ATOM Data Scientist

This position description does not represent a specific job but represents a sourcing announcement for current and future open positions. Our positions span a wide range of skills, so candidates who express an interest may be considered for upcoming positions at Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research.

PROGRAM DESCTIPTION

The Frederick National Laboratory is dedicated to improving human health through the discovery and innovation in the biomedical sciences, focusing on cancer, AIDS and emerging infectious diseases. The Biomedical Informatics and Data Science (BIDS) directorate works collaboratively and helps to fulfill the mission of Frederick National Laboratory in the areas of biomedical informatics and data science by developing and applying world leading data science and computing technologies to basic and applied biomedical research challenges, supporting critical operations, developing and delivering national data resources, and employing leading-edge software and data science. The BIDS Strategic and Data Science Initiatives Group has been established within the BIDS directorate to undertake key initiatives and establish new collaborations in computing and data science to address cancer challenges and accelerate cancer research. A key focus of this group is to provide secure and robust data management and data modeling platforms and services for scientific data in accordance with FAIR data principles supporting an increasing level of analysis for the ever-expanding collection of scientific datasets.

KEY ROLES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Assist the team to model development efforts for ATOM in areas including cancer efficacy prediction
• Assist the team to develop cancer modeling strategies for projects from initiation through approval, including data preparation, computational predictive model development including use of machine learning, AI and simulation, subsequent data analysis and evaluation
• Work with the team to manage the analysis of bioinformatics and drug discovery data through the use of machine learning techniques, computational methods, and cloud resources to facilitate analysis of data including next generation sequencing, functional genomics data, drug data, natural language processing, molecular dynamics simulations, and image processing for use in model development
• Assist the team to develop and execute software development cycle
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of drug discovery regulatory requirements
• Engage and work with peers for input into development and pilot projects to complement in-house knowledge and expertise
• Engage and work with business development team and potential partners for technological assessments as well as collaborate with outside organizations on emerging technical capabilities
• Support development and testing of data science workflows implemented on High Performance Computing and Cloud systems
• Draft, write and edit literature review, scientific reports, papers, journal articles and abstracts and present achievements to support ATOM's integrated research and evidence-based practice

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

This position may be filled with a Data Scientist level II/III commensurate with the selected candidates experience To be considered for this position, you must minimally meet the knowledge, skills, and abilities listed below:

• Possession of Bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university according to the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) related to life science, computer science, data science, or biomedical informatics or four (4) years relevant experience in lieu of degree. Foreign degrees must be evaluated for U.S. equivalency
  • Level II - In addition to the education requirement, a minimum of two (2) years of progressively responsible experience
  • Level III - In addition to the education requirement, a minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience
• Experience working in drug development in a pharma or research role supporting clinical development of compounds.
• Familiarity with use of machine learning and deep learning approaches including TensorFlow, Keras, and other open source packages
• Familiarity with programming tools and software typically used in data science such as Python, R, Perl, bash
• Working knowledge of bioinformatics methods and data formats (e.g., NGS, medical images, NLP, structural biology, molecular dynamic simulations, etc.)
• Self-disciplined and willing to engage while working remotely
• Self-motivated and willing to learn and explore technology
• Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Candidates with these desired skills will be given preferential consideration:

• Training and experience in cancer efficacy model development and/or pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and application in drug development
• Possession of a PhD from an accredited college or university according to the Council for Higher Education Accreditation in areas related to life science, computer science, data science, or biomedical informatics. (Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education)
• Familiarity in software development and engineering lifecycle
• Experience with application of machine learning / deep learning methods for medical data
• Good verbal and written communication skills
• Good interpersonal skills and experience working in multidisciplinary teams
• Experience in fast paced, matrix environment desirable
• Ability to work independently
• Experience managing vendors and subcontractors

EXPECTED COMPETENCIES

• Ability to work with ease in a fast paced, agile environment
• Self-motivated and result-oriented, able to handle multiple projects efficiently
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Must be a team player