Data Scientist I/II in Jersey City, New Jersey at Character Biosciences

About Character Biosciences

Character Biosciences is a precision medicine company pioneering targeted therapies for ophthalmology. Our patient data platform integrates genomics with deep, longitudinal clinical and imaging data, enabling us to uncover genetic drivers of disease progression, advance novel therapeutics, and define patient stratification strategies that improve clinical success.

Our interdisciplinary team spans human genetics, clinical science, data science and engineering, and drug discovery and development. We are advancing two programs for Dry Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) into the clinic, with additional discovery-stage programs underway.

Founded in 2018, Character has raised capital from leading investors at the intersection of healthcare and technology, including an oversubscribed $110+ million Series B in 2025 co-led by aMoon and Luma Group, with participation from Bausch + Lomb, Innovation Endeavors, Sanofi Ventures, Catalio Capital Management, S32, KdT Ventures, and Jefferson Life Sciences. We also maintain a multi-target drug discovery collaboration with Bausch + Lomb to develop innovative precision medicines for AMD.

Role: Data Scientist, I/II

Reports to: Director, Biostatistics

Department: Data Science

Location: Hybrid

The Opportunity

We are looking for an experienced data scientist with expertise analyzing medical and life science data to join us as a member of our team. You will be making mission-critical contributions to Character’s drug discovery and development programs by leveraging our multi-modality dataset to support the identification of new therapeutic targets and inform our clinical trial design strategy. You will have responsibility for determining and implementing scientific and analytical methodologies, for providing data-driven guidance to cross-functional teams, and to contribute to the continued improvement of Character’s data platform. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a lean, fast-moving environment and enjoys tackling scientifically interesting problems using unique multimodality data.

This is a hybrid role based at our Jersey City, NJ headquarters reporting to the Director of Biostatistics and Data Science.

Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities:

• Contribute to the design and implementation of models and analyses to support Character Bio’s drug discovery and development activities, which include quantitative biomarker and phenotype development, disease progression predictive modeling, and analyses related to clinical trial design.
• Collaborative cross-functional analyses with members of the genomics, clinical research, and biology teams.
• Develop and implement improvements and extensions to Character’s data platform, including analytic pipeline modules and interactive analysis tools.
• Contribute to Character’s data and analytics strategic planning and roadmap.
• Contribute to scientific publications and the communication of Character’s data science work to internal and external stakeholders.

Skills and Qualifications:

• PhD in Data Science, Computer Science, Statistics, or related technical field
• 1-3 years professional experience focused on applying statistical analyses to life science or healthcare data.
• Proven track record of owning and leading projects through the data science life cycle from initial problem through data processing to analysis and modeling and finally operationalizing your solution
• Deep knowledge of machine learning and statistical methods (survival analysis, mixed-effects modeling, and Bayesian methods)
• Strong proficiency in python/R and modern data science frameworks
• Experience developing longitudinal models on biomedical data, particularly real world data including electronic medical records (EMRs)
• Experience developing and implementing data analysis software modules and tools as part of data pipelines and to enable interactive analysis.
• Strong problem-solving skills, with a focus on using data to drive action and decision making
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to work cross-functionally in a team-oriented environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with clinical trial design and biomarker development
• Experience with ophthalmology data, particularly clinical data related to AMD or Glaucoma
• Experience leveraging medical image data for analysis or biomarker quantification (e.g. retinal fundus images or OCT)

Compensation & Benefits

The annual pay range for this full-time position is $130,000-$175,000 + equity + benefits. Actual compensation packages are based on a wide array of factors unique to each candidate including but not limited to skill set, years and depth of experience, certifications and work location.

Benefits include a competitive salary, strong equity incentives, medical, dental, vision, 401(k), and an accrued paid time off policy. Character is committed to recruiting, developing, and supporting colleagues from all backgrounds. We embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion as an integral part of our culture.

EEO Statement

Character Biosciences is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.

Work Authorization

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States.