Senior Computational & Applied AI - Scientist

At Roche you can show up as yourself, embraced for the unique qualities you bring. Our culture encourages personal expression, open dialogue, and genuine connections, where you are valued, accepted and respected for who you are, allowing you to thrive both personally and professionally. This is how we aim to prevent, stop and cure diseases and ensure everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Join Roche, where every voice matters.

The Position

A healthier future. It’s what drives us to innovate - to continuously advance science and ensure everyone has access to the healthcare they need today and for generations to come. Creating a world where we all have more time with the people we love. That’s what makes us Roche.

In Roche’s Research and Early Development organisations, we make transformative medicines for patients to tackle some of the world’s toughest unmet healthcare needs. We are united by our mission to transform science into medicines. Together, we create a culture defined by curiosity, responsibility, and humility, where our talented people are empowered and inspired to bring forward extraordinary, life-changing innovation at speed.

The Computational Sciences Centre of Excellence (CoE) is a global organisation enabling Roche’s Research and Early Development units (the REDs) to become more data-driven, more digitally adept, and better prepared for the challenges of the future. Within the CoE, Computational Medicine focuses on developing and applying innovative data analysis solutions to support clinical development — furthering our understanding of disease, disease progression, and individual patient response to treatment. In partnership with our scientists across pRED and gRED, we create better medicines by augmenting every part of R&D through our data-driven culture.

The Opportunity:

This role will ensure that the REDs are supported and enabled with world-leading imaging data analysis capabilities while supporting our projects through the clinical stages. You will be a member of the Imaging Data Insights team within the Computational Medicine department, working with a group of imaging experts located in Basel, Penzberg and South San Francisco, and reporting to the Group Leader - Imaging Data Insights Europe.

Within this role, you will contribute your expertise in quantitative image analysis and data science to generate insights that advance our understanding of disease biology, patient heterogeneity, and treatment response, and to inform biomarker strategies. In collaboration with our stakeholders, you will design and implement innovative analytical approaches that transform complex imaging data into actionable evidence, guiding data-driven decision-making across the clinical development portfolio.

You will be part of the wider Computational Biology and Medicine unit within the Computational Sciences CoE, drawing on the shared experience and expertise of colleagues globally. To deliver on portfolio needs, you will collaborate closely with other teams in Computational Medicine, Computational Biology, and our disease area partners, integrating imaging data with other modalities such as clinical, digital, and omics data. The Imaging Data Insights Basel team is collectively accountable for delivering critical data-driven insights that inform the portfolio. Your success will be measured by the impact of your contributions on project outcomes and by the success of the team in achieving Pharma objectives.

In this role, you will:

• Formulate scientific questions and design computational analysis strategies in close partnership with stakeholders across disease areas, clinical sciences, biomarker, and translational medicine.

• Develop and apply state-of-the-art AI/ML approaches for biomedical imaging and multimodal data integration to derive quantitative, reproducible biomarkers.

• Leverage modern AI technologies - including Generative AI and Agentic AI systems - to accelerate scientific workflows, automate complex analyses, and enhance decision-making.

• Analyze biomedical imaging data from preclinical studies and clinical trials to support study design, patient stratification, biomarker development, drug differentiation, endpoint strategies, and portfolio decisions.

• Develop, maintain, and document scalable, reusable computational workflows, software, and analysis pipelines aligned with global standards and best practices.

• Represent the Imaging Data Insights team as a trusted, strategic partner; build collaborative relationships across the enterprise, align shared objectives, communicate findings effectively, and deliver collective portfolio impact.

• Mentor junior scientists and actively contribute to fostering technical excellence, psychological safety, open feedback, inclusion, continuous learning, and a collaborative team culture.

Who you are:

• PhD in a scientific or technical discipline (e.g., computer science, biomedical engineering, applied mathematics, physics, or similar) or equivalent qualification, together with 3+ years of professional experience in pharmaceutical R&D.

• Deep expertise in biomedical image analysis, data science, AI/ML, or related quantitative disciplines, together with experience developing computational workflows for quantitative imaging analysis.

• Demonstrated ability to translate complex imaging and biological data into actionable insights that drive decision-making across the R&D value chain. You quickly grasp new scientific challenges, formulate clear problem statements, and deliver impactful solutions.

• Proven ability to contribute to high-performing, multidisciplinary teams in cross-functional and interdisciplinary environments, foster an inclusive and purpose-driven culture, and influence effectively without formal authority.

• Strong track record of building trusted, business-oriented partnerships across the enterprise and the broader scientific ecosystem.

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts, provide scientific guidance, and influence diverse stakeholders.

• A growth mindset with a passion for continuous learning, innovation, and adopting emerging computational technologies, including Generative AI and Agentic AI approaches to scientific discovery.

Toolbox:

• Strong expertise in biomedical imaging, imaging biomarker research, and advanced AI/ML methods across imaging modalities (e.g., MRI, CT, PET, DXA, ultrasound, ophthalmic imaging).

• Expertise in quantitative biomedical image processing and analysis techniques, including image preprocessing, denoising, registration, segmentation, feature extraction, classification, quality control, and biomarker generation.

• Experience with biomedical imaging software platforms and open-source ecosystems (e.g., FreeSurfer, FSL, SPM, 3D Slicer, Fiji/ImageJ, Napari, or equivalent) across one or more biomedical imaging domains, as well as with standard and proprietary biomedical imaging data formats (e.g., DICOM, NIfTI, vendor-specific formats) and associated metadata.

• Proven programming proficiency in Python and/or R, including experience with deep learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow), scientific computing, and image analysis libraries (e.g., scikit-image, OpenCV, MONAI, SimpleITK).

• Experience developing and applying Agentic AI systems, Generative AI, and foundation models to accelerate biomedical data analysis, augment scientific discovery, and automate scientific workflows.

• Experience integrating multimodal data (e.g., imaging, clinical, digital health, omics, and real-world data) by means of cutting-edge multimodal AI approaches.

• Solid understanding of statistical analysis, experimental design, model validation, uncertainty quantification, and quality assurance for biomedical imaging data and AI models.

• Experience with software engineering best practices, including version control (Git), testing, reproducible workflows, containerization, and cloud or high-performance computing environments.

Unwavering focus, collaborative teamwork, and exceptional delivery are key behaviors that drive our mission of “Doing now what patients need next”. Together, we can be transformative.

If you are passionate about contributing to a committed team and have the dedication to partnership and innovation, Roche is the place for you! Every role at Roche plays a part in making a difference in patients’ lives. Apply now and join us in making an impact!

Who we are

A healthier future drives us to innovate. Together, more than 100’000 employees across the globe are dedicated to advance science, ensuring everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Our efforts result in more than 26 million people treated with our medicines and over 30 billion tests conducted using our Diagnostics products. We empower each other to explore new possibilities, foster creativity, and keep our ambitions high, so we can deliver life-changing healthcare solutions that make a global impact.

Let’s build a healthier future, together.

Roche is an Equal Opportunity Employer.