Data Scientist Director Full-time

Data Scientist Director

We advance science so that we all have more time with the people we love. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced applied clinical engineer to join our Early Clinical Development (ECD) department at Roche/Genentech. The Data Scientist Director is a people leader responsible for guiding a cross-functional team of data scientists and software engineers to deliver applied, AI-enabled solutions for clinical development. This role operates at the intersection of clinical data science, modern software engineering, and quantitative methods, providing leadership, technical direction, and strategic oversight as innovation technology is translated and applied into scalable, reliable, and regulatory-ready clinical platforms. The role requires strong AI/ML knowledge, sound technical judgment, and the ability to lead expert teams in a regulated, matrixed environment.

The Opportunity: As a Data Scientist Director, you will make a significant impact by:

• People Leadership: Leading, mentoring, and developing a team of data scientists and software engineers; driving hiring, onboarding, performance management, and career development; and fostering a culture of collaboration, learning, and clinical impact.
• Applied Engineering & Technical Direction: Providing technical and strategic direction for applied clinical engineering platforms, including AI-enabled and advanced analytics capabilities, while balancing near-term delivery needs with long-term scalability.
• Clinical & Innovation Integration: Partnering closely with clinical science, clinical operation, Biometrics, regulatory, and digital/IT teams to ensure solutions are clinically meaningful, statistically sound, and appropriate for decision-making.
• Governance, Quality & Compliance: Ensuring solutions are developed in alignment with GxP, data integrity, and validation expectations, in collaboration with quality and regulatory partners, and promoting best practices for documentation and audit readiness.
• Strategy & Influence: Contributing to digital, data, and advanced analytics strategy within clinical development and communicating technical and quantitative concepts clearly to scientific, clinical, and senior leadership audiences.
• AI Guidance: Guide teams as automation and machine learning approaches are translated into operational solutions and applying data science principles to guide model evaluation, interpretation, and use.

Who You Are: We are looking for a leader who values technical depth, sound judgment, and leadership over tool-specific expertise. You are someone who thrives in a collaborative environment and possesses the ability to lead expert teams in a regulated, matrixed environment without needing to personally implement AI solutions. To be successful in this role, you should have:

• Education & Experience: PhD or equivalent experience in Computer Science, Data Science, Bioinformatics, Biostatistics or a related field, with substantial experience working with clinical trial or drug development data.
• Industry publications, presentations, or other forms of thought leadership.
• AI / ML Knowledge & Technical Judgment: Solid understanding of machine learning and advanced analytics concepts, including model development, evaluation, and limitations, with a strong appreciation for the interaction between clinical relevance and interpretability.
• People Leadership: Demonstrated people leadership experience, including leading, mentoring, and developing technical professionals.
• Leadership & Collaboration: Proven ability to lead and influence multi-disciplinary teams in matrix environments, with strong stakeholder management skills across statistics, clinical, engineering, and digital/IT functions.
• Communication: Excellent communication skills with both technical and non-technical audiences, with the ability to represent applied clinical engineering initiatives in cross-functional forums.
• Operational Excellence: Familiarity with modern analytics and ML lifecycles, including considerations around deployment, monitoring, and validation.
• Industry Background: Experience in pharma, biotech, or other regulated healthcare environments, preferably with exposure to AI, advanced analytics, or data platforms used across multiple teams or programs. Clinical trial domain expertise is a plus.

Onsite presence on our South San Francisco campus is expected for at least 3 days a week. Relocation benefits are not available for this job posting. The expected salary range for this position based on the primary location of California is $221,400 – $411,200. Actual pay will be determined based on experience, qualifications, geographic location, and other job-related factors permitted by law. A discretionary annual bonus may be available based on individual and Company performance. This position also qualifies for the benefits detailed at the link provided below.