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.