AI Contractor

Santen • Emeryville, CA

10d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Contractor in Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be responsible for developing and implementing advanced AI platforms and algorithms to support Data Science and R&D initiatives in Drug Discovery and Development. The role will focus on enhancing existing Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and Large Language Model (LLM) frameworks to create state-of-the-art AI solutions that streamline, augment, and automate research and development workflows. The AI Contractor will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including Data Science and Global Digital Innovation, to ensure the successful and effective integration of AI technologies into R&D processes.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Statistics, Biostatistics, Computer Science, Bioinformatics or related field preferred; MS degree with preferably two plus years of experience in AI research and applications
• Understanding of clinical trial data and extremely hands-on in analysis and reporting of clinical trial data.
• Strong Python programming skills.
• Excellent verbal, written and organizational skills.

Nice To Haves

• Proficiency in R and SAS is a plus but not required
• Basic knowledge/experience in pharmaceutical/biotech industry

Responsibilities

• Design and Develop AI Solutions: Serve as an Applied AI Engineer to build and optimize AI platforms and algorithms that leverage foundation LLMs, RAG architectures, and other advanced techniques for augmenting and automating R&D tasks.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with the Associate Director of Biostatistics, Head of Global Data Sciences, technical leaders in Global Digital Innovation, and other project managers to deploy, validate, and refine AI solutions in real-world R&D environments.
• Performance Evaluation and Iteration: Conduct rigorous testing, benchmarking, and continuous improvement of AI models and platforms to ensure scalability, accuracy, and compliance with regulatory and scientific standards.
• Maintain Scalable Codebases: Develop, maintain, and document robust, modular, and scalable codebases to support large datasets and high user concurrency, ensuring performance, security, and ease of future enhancements.
• Tackle research questions in Drug Discovery, Clinical Development, and other areas of R&D that leverage AI models and solutions
• Knowledge Dissemination: Maintain an active external presence through presentations, publications, and contributions to conferences in AI and related R&D domains, demonstrating thought leadership and advancing organizational visibility in the field.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree