About the
Department
The Molecular AI team is part of Novo Nordisk’s
Computational Drug Design (CDD) area where we apply and develop
state of the art capabilities in predictive science, AI/ML and
structure-based drug design. Scientists within CDD collaborate
seamlessly with teams across the globe to invent better
molecules faster. With an unbiased approach to drug modalities,
in-house access to the newest screening techniques, and
world-class experimentation, we have a wealth of opportunities
to impact our pipeline and ultimately save and improve patient
lives. We work in multidisciplinary, highly collaborative
discovery teams both locally and across Novo Nordisk’s global
network to invent novel medicines by applying advanced
computational techniques and developing innovative computational
methods. We engage in external collaborations to ensure access
to cutting edge research and technology.
Molecular AI is working to establish ourselves as global
leaders in the research, development, and application of small
molecule, peptides and RNA. We support cutting-edge research
projects and develop innovative technologies in this field. We
foster strong collaborations with Research Chemistry within our
Global Research and Technology (GRT) organization and the
Dicerna Transformational Research Unit (TRU). With a team of
scientists located in both Denmark and the United States, we
strive to deliver the latest advancements in small molecules,
peptides and RNA to benefit patient health and global medicine.
We believe in the value of a diverse and inclusive culture.
Together, we build and grow talent to ensure the development of
new solutions. The team is comprised of collaborative, diverse
and passionate people who have a true sense of pride in their
work. We are committed to helping each other grow, and we are
driven by the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of
people living with chronic disease. Everything we do starts and
ends with the patient. And, while changing the future of chronic
disease treatment, such as diabetes and obesity, is no easy
task, we also recognize the importance of an enjoyable
workplace, which is why we’ve cultivated a culture of fun,
ingenuity, and innovation. Our competitive compensation package
and support of a healthy work-life balance all add to a
best-in-class employee experience.
***Please note we are open to hiring at more senior titles
commensurate with experience***
The Position
The Lead Data Scientist – Oligo Design will be a critical
team member of Molecular AI and contribute to the research
team's effort towards exploring and creating new technology and
being a world leader in oligo drug design. The ideal candidate
will have a deep knowledge and experience in both machine
learning and RNA Biology (structure, stability, translation) and
a high degree of proficiency in Python (scientific programming),
machine learning libraries, bioinformatics tools, and cloud
computing and be responsible for developing machine learning and
complex analytical workflows to support the selection, design
and optimization of siRNA sequences and siRNA formulations.
Relationships
The Lead Data Scientist – Oligo Design reports to the
Associate Director of Molecular AI. They will have close
interactions with scientists and experts within the Dicerna TRU
and Research Chemistry. Additional internal partners include
data scientists, specialists, engineers, software developers,
technology scouts & partnership developers and others across
US and Denmark. External relationships include commercial and
academic collaboration partners.
External relationships include commercial and academic
collaboration partners.
Essential Functions
- Scientific work:
- Work closely with scientists and engineers to advance our
internal expertise for RNA structure prediction and early drug design.
- Contribute to on-going portfolio projects within RNA
therapeutics support teams through target identification
through to candidate selection
- Perform and supervise development and implementation of
predictive modeling approaches for siRNA stability and
translation optimization through siRNA sequence/structure designs
- Identify, implement, and develop methods for molecular
modeling of RNA folding (2D, 3D, 4D), using integrative
computational approaches (RNA software packages, molecular
dynamics), and experimental data (SAXS, etc.)
- Deliver state of art methodologies and capabilities to the
design and optimization of therapeutic oligonucleotides by
applying bio/cheminformatics techniques, the latest machine
learning and AI algorithms
- Work with ML scientists and engineers to guide the
development of our ML models
- Conceptualize approaches, identify capability gaps, and
set goals
- Represent Molecular AI as a technical/scientific lead in
oligonucleotide computational design on cross-functional
research teams that include discovery, development and
research IT organizations
- Provide leadership and mentor more junior computational
biologists and data scientists
- Maintain a well-documented, reusable codebase, and
traceable model history
- Generate IP and participate in the drafting of patent filings
- Maintain scientific and technical expertise through
familiarity with scientific literature and attending conferences
- Collaborative teamwork:
- Work closely with Dicerna TRU, Therapeutic areas,
Chemical Biology, and formulations teams to drive discovery
and development efforts
- Actively participates in cross-functional teams to
develop AI and ML solutions
- Actively participates in virtual global team meetings regularly
- Achieves business goals, shares learnings, knowledge and
skills and promotes cross-functional teamwork
- Drive the evaluation of external and internal
capabilities and facilitate collaborations with external partners
- Present your results to an interdisciplinary team of
experimental, computational biologists and machine learning
colleagues at company meetings and strategic program readouts
Physical Requirements
Physical Requirements 10-20% overnight travel may be required.
Qualifications
- Master’s degree or PhD preferred. Degree within computational biology/chemistry, molecular biology or a
related quantitative discipline preferred; minimum of Bachelor’s degree required.
- Master’s degree with 5+ years’ relevant experience, or PhD
with 4+ years’ relevant experience; bachelor’s degree with 8+
years’ relevant experience can be considered
- Relevant experience includes:
- Expertise in RNA biology
- Strong expertise on 3D biomolecular structure
demonstrated through publications in major scientific journals
- Proficiency in Python to curate and analyze data at
scale and to implement new metrics that assess the
accuracy of our ML predictions
- Strong domain knowledge in machine learning (Deep
Learning, Embeddings, Reinforcement and Transfer Learning)
and algorithmic analysis of data
- Ability to perform in-depth data analysis and present
results and conclusions to engineering and leadership teams.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Detail oriented with strong documentation skills
- Examples of your work, such as GitHub repository or
publications that can showcase your skill
- Preferred experience includes:
- Drug discovery experience in the field of RNA
Therapeutics within industry or academy is preferred
- Research experience related to RNA secondary and
tertiary structure predictions – highly preferred.In-depth
knowledge of oligo therapeutic drug design and development methods.
- Experience with containerization and standard cloud
services such as AWS S3, EC2, and Lambda Functions.
We commit to an inclusive recruitment process and equality
of opportunity for all our job applicants.
At Novo Nordisk we recognize that it is no longer good
enough to aspire to be the best company in the world. We need to
aspire to be the best company for the world and we know that
this is only possible with talented employees with diverse
perspectives, backgrounds and cultures. We are therefore
committed to creating an inclusive culture that celebrates the
diversity of our employees, the patients we serve and
communities we operate in. Together, we’re life changing.
Novo Nordisk is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified
applicants will receive consideration for employment without
regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, gender
identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability,
protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected
by local, state or federal laws, rules or regulations.
If you are interested in applying to Novo Nordisk and need
special assistance or an accommodation to apply, please call us
at 1-855-411-5290. This contact is for accommodation requests
only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.