02/14/13
Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR)
Company Information: About Novartis Institute for Biomedical Research: The Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research is the global pharmaceutical research organization for Novartis. The NIBR research network is comprised of more than 6,000 scientists, physicians, and business professionals working together across 10 locations around the world to discover innovative medicines that treat diseases with high unmet medical need. Novartis employs more than 2,000 associates in Cambridge, making it the city’s largest private employer and ideally situated in one of the leading life science communities in the world. NIBR conducts research globally with sites in Emeryville, California; Cambridge, MA; East Hanover, NJ; Basel, Switzerland; Horsham, UK; and Shanghai, China. About the Next Generation Sequencing Group The ability to sequence each patient’s genome in great detail, quickly and inexpensively, is changing the practice of medicine. At NIBR, we are dedicated to the development of therapies that improve clinical outcomes for patients. Next generation sequencing and other cutting-edge molecular characterization technologies will be important tools for discovering breakthrough therapeutics, and for delivering the right medicines to the right patients. NIBR is launching a new Next Generation Diagnostics (NGDx) group at our global headquarters in Cambridge, MA. The NGDx team will leverage cutting-edge technologies such as next generation sequencing for characterizing human tissues, by individual lesions and by pathway signatures relevant to therapeutic response. The goal is to develop a robust and comprehensive molecular profile for each patient. To this end, the group will begin by developing capabilities to characterize therapeutically relevant genetic lesions and pathway signatures in human cancer. Opportunities exist for genomics scientists, computational biologists, bioinformatics scientists, software and systems engineers, assay development scientists, histopathologists, sample technicians, and biochemists.

Position Title: Biostatistician/Sr. Biostatistician

Duties & Responsibilities: We are seeking experienced, highly motivated biostatisticians to join a group leveraging next-generation sequencing and other genomics technologies for the development of diagnostic and other predictive tests. This role will interface with multiple scientific groups in Novartis, from basic research through translational research and clinical development, and will be responsible for building and validating rigorous predictive classifiers of patient therapeutic response. The successful candidates will be self-directed and highly collaborative, and will: • Provide leadership as a statistical expert on cross functional teams • Work closely with bioinformatics and biology teams to build univariate and multivariate tests, predicting clinical outcome based on genomic assays and relevant clinical parameters • Work with and set standards for data management personnel • Be responsible for data quality and the validity of the reported results • Participate in the establishment of data reporting processes and standards

Position Qualifications: • Ph.D. in Biostatistics or Statistics plus a minimum of 3 years’ experience, or MS +7 years’ experience • Proficiency in a statistical programming environment; R is highly preferred • Experience building and validating biomarker tests based on high-dimensionality data (such as genomic data) • Ability to clearly communicate statistical concepts and results to diverse team members • Strong verbal and written communication skills • Experience with regulatory data requirements a strong plus • Knowledge of bioinformatics and/or genomics is a strong plus • Fluency in a scripting language such as Perl or Python preferred

Salary Range:

Benefits:

Web Site: http://www.nibr.com

Application Address: http://novartis.avature.net/ngdx/jobDetail?id=162

Contact Email: pam.bailey@novartis.com

Application Deadline: 4/15/13