Python Job: Oligonucleotide Designer

The Position

In Roche´s Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development organisation (pRED), we make transformative medicines for patients in order to tackle some of the world’s toughest unmet healthcare needs. At pRED, we are united by our mission to transform science into medicines. Together, we create a culture defined by curiosity, responsibility and humility, where our talented people are empowered and inspired to bring forward extraordinary life-changing innovation at speed.

This position is anchored into Nucleic Acid Based Medicine (NABM), a matrix team within pREDs Therapeutic Modalities which creates transformative therapeutic options in areas of high unmet medical need and leverage oligonucleotides, gene therapy as well as other nucleic acid based drug modalities. We closely collaborate with our therapeutic areas and functions to convert hypotheses into innovative therapeutics.

The position holder will be a member of the newly formed cross-functional RNAHub, where disease-biologists, safety experts, nonclinical development experts, molecular biologists, molecule engineers, bioengineers and data scientists from various pRED functions join together to create and apply technologies that perturb RNA to discover drugs, biomarkers and targets.

The RNAHub takes a very data-centric approach, utilizing both artificial and human intelligence, that requires a high degree of data-literacy. In the RNAHub, we build a strong, collective and engaged community, where we employ, explore and evolve new ways of working in a research environment.

Role Mission

We are offering an outstanding opportunity for an Oligonucleotide Designer to work in the RNAhub as part of a multidisciplinary team of scientists dedicated to initiating and implementing novel drug discovery projects, and to jointly shape our future portfolio as a member of a broad network of drug discovery specialists.

Your Impact

As Oligonucleotide Designer, you will play a central role in realizing the potential of nucleic-acid based medicines and bringing benefit to patients by

• Designing therapeutic oligonucleotides (ASOs, siRNAs) for various modes of actions.

• Developing our in silico oligonucleotide design- and prediction protocols further based on screening and assay results.

• Developing and using models of oligonucleotide quantitative structure-activity-relations to guide optimization efforts and increasing hit rates and safety profiles.

• Working as part of cross-functional project teams to progress molecules to medicines.

• Nurturing trustful relationships and effective collaborations with internal and external partners.

Your Profile

You thrive in a dynamic, inclusive environment which gives you full accountability for your own contributions and development. You have a keen interest in continuously building your personal network. You have strong oral and written communication skills and are proficient in working with cross-functional and multidisciplinary teams. You are resourceful and flexible in problem solving and in working in a collaborative and inclusive manner. You have a sense for ensuring that everyone has the required information at all times.

Your bioinformatics or chemoinformatics background and research experience in RNA biology and design of therapeutic oligonucleotides allows you to support project teams from the project idea to optimization of clinical candidate oligonucleotides. For a disease target and an envisioned therapeutic mode of action you design libraries of oligonucleotide compounds for high throughput chemical synthesis and screening. Based on in-silico predictions and screening results you refine compound designs to improve the candidates along the path towards a clinical lead. As part of a team of oligonucleotide designers you also incorporate the project-specific learnings to further optimize our predictions in the future.

You have some of the following technical skills and competencies or are motivated to develop them further

• A PhD in the natural sciences with an emphasis on bioinformatics and/or chemoinformatics.

• Postdoctoral research experience in RNA biology and nucleic acid-based medicines from industry or academia

• Experience working with statistical methods and exploratory data analysis techniques in a statistical programming environment such as R or Python, ideally including development and application of machine learning algorithms for predictive modeling.

• Can articulate scientific questions and use statistical or mathematical techniques to arrive at an answer using available data.

• As oligonucleotides can be represented as sequences, you are comfortable working with sequence-based data and in using sequence analysis techniques.

• Have written and verbal fluency in English.

Our commitment

Roche commits to recognizing talent and aptitude. We prioritize encouraging and supporting our employees on their personal journeys by providing a safe, creative space to help them reflect, make decisions and grow in their career. We are confident that we find the most innovative solutions by gaining different perspectives, asking and answering hard questions, and challenging the status quo. Roche embraces diversity and equal opportunity in a serious yet enthusiastic way; we are devoted to building a team that represents a range of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.

At Roche, more than 100,000 people across 100 countries are pushing back the frontiers of healthcare. Working together, we’ve become one of the world’s leading research-focused healthcare groups. Our success is built on innovation, curiosity and diversity.

Basel is the headquarters of the Roche Group and one of its most important centres of pharmaceutical research. Over 10,700 employees from over 100 countries come together at our Basel/Kaiseraugst site, which is one of Roche`s largest sites. Read more.

Besides extensive development and training opportunities, we offer flexible working options, 18 weeks of maternity leave and 10 weeks of gender independent partnership leave. Our employees also benefit from multiple services on site such as child-care facilities, medical services, restaurants and cafeterias, as well as various employee events.

We believe in the power of diversity and inclusion, and strive to identify and create opportunities that enable all people to bring their unique selves to Roche.

Roche is an Equal Opportunity Employer.