Principal Scientist, Research Informatics

About Allergan:

Allergan is a multi-specialty health care company established more than 60 years ago with a commitment to uncover the best of science and develop and deliver innovative and meaningful treatments to help people reach their life’s potential. Today, we have 11,000 employees highly dedicated and talented employees, global marketing and sales capabilities with a presence in more than 100 countries, a rich and ever-evolving portfolio of pharmaceuticals, biologics, medical devices and over-the-counter consumer products, and state-of-the-art resources in R&D, manufacturing and safety surveillance that help millions of patients see more clearly, move more freely and express themselves more fully. From our beginnings as an eye care company to our focus today on several medical specialties, including eye care, neurosciences, medical aesthetics, medical dermatology, breast aesthetics, and urologics, Allergan is proud to celebrate 60 years of medical advances and proud to support the patients and physicians who rely on our products and the employees and communities in which we live and work.

About the Position:

As the primary bioinformatics scientist in the R&D Scientific Analytics function and a key role in R&D, takes overall responsibility in identifying, developing, and applying computational biology methods in direct support of drug repositioning, translational research, and image analysis projects. Works cross-functionally with research scientists as an embedded informatics resource in the discovery research and preclinical research organizations. Translates R&D program-specific needs to broadly useful informatics solutions. Develops bioinformatics strategy aligned with research objectives by working with senior level scientists and business leaders. Collaborate with Information Services in the design, development and implementation of software systems. Provides guidance to the end users on the use of bioinformatics tools and applications. Studies relevant scientific literature and big data sources (genomics, transcriptomics, other human data sources, chemoinformatics, etc.) in order to gain deep understanding of scientific research objectives and challenges. Must possess in-depth expertise in bioinformatics and computational biology. Basic knowledge of cheminformatics and computational chemistry is desired. Requires expert understanding and hands-on experience in bioinformatics tools, methodologies, and statistical algorithms. Has current knowledge in bioinformatics trends in the pharmaceutical industry and academic research. Deep understanding and experience in supporting of research and scientific programs.

Principal Responsibilities:

Bioinformatics Method and Result Delivery: Partner with senior research scientists to understand scientific programs and challenges. Play a leading role in identifying, developing, and applying cutting-edge computational methods in direct support of research and development programs. Interface with external collaborators on broad bioinformatics activities. Contribute to informatics strategy development and execution. Prepare regular reports for internal senior management and external advisors.

Bioinformatics System Development: Collaborate with Information Services in the design, development and implementation of tools and applications. Provides guidance regarding the use of open source and commercial bioinformatics tools and applications. Provides guidance to the development and management of the data warehouses as a technology that enables cross-functional data analysis.

Bioinformatics and Technology Trends: Studies scientific literature relevant to the R&D programs and therapeutic areas to gain deep understanding of the scientific field. Remains informed of algorithms, bioinformatics approaches, and high throughput technologies in the pharmaceutical industry and academic research.

Qualifications

Preferred candidates will have:

• 10-15 years with a Master’s Degree in computational biology, bioinformatics, or a relevant field of work or equivalent experience
• 6-11 years with a PhD Degree in computational biology, bioinformatics, or a relevant field of work or equivalent experience
• 5-9 years of experience in Pharmaceutical / Medical Device research or in a comparable role
• Excellent knowledge of the principals, theories, and practices of bioinformatics and computational biology
• Hands-on experience in analyzing transcriptome, microarray gene expression, and next-generation sequencing data
• Strong background in pharmaceutical R&D processes with the ability to translate concepts to action by timely implementation
• Innovation – Bring together disparate concepts or data sources to solve problems.
• Strong organization skills and ability to collaborate with multiple project teams and resources
• Team player, proven ability to succeed in a matrixed, multicultural organization
• Expertise in applying statistical algorithms to biological problems
• Proficient in coding in R. Experience in C, Java, Perl, Python, SQL/PL, XQuery, SpotFire, Bioconductor, or Pipeline Pilot
• Expertise in research systems such as Ingenuity Pathways Analysis, Definiens Image Analysis, or GeneGo MetaCore.
• Familiarity with bioinformatics databases such as Rosetta Resolver, ENSEMBL, or Celera Discovery System