Drug Development Training Program, Computational Sciences

The Drug Development Training Program (DDTP) within Genentech's Research and Early Development (gRED) function gives recent doctoral graduates the opportunity to gain specific on the job training in one of gREDs main functional R&D units. In 2025, we are hiring 3 positions in Translational Medicine (Omni-Biomarker), Development Sciences (Translational Safety) and gRED Computational Sciences (Computational Catalysts).

The aim of the DDTP is to bring Early-in-Career doctoral graduates (PhD, MD/PhD, DVM or equivalent) to Genentech for hands-on training and mentorship in specific functions involved in multiple areas of pre-clinical and clinical drug development. The goal of the DDTP program is to prepare participants with the scientific skills and drug development experience required to perform as an independent scientist in a top-notch biomedical research organization.

DDTP trainees will spend their full 3 years in one of the functions of the Translational Medicine, Development Sciences, or Computational Science organizations, located in South San Francisco, California.This position is onsite with no remote options. At the end of the three-year period, successful participants should have the experience/skills needed to be successful in a Scientist position at Genentech or at another top-notch drug development organization. Throughout the program, participants are considered full-time employees of their assigned department and are eligible for Genentech's employee benefits.

Program Start Date: August 2025 - December 2025 (flexible within this time frame)

Length of Assignment: 3 years

Education Level: Recent graduates of a doctoral program (PhD, MD/PhD, DVM) or in final year of doctorate in a relevant field. Recent graduates are defined as being within two years since graduating from a doctoral program.

This position is located at Genentech, in South San Francisco and is an onsite role.

The Team: gRED Computational Sciences is on a mission to partner across the organization to realize the potential of data, technology and computational approaches that will revolutionize how targets and therapeutics are discovered and developed, ultimately enabling novel treatments for patients across the world. The Computational Catalysts group within gCS is a diverse, curious and action-driven team at the intersection of computation, engineering and science with ambition to advance our technical excellence. The focus of the team is on partnering with the informatics and scientific communities to create a computational and data ecosystem that powers scientific discovery and accelerates decision making.

The Visualization and Interactive Data Analysis group within Computational Catalysts is dedicated to transforming complex data into actionable insights that drive drug development. The development of high throughput methods to profile the genome, screen compounds, and automatically collect images rapidly generates vast amounts of data that enable us to better understand the underlying causes of disease and identify treatments. However, translating these data into insights to identify drug targets and candidates remains challenging. The sheer size of these data necessitates better techniques to query, explore, and analyze them. Moreover, these datasets are often highly dimensional, requiring the integration of data modalities to understand their meaning. We combine our passion for visualization, information processing, and user-centered design with expertise in manipulating data to extract scientific insights - plus the engineering skills to bring this vision to life. Working closely with scientists who are experts in a particular disease area, you'll design and build easy-to-use tools and develop new visualization methods to enable exploration and interpretation of large, heterogeneous data and analyses. These tools will allow scientists to leverage data to identify novel drug targets and develop effective treatments, ultimately improving patient outcomes.

The Opportunity:

Solve challenging, unsolved problems in data visualization and interface design to help scientists develop scientific hypotheses and insights that advance drug development

• Elucidate the emerging (and sometimes ambiguous) needs of our scientists, whether they are working at the keyboard or the bench

• Identify, investigate, and implement emerging technologies to analyze and visualize biological and chemical data to solve problems in drug development

• Combine robust analytical skills with the ability to solve complex technology challenges effectively

• Design and implement effective and delightful interactive interfaces to explore, visualize, and analyze data

• Collaborate with distributed scientific, engineering, and design teams to support your software development and data analysis efforts

Who You Are:

• Ph.D. in a quantitative discipline (Computer Science, Biology, Chemistry, Statistics, Mathematics, etc.)

• Adept at combining data visualization, scientific data analysis, and coding with an interest in developing user-friendly tools that drive discovery and data-driven decision making

• Possess a strong intuition for reasoning about data to extract meaningful insights from complex datasets and explain them to others, ideally in a biological or chemical domain (drug discovery and development, omics, informatics, or other quantitative fields)

• Experienced in designing and creating static and/or interactive visualizations using modern technologies (JavaScript: D3.js, Vega/Vega-Lite, Plotly; R: Shiny, ggplot2; and/or Python: Streamlit, Dash, Altair, Seaborn, Bokeh, etc.)

• Proficient in data wrangling, processing, and analysis using Python and/or R (preferably in a scientific context)

• Experienced in collaborating with diverse, multidisciplinary teams (e.g., participation in a multi-lab team, member of a multi-institute consortium)

• Curious: enthusiastic for developing new skills and experiences as a Computational Scientist in a drug development organization

• Keen about educating others on the possibilities and limitations of data visualization

This role sits at the crossroads of drug development, data science and analysis, design, and engineering. While expertise in all these areas isn't required, an eagerness to collaborate with specialists who can complement your skillset is essential. Experience in the following areas is beneficial, but not required:

• Understanding of information processing, human/computer interaction, and human perception principles and methodology

• Proficiency with accessing, analyzing, and visualizing large amounts of data

• Experience in modern web frameworks (Svelte, Vue, React, Angular)

• Experience with consuming and integrating with APIs

• Familiarity with UI/UX design best practices, user-centric design, and usability testing

• Familiarity with statistical analysis techniques and tools

• Familiarity with engineering best practices, including version control, testing, and working in cloud-based environments

• Understanding of machine learning and AI; experience integrating AI-based tools to solve data and coding problems

How to Apply:

• CV listing publication record (no max on page limit), required

• Cover letter (2-pages max) expressing your interest in the position and your future career plans, optional but strongly encouraged

• Title Your PDF "First Name_Last Name_DDTP_Application" (e.g. Aisha_Aimes_DDTP_Application)

• Do not submit additional documents (e.g. letters of recommendation, publications, transcripts, etc.), at this time.

• Deadline to apply is Friday, February 7, 2025 12PM PST

Please apply to only one of the 3 DDTP positions that aligns with your interests and qualifications.

To learn more about DDTP, please see the link below:

https://go.gene.com/DDTP2025-InfoSessionRecording

Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

The expected salary range for this position based on the primary location of South San Francisco California is $120,700 and 224,100. Actual pay will be determined based on experience, qualifications, geographic location, and other job-related factors permitted by law. This position also qualifies for the benefits detailed at the link provided below.

Benefits

Relocation benefits are available for this job posting.

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Genentech is an equal opportunity employer, and we embrace the increasingly diverse world around us. Genentech prohibits unlawful discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin or ancestry, age, disability, marital status and veteran status.