Tempus

Scientist II, Computational Biology, Pharma R&D

Tempus • $90K — $135K *
Pharmaceuticals & Biotech
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • PhD in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Biostatistics, Machine Learning, or related field, or Master's with 3+ years of relevant experience.
  • Proficiency in R and/or Python, including scientific computing libraries.
  • Experience using machine learning and LLM-based coding assistants for biological/clinical research.
  • Good software engineering practices adherence, including version control and documentation.
  • Experience with SQL and large relational databases.
  • Strong grounding in statistics and data analysis, with focus on clinical data interpretation.
  • Strong understanding of cancer biology, immunology, or human disease mechanisms.

Responsibilities

  • Partner with pharmaceutical collaborators to implement computational research plans utilizing the Tempus multimodal platform.
  • Perform reproducible analyses integrating various biological and clinical datasets to derive insights.
  • Incorporate AI tools into workflows to accelerate research and insights generation.
  • Evaluate and implement new methods for analyzing clinical and omics datasets.
  • Collaborate with teams across Research, Clinical, Data Science, and Engineering to enhance analysis and scalable solutions.
  • Communicate complex methods and results to technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Benefits

  • Full range of benefits including medical coverage and incentive compensation.
  • Opportunities for restricted stock units based on position.
  • Supportive of professional development through conference participation.
  • Dynamic work environment encouraging innovative research and collaboration.
Full Job Description
We are seeking a Scientist II to join our Computational Biology, Pharma R&D team. We work at the intersection of biological data science and AI to support collaborations with major pharmaceutical partners. The role focuses on integrating large-scale molecular and clinical datasets, generating actionable insights for drug discovery and development, and building next-generation research tools that enhance the impact and efficiency of our work.

The successful candidate will combine strong computational and statistical skills with a deep interest in biology and translational science. They will be comfortable working with real-world data, engaging with external scientific stakeholders, and leveraging AI (foundation models, Large Language Models, agentic systems, etc.) to scale tasks and augment insights.

Key Responsibilities:
• Pharma Collaboration & Strategy: Partner with pharmaceutical collaborators to execute computational research plans that leverage the Tempus multimodal platform to address key questions in target discovery, biomarker development, and clinical development.
• Computational Analysis & Insight Generation: Perform robust, reproducible analyses integrating genomic, transcriptomic, imaging, and clinical data. Apply appropriate statistical and computational methods to derive insights related to clinical trial design, patient selection, treatment response, resistance mechanisms, and disease biology.
• AI & LLM Innovation: Incorporate LLMs, agentic workflows, foundation models and other AI tools into day-to-day workflows to accelerate code development, discovery, documentation, review, and insight generation.
• Method Development and Platform Contribution: Evaluate, adapt, and implement new methods for the analysis of real-world, clinical, and omics datasets (e.g., survival analysis, causal inference, multimodal integration). Contribute to reusable code, internal packages, and best practices that can be applied across multiple collaborations and programs.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with colleagues in Research, Clinical, Data Science, and Engineering to refine analyses and build scalable solutions.
• Scientific Communication: Communicate complex methods and results clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Prepare and present internal reports, external-facing deliverables, and, where appropriate, manuscripts or conference materials that demonstrate the impact of Tempus data and technologies on partner programs.

Qualifications:
• Education: PhD in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Biostatistics, Machine Learning, or a related field (or master's degree with 3+ years of relevant experience).
• Technical Proficiency: Proficiency in R and/or Python, including experience with common computational biology and scientific computing libraries.
• Proficiency in using machine learning, LLM-based coding assistants (e.g., Claude Code, Codex), and agentic frameworks for biological/clinical research.
• Adherence to good software engineering practices (version control, modular code, documentation).
• Experience working with SQL and large relational databases.
• Strong grounding in statistics and data analysis, including study design considerations and interpretation of real-world clinical data.
• Scientific Knowledge: Strong understanding of cancer biology, immunology, or human disease mechanisms.
• Data Expertise: Demonstrated experience analyzing large-scale biological datasets (e.g., NGS, RNA-seq, other genomics or transcriptomics data), ideally in oncology, immunology, or human disease.
• Soft Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills with comfort in client-facing roles. Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Preferred Skillsets:
• Generative AI: Practical experience configuring or adapting LLMs, or using related tools/frameworks, to support scientific work.
• Specialized Modeling: Expertise in one or more of the following: Real-world evidence (RWE), survival analysis, causal inference, network/systems biology, or multimodal integration.
• Publication Record: A strong history of peer-reviewed publications or conference presentations.
• Drug Discovery Context: Understanding of the drug development lifecycle, from target discovery to clinical development.

CHI: $90,000-$135,000
NYC: $100,000-$150,000

The expected salary range may vary for other locations. Actual salary may vary based on qualifications and experience. Tempus offers a full range of benefits, which may include incentive compensation, restricted stock units, medical and other benefits depending on the position.

About Tempus

Tempus is a technology company that has built an operating system to battle cancer. The company enables physicians to deliver personalized cancer care for patients through its interactive analytical and machine learning platform. Tempus provides genomic sequencing services and analyzes molecular and therapeutic data to empower physicians to make real-time, data-driven decisions. The company also offers research services to enable discovery of new therapeutic targets and clinical services that support clinical trial design and monitoring. Tempus was founded in 2015 by Eric Lefkofsky and has raised over $8 billion in funding to date.
Learn more about Tempus
Size
1,001 employees
Industry
Founded
2015

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