Principal Statistician - Bioinformatics & Biostatistics

Principal Statistician - Bioinformatics & Biostatistics

This is a full-time permanent position on Crick terms and conditions of employment.

Summary

The Francis Crick Institute seeks to recruit a highly experienced and technically excellent Principal Statistician with extensive experience leading statistical data analysis projects in a collaborative biological research environment.

In this position, you will be working as part of the Bioinformatics & Biostatistics Scientific Technology Platform (STP), a talented and dynamic team to provide statistical analysis expertise and leadership to help Francis Crick research groups achieve their research ambitions.

The Bioinformatics & Biostatistics STP is a centre of excellence in Data Science that leverages its knowledge to facilitate discovery across the Crick and extract biological meaning from large, complex and diverse datasets.

• Work collaboratively across the Crick to co-design experiments, formulate analysis plans and interpret results.

• Perform standard and advanced analyses of high-dimensional, data-intensive and complex research questions across the biomedical research spectrum using bioinformatics, biostatistics, machine learning and AI approaches.

• Empower biologists to understand their datasets, using our broad training portfolio to enable data curiosity and develop analytical skills.

• Design innovative approaches for recurrent and novel projects, and deploy corresponding tools internally, across the Crick and beyond.

You will apply your biostatistics skills to technology-driven research questions across the broad range of biomedical research activities found at the Crick. The successful applicants will have a proven track record in collaborative academic research, including statistical analysis and interpretation of large, complex datasets. You should possess a PhD with significant experience in bioinformatics, mathematics, or statistics biomedical-based research with a large computational component.

Project summary

In this position, you will play a key role in providing Francis Crick research groups with access to statistical expertise within the Bioinformatics & Biostatistics group. Working with the deputy head for Biostatistics, you will lead on all aspects of complex statistical analysis projects involving data from the latest cutting-edge experiments run at the Crick. You will work to build collaborative relationships with researchers and group members. You will have the opportunity to help develop the group by taking on analysis development, project management and staff development projects. In addition, you bare responsibilities for developing the general level of statistical thinking across the Institute.

Key responsibilities

• Provide statistical expertise to help Francis Crick scientists achieve their research objectives.

• Lead collaborative statistical analysis projects involving multiple statisticians, bioinformaticians and researchers.

• Provide leadership within the group in line with core Crick values to help achieve group and institute objectives.

• Take on specific group responsibilities in analysis development, project management and staff development.

• Provide support to group management in managing projects and developing the group.

• Line management of some members of the Bioinformatics and Biostatistics STP as required including assisting and independently performing PDRs

• Work with Crick researchers to design experiments, formulate analysis plans and inform on research decisions.

• Play a role in developing statistical capabilities and understanding across the Institute regarding awareness, analysis approaches, software and training.

• Support the statistical training and development of statisticians and bioinformaticians within and outside of the group.

• Continue professional development through maintaining awareness of developments in the bioinformatics and research communities.

• Participate in group meetings, workshops and seminars internal and external to the Institute.

Key experience and competencies

The post holder should embody and demonstrate our core Crick values: bold, imaginative, open, dynamic and collegial, in addition to the following:

Essential Qualifications, experience and competencies:

• A degree in a relevant subject with an extensive mathematical component.

• Excellent scientific analysis skills.

• Extensive experience in successfully running and managing multiple statistical analysis projects to solve complex data analysis problems in a collaborative biological research environment.

• Expert-level statistical programming skills in R or another language relevant to the role.

• A deep technical understanding of statistical analysis approaches applied to biological research data and experimental design.

• An excellent understanding and experience of several modern sequencing applications.

• Experience in applying expertise to the experimental and analysis design process.

• The ability to mentor and develop statisticians and bioinformaticians at all stages of the analysis project workflow.

• Extensive experience interacting with research leads to helping solve and develop research questions.

• A proven publication record or similar.

• Excellent communication skills within a research environment, building highly effective working relationships with the team and scientists.

Desirable Qualifications, experience and competencies:

• An understanding of programming, particularly regarding big data, data visualisation and data-mining techniques within a genomic setting.

• Knowledge of research areas relevant to Crick research.

• Experience in software development processes and management.

• Experience in teaching statistics.

Find out what benefits the Crick has to offer:

For more information on our great pay and benefits package please click here:

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion:

We welcome applications from all backgrounds. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities, regardless of ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, pregnancy, age, disability, or civil partnership, marital or family status. We particularly welcome applications from people who are Minority Ethnic as they are currently underrepresented in the Crick at this level.

Diversity is essential to excellence in scientific endeavour. It increases breadth and perspective, leading to more innovation and creativity. We want the Crick to be a place where everyone feels valued and where diversity is celebrated and seen as part of the foundation for our Institute's success.

The Crick is committed to creating equality of opportunity and promoting diversity and inclusivity. We all share in the responsibility to actively promote dignity, respect, inclusivity and equal treatment and it is our aim to ensure that these principles are reflected and implemented in all strategies, policies and practices.

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