Principal Machine Learning Scientist

For over 100 years we have been driving change to defeat diabetes, but we know that what got us here today is not necessarily what will make us successful in the future. We are now transforming our business and taking our expertise into new territories including obesity and rare blood and endocrine diseases.

Our story is one of incredible growth and success, which has culminated in receiving many prestigious awards, such as Best Places to Work and Vitality – Britain’s Healthiest Workplace.

The position

Are you passionate about leveraging AI to drive biological discovery and innovation? We are looking for a Principal Scientist to lead the development of foundation models on biological data, with the goal of accelerating target and biomarker discovery. In this role, you will pioneer the integration of generative AI in Research & Early Discovery, helping to reduce the time from target identification to clinical application.

In this role, you will:

Lead the exploration and development of foundation models on biological data to enhance target and biomarker discovery. Set the strategy for incorporating generative AI into early-stage drug discovery, working closely with cross-functional teams. Stay at the forefront of research in deep learning, representation learning, and multi-modal data integration. Present findings through reports, presentations, and scientific publications to internal and external stakeholders. Foster collaborations with academic and industry partners, particularly in the London Knowledge Quarter.

This is a hybrid role, requiring two days per week in our new London office at King’s Cross.

Qualifications

To be successful in this role, we imagine that you have:

PhD in AI/ML or bioinformatics with a proven experience in foundation models for life sciences. Expertise in multi-modal data integration, including single-cell RNA sequencing, OMICS, and genetics. Proficient in Python and deep learning libraries like PyTorch for computational drug discovery pipelines. Strong experience with large language models, real-world data, and bioinformatics workflows. Familiarity with gene knockdown, drug perturbation experiments, and integrating biological data (e.g., RNA sequencing, protein sequences). Demonstrated expertise in publications that delivered tangible impact. Skilled in cloud computing services like AWS, Azure, or Nvidia DGX Cloud for large-scale model training and deployment.

About the department

The Machine Intelligence department at Novo Nordisk is at the forefront of integrating AI and machine learning with biological data to drive scientific discovery. Based in London, at the heart of the Knowledge Quarter, you will be part of a team of experts who collaborates closely with academia and industry to push the boundaries of what's possible in target and biomarker discovery. Our dynamic and innovative environment fosters creativity and collaboration, making it an exciting place to work and grow.