Senior Principal DSX Data Scientist

Roche • Boston, MA

2d

About 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. This role is in Analytical Data Science, a core function within Product Development Data Sciences (PDD) that provides strategic leadership and scientific rigor across Development at Roche. PDD Analytical Data Science teams are mobilized across the portfolio to generate data-driven insights, identify opportunities for scale, and implement impactful solutions. PDD Analytical Data Science is recognized as a leading hub for top industry talent, operating as an agile workforce to deliver regulatory commitments across the portfolio. We identify, influence, and adopt industry-leading digital and automation solutions, develop analytical approaches to support exploratory analyses, and align statistical programming practices across both early- and late-stage clinical development. The Opportunity The Data Scientist in the Data Science Acceleration (DSX) team is responsible for developing scalable tools, environments, and workflows that enable efficient, high-quality statistical computing across Product Development Data Sciences (PDD). This role focuses on creating and maintaining next-generation capabilities that support automation of programming workflows, generation of reusable coding macros, and advanced data visualization. Working closely with statistical programmers, biostatisticians, and clinical scientists, the Data Scientist translates scientific and operational needs into robust, modular, and user-friendly solutions that streamline evidence generation and support faster, more reliable decision-making across the development pipeline. You provide strategic and technical leadership in the design and evolution of Roche’s next-generation statistical computing platforms, ensuring they meet the future needs of PDD and the broader organization You anticipate emerging industry trends, technologies, and regulatory shifts, and translate them into forward-looking data science capabilities, frameworks, and standards You lead large-scale, cross-functional initiatives that redefine how clinical, operational, or real-world data are processed, visualized, and interpreted for decision-making You serve as a senior technical advisor to platform owners, programming and statistical leadership, and governance teams on complex topics involving infrastructure, automation, and scientific computing You guide technical vision, architectural decisions, and resource planning for high-impact tooling and infrastructure projects across DSX You resolve complex, system-level challenges across disciplines by applying deep scientific computing expertise and systems thinking You influence internal policy and development standards, and drive adoption of best practices that scale across teams, functions, and geographies You communicate complex technical ideas clearly to senior-level stakeholders and shape decisions on investment, tooling strategy, and portfolio priorities You foster a culture of technical excellence, collaboration, and innovation through mentorship, internal community building, and knowledge sharing

Requirements

• You hold a PhD or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, Bioinformatics, Engineering, or a related quantitative field
• You have a minimum of 8 years of experience in data science, statistical computing, or platform development, with a demonstrated track record of impact at organizational or cross-functional levels
• You are a recognized expert in building and scaling scientific or statistical software systems, with deep understanding of clinical research environments and regulatory implications
• You bring expertise in multiple programming environments (e.g., Python, R) and development practices for reproducible, compliant, and high-performance computing
• You have demonstrated leadership of major programs or cross-functional initiatives with technical complexity and strategic significance
• You demonstrate capacity for independent thinking and ability to make decisions based upon sound principles
• You bring excellent strategic agility including problem-solving and critical thinking skills, and agility that extends beyond the technical domain
• You demonstrate respect for cultural differences when interacting with colleagues in the global workplace
• You have excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to influence senior stakeholders and explain technical strategy with clarity and confidence
• You have proven experience leading global, cross-functional projects or workstreams, demonstrating effective coordination across time zones and diverse stakeholder groups

Nice To Haves

• Experience shaping the architecture and long-term roadmap of enterprise-scale data science platforms or statistical computing environments
• Demonstrated ability to influence regulatory and quality frameworks in the context of digital and analytical tools
• Strategic understanding of healthcare data ecosystems, including real-world data, translational pipelines, and high-dimensional data integration
• Proven ability to drive tool adoption and cultural change through technical leadership, stakeholder engagement, and thoughtful design
• Engagement with external scientific or developer communities (e.g., open-source contributions, industry consortia, conference presentations)
• Experience guiding investment and resource decisions for high-impact tooling or analytics initiatives
• Ability to synthesize organizational priorities and translate them into impactful, technically sound solutions at scale

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and technical leadership in the design and evolution of Roche’s next-generation statistical computing platforms, ensuring they meet the future needs of PDD and the broader organization
• Anticipate emerging industry trends, technologies, and regulatory shifts, and translate them into forward-looking data science capabilities, frameworks, and standards
• Lead large-scale, cross-functional initiatives that redefine how clinical, operational, or real-world data are processed, visualized, and interpreted for decision-making
• Serve as a senior technical advisor to platform owners, programming and statistical leadership, and governance teams on complex topics involving infrastructure, automation, and scientific computing
• Guide technical vision, architectural decisions, and resource planning for high-impact tooling and infrastructure projects across DSX
• Resolve complex, system-level challenges across disciplines by applying deep scientific computing expertise and systems thinking
• Influence internal policy and development standards, and drive adoption of best practices that scale across teams, functions, and geographies
• Communicate complex technical ideas clearly to senior-level stakeholders and shape decisions on investment, tooling strategy, and portfolio priorities
• Foster a culture of technical excellence, collaboration, and innovation through mentorship, internal community building, and knowledge sharing

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree