Data Scientist - African Genomics Program at Roche Kenya

African people are underrepresented in research and development, including genetic studies, and if not prioritized, global inequities in health will continue to grow. As an innovative health care company, Roche is channeling the company’s expertise, experience and collaborative mindset to address this challenge. 

Through the African Genomics Program, Roche and its partners are working to correct the dramatic imbalance in global genomic data and catalyze the creation of an open databank of meaningful genomic data for all Africans. By revolutionizing how data is collected and shared at scale, we can address disease burdens in historically overlooked populations and prepare African health systems to take advantage of current and future health care innovations.

The position

As a data scientist supporting the African Genomics Program (AGP), you will work with stakeholders throughout the global organization to use meaningful data to generate evidence and insights that contribute to a scientifically solid, data-driven strategy in Africa; that enable inclusive R&D; advance scientific and medical knowledge of African genomics; and enable personalized patient care and access in Africa. 

You will collaborate with peers in partner institutions and affiliates located in Africa to develop evidence generation strategies, identify evidence gaps and data sources, design and execute studies, and implement analyses to address business questions. The source data will be diverse in nature, and will comprise mostly patient-level data from biobanks, real-world data, patient registries, questionnaires, electronic medical records, and clinical trials. 

You will need strong scientific and hands-on data science expertise in (African) population genomics and pharmacogenomics, coupled with solid experience working with clinical data such as EMRs, questionnaires and registries, as well as a good understanding of African healthcare environments. Working within our diverse team requires creativity, team work, an entrepreneurial spirit and openness to diversity, in an environment that stimulates thinking outside of the box.

Your main responsibilities will be to:

• Contribute to African data strategy & support efforts to access data. You will need to ask the right scientific questions, understand the evidence needs for inclusive research and development in healthcare, and ideate and make data-driven recommendations for our strategy.
• Participate in and act as a hands-on technical/data responsible for due diligence interactions with potential partners in Africa. Partners can be diverse, ranging from academic clusters, research institutes, NGOs, small companies to hospitals or governments. 
• Establish a comprehensive framework for partnership assessments in line with the scientific strategy that is tailored to individual African opportunities. Create guidelines for assessment of data quality, technical feasibility and generalizability of individual opportunities. Create automated frameworks for data QA and assist with data ingestion and standardization. 
• Develop a comprehensive and deep understanding of the data we work with and foster learning with local colleagues in Africa using analytical tools and applications to broaden data accessibility and advance our proficiency/efficiency in understanding and using the data appropriately.
• Be an expert in applying methods: Stay current with and adopt emergent analytical methodologies, tools and applications to ensure fit-for-purpose and impactful approaches.
• Produce high quality analyses; apply rigor in study design and analytical methods; plan for data processing; design a fit-for-purpose analysis plan and assess effective ways of presenting and delivering the results to maximize impact and interpretability; implement and/or oversee the study, including its reporting; and ensure compliance with applicable pharma industry regulations and standards

Furthermore, you will also be expected to demonstrate:

• The Roche Values of Integrity, Courage & Passion.
• Proven ability to work independently, managing multiple workstreams and effectively lead and enable change.
• Ability to set priorities and take ownership of tasks and responsibilities

Africa-based candidates strongly preferred.