Vice President, Data Science Research

About the Role

The Vice President of Data Science Research will lead DELFI’s bioinformatics, data science, and machine learning research organization in the discovery and development of innovative quantitative methods for liquid biopsy cancer screening. They will leverage deep technical expertise and diagnostics experience to drive DELFI’s research roadmap, transition new concepts from research into product development, balance innovation with pragmatism, and develop DELFI standards for reproducible research in machine learning and bioinformatics. This role will require periodic in-person visits to meet with Data Science teams at our Baltimore and Palo Alto locations.

About Us

DELFI Diagnostics, Inc. (DELFI Diagnostics) is developing next-generation, blood-based tests that are reliable, accessible and deliver a new way to help detect cancer. Employing advanced machine-learning methods to whole-genome sequencing data, the DELFI ("DNA EvaLuation of Fragments for early Interception") platform is built to address the highest-burden health challenges. DELFI Diagnostics prioritizes solutions that have the potential to save lives on a global scale, including for historically underserved populations. DELFI Diagnostics’ platform relies on fragmentomics – the discovery that cancer cells are more chaotic than normal cells and, when they die, leave behind tell-tale patterns and characteristics of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) fragments. FirstLook Lung, for individuals eligible for lung cancer screening, is DELFI Diagnostics’ first laboratory-developed screening test and can be part of routine blood work. FirstLook Lung uses millions of data points to reliably identify individuals who may have cancer detected through low-dose CT, including early stage disease with a negative predictive value of 99.7 percent. This test has not yet been cleared or approved by the FDA.

In our passionate pursuit to radically improve health outcomes, we serve humanity when we:

Lead with Science, Anchor in Pragmatism: We pioneer life-changing science by ensuring quality, transparency, and rigor at all times. We explore thoughtfully, experiment smartly, and deliver impact with conviction.

Build With & For All: We embrace diverse backgrounds to innovate and achieve together. We are not just building a product - we aim to disrupt the path of cancer for all - no matter geography or socioeconomic class 

Put We over I: We are a home for high-performing people. Through teamwork, we build collective intelligence. Each of us wins when those we serve and those who serve with us--win. We show up with empathy, humility, and integrity at every step of the journey.

• Lead the Data Science Research organization in order to develop the pipeline of new computational technologies, approaches, and methods feeding analytics innovation at DELFI
• Develop and maintain a long term data science strategy that feeds innovation and incorporates trends and emerging technologies in genomics, data science, and bioinformatics
• Guide selection and implementation of appropriate data analysis tools, and maintain a culture of rigorous and reproducible research
• Align team objectives, activities, and structure with short and long term company goals and strategic objectives
• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continual learning via direct supervision of data science and bioinformatics managers and senior individual contributors and via mentorship and leading by example throughout the data science organization
• Manage resources, staff, and budgets to successfully deliver on projects and milestones
• Provide input to planning and strategy for product development, clinical development, verification and validation activities and facilitate the hand-off of methods and results from research into development
• Partner with the Head of Computational Biology and Vice President of Data Science Product Development to set strategy, growth plans and priorities and ensure strategic alignment with the overall Data Science organization

• Established productive working relationships within data science and collaborating functions
• Influenced strategic decisions at the leadership level
• Defined a long term strategy for computational and statistical research at DELFI that aligns with and advances company priorities and objectives
• Measurably advanced research capabilities optimizing processes and approaches to tackling fundamental challenges in data analysis
• Driven advancement of data science and bioinformatics technologies and methods, resulting in improved products and advances in product pipelines
• Overseen research activities to evaluate new technologies for inclusion in DELFI products

• PhD Required (Biostatistics, Mathematics, or equivalent)
• Familiarity and skill with a wide variety of classical and modern methods used in machine learning and AI
• Experience transferring research methods and collaborating with downstream teams to move those methods to production 
• 12+ years of professional data science experience with increasing responsibility, in a research or product development context, including experience in clinical or diagnostic applications
• 8+ years of experience managing data science teams with proven success delivering statistical models, machine learning algorithms and results in pursuit of corporate objectives
• Demonstrated strategic and tactical leadership building a high-performance results driven team
• Presence at Palo Alto or Baltimore office locations at least twice per quarter
• Superior written and verbal communication and presentation skills, including the ability to communicate complex technical concepts to a variety of audiences
• Preferred
• Experience working in a regulated setting including CAP/CLIA or FDA IVD, and with guidelines such as Good Clinical Practice (GCP)
• Background in high throughput sequencing technologies and molecular diagnostics
• Demonstrated success in a fast-paced startup environment
• Proximity to Baltimore, MD or Palo Alto, CA office locations

An equal opportunity employer

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.