The University of Pittsburgh

Computational Data Scientist II

Med-Pediatrics - Pennsylvania-Pittsburgh - (26004243)

The Bioinformatics Core within the Division of Health Informatics at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh is seeking a computational biologist or data scientist to develop and apply machine learning and deep learning methods for omics-driven biomedical research. This individual will work closely with faculty and collaborators across multiple pediatric research programs to support biologically grounded, translationally relevant research. Equivalent relevant work experience may be substituted for degree requirement. This position is located at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh in Lawrenceville. PA Child Abuse History Clearance, PA State Police Criminal Record Check, and FBI Criminal Record Check will be required prior to the start of employment. Also, a current TB test will be required as a condition of employment. EEO/AA/M/F/Vets/Disabled.

Minimum Qualifications

Applicants should have an MS or PhD in computational biology, bioinformatics, computer science, statistics, data science, biomedical informatics, or a related quantitative field.

The successful candidate should have strong programming skills in Python and/or R, with experience using libraries such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, scikit-learn, or comparable tools. Experience in applying computational or statistical modeling to biomedical or biological datasets is expected.

Prior experience working with single-cell, spatial omics, or related high-dimensional omics datasets is highly desirable. Candidates should be strong critical thinkers who can translate ideas into completed analyses, models, or tools; manage contributions across multiple collaborative research projects; work independently and as part of multidisciplinary teams; and demonstrate strong oral and written communication skills.

Preferred qualifications include:

• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing models for high-dimensional biological data, beyond routine application of existing analysis pipelines.
• Hands-on experience with graph neural networks or perturbation modeling.
• Experience integrating omics data with clinical data sources such as electronic health records (EHR).
• Evidence of independent technical contribution, such as first-author or co-author publications, preprints, conference presentations, open-source software, deployed tools, analytical pipelines, or a relevant project portfolio.

Job Summary

Organizes and facilitates data collection and conducts statistical analysis of datasets while working across multiple, simultaneous projects. Applies scientific methodology and statistical analyses to implement appropriate methodologies for complex data management and statistical analyses. Facilitates algorithm development, software development, and result interpretation. Assists with grant preparations and staff training. Manipulates datasets and clean data and facilitates quality control procedures to ensure data accuracy.

Essential Functions

The successful candidate will be responsible for:

• Developing and applying advanced computational methods, including representation learning, transfer learning, and multimodal integration to omics-based biomedical datasets.
• Designing, training, and validating models for omics and biomedical data, including adapting or building foundation model frameworks.
• Working across multiple collaborative research projects with faculty, data scientists, bench scientists, clinicians, and other investigators to ensure analyses are grounded in valid biological and translational questions.
• Interpreting results and communicating findings clearly through written summaries, figures, presentations, manuscripts, and grant sections.
• Building and maintaining interactive dashboards, visualization tools, or applications using Shiny or comparable frameworks so collaborators can explore data and predictions directly.
• Following Core, institutional, and research compliance policies for data handling, documentation, reproducible analysis, and responsible use of biomedical data.

The job duties outlined in this job description include common job responsibilities for this title and level of jobs and are not intended to cover every duty. The University reserves the right to assign other duties to employees that are not listed in this job description.

Physical Effort

Desk job - requires long hours of sitting.

The University of Pittsburgh is an equal opportunity employer / disability / veteran.

Assignment Category Full-time regular

Job Classification Staff.Medical Data Scientist II

Job Family Research

Job Sub-Family Data Science

Campus Pittsburgh

Minimum Education Level Required Master's Degree

Minimum Years of Experience Required 3

Will this position accept substitution in lieu of education or experience? Combination of education and relevant experience will be considered in lieu of education and/ or experience requirement.

Work Schedule This position will require flexibility with shift/hours; depending on deadlines, occasional evenings and weekends may be required.

Work Arrangement On-Campus: Teams that work on campus, in an office, or in a lab.

Hiring Range TBD Based Upon Qualifications

Relocation Offered No

Visa Sponsorship Provided No

Background Check For position finalists, employment with the University will require successful completion of a background check

Child Protection Clearances The following PA Act 153 clearances and background checks are required prior to commencement of employment and as a condition of continued employment: PA State Police Criminal Record Check, FBI Criminal Record Check, PA Child Abuse History Clearance.

Required Documents Resume

Optional Documents Cover Letter