Principal / Lead Computational Biologist - NLP

hays-gcj-v4-pd-online
London
1 year ago
Applications closed

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Principal Biostatistician

Senior Service Designer (we have office locations in Cambridge, Leeds and London)

Process Technician (Inspection and Packaging)

Principal Engineer - x2 roles, 12 month FTC (we have office locations in Cambridge, Leeds or London)

Your newpany

You will be joining a highly innovative biotech in London developing novel drugs across a range of disease areas as they go into their next phase of growth.

Thispany has a proprietary platform that integrates a range of algorithms and target identification tools to find and validate drug targets and is looking to add an experiencedputational biologist with deep expertise of ML / AI approaches to their well-established team to help progress their pipeline.

They have a highly collaborative and social atmosphere, with a mix of experience and backgrounds and a great working atmosphere in highly modern offices.

Your new role

You will play a leading role in the development and validation of thepany’sputational platform, working with a number of internal stakeholders and senior management to drive both technicalputational and drug discovery projects forward.

You will manage and conduct projects to support drug discovery efforts by developing and implementing additional functionality/capabilities for the existing platform anding up with entirely new tools & approaches; primarily within NLP / LLMs, though this is not exclusive.

A key part of this role is to interact closely with the biology, chemistry, business analytics and bioinformatics /putational biology teams to understand requirements and then design new or refine existing platforms to support their work.

There will be plenty of support from the wider team but the expectation is you will act as a technical expert/lead and have significant input into the technical details.

Depending on the level of applicants, this role can be at Principal or Associate Director level, with line management duties for more senior candidates if that is of interest. The role can also stay as an individual contributor if preferred.

What you'll need to succeed

Aside from the ability to work both independently and as part of a wider team, you should ideally have:

An MSc / PhD (or equivalent experience) in maths, biology, bioinformatics, physics, statistics, data science or a related subject.
Candidates without a higher degree but with a strong background in the utilisation/application of AI within the biotech/pharma industry are also encouraged to apply. Hands-on expertise of designing, managing and deliveringputational projects within a biotech / pharma / drug discovery setting The ability to analyse large scale biological (preferably genetic/genomic) data sets Strong programming skills in Python and/or R, C++, Java or similar, eg for developing tools, packages, models, algorithms or similar, coupled with a knowledge of good software development practices, eg version control, DevOps, etc Experience of working closely with cross-disciplinary teams to understand requirements and translate these into workflows / tools A track record of applying Machine Learning or Deep learning approaches to problems, with a good understanding of NLP / Large Language Models and libraries such as TensorFlow, Keras, etc Goodmunication and interpersonal skills A real interest in solving technical problems

For more senior candidates, a track record of leadership – either from direct line management or matrix management – of teams is required.

What you'll get in return

You will have the opportunity to make a significant impact on the business, working on cutting-edge projects that aim to improve the lives of millions of people and ultimately help drive a new approach to drug discovery.

You will also get the chance to grow your skills and career in a supportive and collaborative environment that values innovation, creativity and excellence and is highly mission driven.

On top of this, they have a great, modern office facility in London with state-of-the-art equipment and resources.

Subscribe to Future Tech Insights for the latest jobs & insights, direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

Maths for Biotech Jobs: The Only Topics You Actually Need (& How to Learn Them)

Biotechnology is packed with data. Whether you are applying for roles in drug discovery, clinical research, bioprocessing, diagnostics, genomics or regulated manufacturing, you will meet numbers every day: assay readouts, QC trends, dose response curves, sequencing counts, clinical endpoints, stability profiles, validation reports & risk assessments. If you are a UK job seeker moving into biotech from another sector or you are a student in biology, biochemistry, biomedical science, pharmacy, chemistry, engineering or computer science, it is normal to worry you “do not have the maths”. What biotech roles do need is confidence with a small set of practical topics that show up again & again. This guide focuses on the only maths most biotech job adverts quietly assume: • Biostatistics basics for experiments, evidence & decision making • Probability for variability, uncertainty & risk • Linear algebra essentials for omics, PCA & modelling workflows • Calculus basics for kinetics, rates & dose response intuition • Simple optimisation for curve fitting, process set points & model tuning

Neurodiversity in Biotech Careers: Turning Different Thinking into a Superpower

Biotechnology is all about solving complex problems that affect real lives – from new medicines & vaccines to sustainable materials, diagnostics & gene therapies. To tackle those challenges, the sector needs people who think differently. That is exactly where neurodivergent talent comes in. If you have ADHD, autism, dyslexia or another form of neurodivergence, you might have been told that your brain is “too much”, “too distracted” or “too literal” for a lab or scientific career. In reality, many of the traits that come with ADHD, autism & dyslexia are perfectly suited to biotech work – from spotting subtle patterns in experimental data to creative thinking around new solutions. This guide is written for biotechnology job seekers in the UK. We will explore: What neurodiversity means in a biotech context How ADHD, autism & dyslexia strengths map onto specific biotech roles Practical workplace adjustments you can ask for under UK law How to talk about your neurodivergence in applications & interviews By the end, you will have a clearer idea of where you might thrive in biotech – & how to set up your working environment so your differences become genuine superpowers.

Biotechnology Hiring Trends 2026: What to Watch Out For (For Job Seekers & Recruiters)

As we move into 2026, the biotechnology jobs market in the UK is going through rapid change. Funding cycles are tighter, some organisations are restructuring or consolidating, & yet demand for specialist biotech skills remains strong – particularly in areas like cell & gene therapy, bioprocessing, mRNA platforms, bioinformatics & regulatory affairs. New therapies are coming through the pipeline, advanced manufacturing facilities are scaling up, & digital tools are transforming lab & clinical workflows. At the same time, some roles are being automated, outsourcing patterns are shifting, & hiring standards are rising. Whether you are a biotech job seeker planning your next move, or a recruiter trying to build teams in a complex market, understanding the key biotechnology hiring trends for 2026 will help you stay ahead.