partners.

Qualifications:

Education and Experience:

• A Bachelor's (with 10 years), Master's (with 8 years) or Ph.D. (with 5 years) in Engineering, Automated Sciences, Computer Science, Biology, Chemistry or related discipline and relevant scientific expertise with laboratory automation.

Required Experience and Skills:

• Strong technical skills including

• Proficiency in Python with experience developing web applications using Flask, FastAPI, or similar frameworks

• Experience integrating with REST APIs, handling JSON data, and working with third-party services

• Basic knowledge of SQL and database operations with experience in relational database schemas

• Familiarity with Git version leading a team of developers

• Experience working in AWS or other cloud environment

• Strong problem-solving abilities with demonstrated capacity to learn new technologies quickly

• Strong interest in life sciences, ideally with experience with biological data

• Proven track record of technical project management from inception through to successful completion.

• Experience in leading and collaborating on cross-disciplinary teams with research and IT functions

• Ability to develop and execute data strategies and drive innovative solutions.

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Knowledge of OEM instrument platforms typical of biology, biochemistry or chemistry laboratory workflows in drug discovery and/ or development

• Experience with change management

• Knowledge of Posit Connect platform for application deployment and Docker containerization

• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, application monitoring, error handling strategies, and basic frontend development (HTML/CSS/JavaScript)

• Familiarity with data visualization tools such as Spotfire

• Experience with prompt engineering techniques including prompt optimization, chain-of-thought reasoning, and designing effective AI interactions for data extraction and processing tasks

• Awareness of data harmonization initiatives, standardized ontologies and their application

Why Join Us:

• Be part of a collaborative and innovative team dedicated to advancing drug discovery and development.

• Work in a dynamic environment with opportunities for professional growth and development.

• Contribute to the development of new medicines that improve patient outcomes.

If you