Senior Principal Scientist, Biostatistics

MSD

Senior Principal Scientist focusing on statistical methodologies in drug and vaccine development. Collaborating with teams to ensure efficient use of advanced scientific practices.

Posted 7/24/2026full-timeNorth Wales • New Jersey, Pennsylvania • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $210,400 - $331,100 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

Use this summary to align your resume positioning with the role.

Expertise in statistical computing and advanced methodology application, with a strong focus on R programming and clinical trial design. Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams, mentor junior staff, and contribute to scientific publications and software development.

Highest-signal resume keywords

PhD In Statistics/BiostatisticsAdvanced Statistical ComputingR Package DevelopmentClinical Trial Design ExpertiseProject Management Skills

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Statistical Analysis MethodologiesExperimental DesignR ProgrammingPythonJavaScriptC++HTML/CSSSQLGit/GitHubShiny Applications

Soft Skills

Scientific LeadershipExcellent Communication SkillsCollaborative TeamworkMentoringProactive Problem Solving

Tools & Technologies

R MarkdownQuartoDynamic Reporting ToolsInteractive Visualization ToolsWeb-Based Decision-Support Tools

Industry Keywords

Clinical Trial ExpertiseRegulatory RequirementsReproducible ResearchStatistical ComputingOpen-Source Software

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

JavaScriptPythonSQL

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Contributes to the development, validation, deployment, and maintenance of statistical computing solutions that enable rigorous, reproducible, and efficient use of advanced methodology.
Provides strategic scientific leadership, originates and develops new methodology ideas.
Publishes relevant statistical methodology in peer reviewed journals and presents at professional meetings; contributes influential publications, software, tutorials, or other public scientific resources that advance statistical practice inside and outside the company.
Consults with clinical trial teams and other functional areas to implement advanced design and analysis including implementation through fit-for-purpose R packages, Shiny applications, web-based interfaces, and other validated computing tools.
Partners with BARDS teams to design, develop, and deploy automation of workflows; works highly collaboratively across teams to deliver reliable, compliant solutions.
Interacts with contractors, providing technical direction, review, and coaching for software development practices used by internal and external contributors.
Collaborates on internal standards development, strategic initiatives and training.
Maintains external relations and contributes to relevant professional activities/associations through leadership in statistical computing, open-source scientific software, interactive graphics, reproducible reporting, and related professional communities.
Independently identifies, anticipates and responds to technical and strategic problems arising in the design, conduct, and analysis of clinical trials; proposes solutions and carries them out or consults to enable others to implement.
Independently evaluates the appropriateness, reliability, and maintainability of available software for planned analyses and interactive applications; identifies needs for new or improved software; and leads or co-leads development in R and other relevant languages and technologies.
Independently applies and implements advanced analytical methods to design and analysis of clinical trials and ensures that implementation is transparent, tested, documented, reproducible, and sustainable for broader BARDS use.
Prepares oral and written reports to effectively communicate results of advanced methods to project teams, strategic initiatives, our company's Management, or regulatory agencies including dynamic reports, interactive visualizations, and web applications when these improve communication or decision making.
Leads documentation, testing, code review, version control, and maintenance practices that make statistical methodology reproducible, auditable, well documented, and reusable; coaches others in these practices across project teams and methodological initiatives.
Provides responses to queries relating to advanced methodology posed by clinical researchers, regulatory agencies, and/or investigators including questions on software implementation, reproducibility, simulation, and computational performance when relevant.
Collaborates in publication of research results and, where appropriate, develops accompanying reproducible examples, software packages, vignettes, tutorials, or interactive demonstrations to increase scientific impact and adoption.
Mentors and guides junior staff in research and functional activities including statistical software development, package architecture, code quality, testing, and documentation.
Evaluates and applies artificial intelligence, large language models, and other emerging technologies to accelerate automation of workflows while maintaining scientific rigor and regulatory compliance.
Participates in departmental activities; leads training and contributes to communities of practice that raise BARDS capability in statistical computing, reproducible reporting, and collaborative software engineering.

Requirements

What you’ll need

PhD or equivalent degree in statistics/biostatistics statistical computing, data science or related discipline with a minimum of 9 years relevant work experience, or a Master’s degree with a minimum of 12 years relevant work experience.
Solid knowledge of statistical analysis methodologies and experimental design.
Strong scientific leadership in design and analysis of clinical trials and/or other areas of interest for pharmaceutical drug development.
Strong project management skills with ability to lead cross-functional methodological and software initiatives from concept through adoption and maintenance.
Advanced capability in statistical computing, with particular expertise in R and demonstrated ability to use or lead development in other relevant languages and technologies such as Python, JavaScript, C++, HTML/CSS, SQL, Git/GitHub, R Markdown/Quarto, and Shiny.
Demonstrated experience designing, developing, testing, and maintaining R packages or comparable statistical software for a broad user community.
Demonstrated expertise in interactive methods such as Shiny applications, dynamic reporting, interactive visualization, or web-based decision-support tools.
Ability to work highly collaboratively on automation and other cross-cutting initiatives, with a track record of building productive working relationships.
Solid understanding of worldwide regulatory requirements and clinical trial expertise; familiarity with clinical reporting and regulatory submissions workflows.
Excellent oral and written communication skills and strong leadership in a team environment with ability to teach, influence, and establish good computing practices across statisticians, programmers, scientists, and contractors.
Demonstrated ability in statistical research activities and in application of novel methods to clinical trial development including robust computational implementation of those methods.
Publications in peer reviewed statistical/medical journals or other important contributions to the literature and scientific computing community, such as books, software papers, widely used packages, reproducible research resources, or invited tutorials.
Must also demonstrate the ability to learn, be proactive and motivated, and consistently focus on details and execution.

Benefits

Comp & perks

medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family)
retirement benefits, including 401(k)
paid holidays
vacation
compassionate and sick days