Director of Biological Data Science m / w / d

Our customer from the pharma industry is looking for a Director of Biological Data Science m / w / d driving development and execution of a computational biology strategy, with a focus on design of live biotherapeutic product via execution of in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo assays to uncover mechanisms driving the efficacy of microbiome interventions.

The ideal candidate will hold a PhD in computational biology, microbiology, immunology, or a related field, bring deep expertise in host-microbial interaction assays and immunological readouts, and have proven leadership experience in guiding research teams and managing complex projects in an academic or industry setting.

Responsibilities

• Team Management : Lead, and mentora team of computational biologists and bioinformaticians in a matrixed environment.
• Rational Product Design : Utilize computational methods, including machine learning and systemsbiology, to analyze high-dimensional omics data (e.g.,genomics, metagenomics, transcriptomics) and identify optimal microbial strains and combinations for therapeutic consortia.
• Data Integration and Analysis : Oversee the development and deployment of robust,reproducible computational pipelines for integrating and analyzing large-scale multi-omics datasets from preclinical models and clinical studies.
• Predictive Modeling : Apply advanced statistical and machine learning techniques to model microbiome-host interactions, predict LBP efficacy, and assess potential safety profiles.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration : Partner with research, process development, and clinical teams to translate computational predictions into experimental designs and advance product candidates through the pipeline.
• External Engagement : Identify and manage strategic relationships with external collaborators, vendors, and academic institutions to augment internal capabilities.
• Scientific Communication : Act as a subject-matter expert for internal and external audiences, presenting scientific findings and the computational rationale behind LBP design to drive decision-making.
• IP Strategy : Contribute to the company’s intellectual property strategy by identifying and documenting novel computational methods and LBP compositions.

Required qualifications

• Education : Ph.D. in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Microbiology, Immunology, or a related quantitative field.
• Experience and expertise : A minimum of 8 years of experience in computational biology, with at least 4 years in a leadership role within the biopharmaceutical or biotechnology industry.
• Exceptional leadership and people management skills : with a history of building and inspiring high-performing computational teams in a matrixed environment.
• Proven track record of applying computational approaches to a drug discovery and development pipeline.
• Knowledge of biopharmaceutical regulatory processes
• Demonstrated experience with multi-omics data integration (e.g., metabolomics, proteomics)
• and systems biology modeling.
• Expertise in microbiome research is a plus, including the analysis of metagenomic sequencing, microbial genomics, and microbial community ecology.
• Proven ability to work independently and take ownership of operational tasks.
• Exceptional problem-solving skills and a proactive, “can-do” attitude.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills with the ability to articulate complex computational concepts to diverse scientific and business audiences and the ability to collaborate effectively with scientists and technical staff.
• Fluent English language skills required.
• German language skills are a plus.