Principal Data Scientist Full-time

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The Position

A healthier future. It's what drives us to innovate. To continuously advance science and ensure everyone has access to the healthcare they need today and for generations to come.

Creating a world where we all have more time with the people we love.

That's what makes us Roche.

We are seeking a visionary and authoritative Principal Data Scientist to serve as a technical lead for Roche's proprietary sequencing technology, SBX.

In this pivotal role, you will sit at the intersection of discovery and engineering. You will drive exploratory research to decode complex nanopore signal data, develop novel algorithms for DNA sequence analysis, and architect industrial-grade production pipelines. You will provide technical leadership to a cross-functional squad of Data Scientists and Bioinformatics Software Engineers, ensuring that cutting-edge AI/ML models are successfully translated into robust, scalable software solutions on HPC infrastructure.

As a Principal on the team, you will define the analytical strategy for SBX data. You will move beyond simple analysis to build the infrastructure and algorithmic core that allows our sequencing technology to scale.

The Opportunity

• Provide technical direction and mentorship to hybrid teams of Data Scientists and Bioinformatics Software Engineers.
• Establish best practices for code quality, collaborative development, and model lifecycle management across diverse teams.
• Lead the development of algorithms for DNA sequence analysis, including basecalling and post-primary analyses.
• Innovate on bioinformatics methods like string matching, graph assembly, and Hidden Markov Models to address SBX data challenges.
• Design and deploy advanced deep learning models, such as Transformers, CNNs, and RNNs/LSTMs, for analyzing electrical signal data and predicting sequencing outcomes.
• Advocate for MLOps practices to ensure model reproducibility, version control, and monitoring in production environments.
• Architect scalable workflows using tools like Airflow and Nextflow for research exploration and production deployment.
• Manage and optimize HPC workloads using SLURM, while writing Bash and Python scripts to integrate complex systems efficiently.

Who You Are

• MS/Ph.D. in Bioinformatics, Computer Science, Computational Biology, Physics, or a related discipline.
• 5+ years of post-PhD industrial experience, in similar fields
• Deep theoretical and practical knowledge of algorithms used in DNA sequence analysis (e.g., dynamic programming, BWT, de Bruijn graphs, HMMs) and experience implementing them from scratch or optimizing existing implementations.
• Expert-level proficiency in applying Machine Learning and Deep Learning frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, Keras) to biological data. Experience with supervised/unsupervised learning and sequence modeling is essential.
• Advanced proficiency in Linux/Unix environments, including complex Bash scripting and workload management on HPC clusters using SLURM.
• Mastery of workflow management systems, specifically Nextflow (DSL2), and experience deploying pipelines in cloud or cluster environments.
• Expert-level proficiency in Python and a strong command of software engineering principles (OOP, Unit Testing, CI/CD, Git).

Preferred:

• Deep experience analyzing raw current traces/signal data from nanopore sequencing platforms.
• Proficiency in C++ and CUDA for accelerating critical algorithm components or custom kernels.
• Extensive experience with Docker/Singularity/Apptainer for reproducible science.

Relocation benefits are not available for this posting.

The expected salary range for this position based on the primary location of Mississauga is 136,936.00 and 179,728.50 of hiring range. Actual pay will be determined based on experience, qualifications, and other job-related factors as determined by the company.

We use artificial intelligence to screen, assess or select applicants for this role.

This posting is for an existing vacancy at Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.