Associate Director, R Programmer

Certara accelerates medicines using proprietary biosimulation software, technology, and services to transform traditional drug discovery and development. Its clients include more than 2,000 biopharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, and regulatory agencies across 62 countries.

The Associate Director will be responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining R-based tools and workflows for drug discovery, data analysis, and computational simulations. Should be able to adapt existing R scripts and update them to meet new requirements. Ensure code is clean, efficient, and well-documented. Will work closely with cross-functional teams, including the model-based meta-analysis team, data scientists, and software engineers, to support project goals and deliver technical solutions. Will provide analysis of large datasets related to drug efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and other biological data. Develop statistical models, predictive analytics, and visualizations to inform decision-making in drug development.

Responsibilities

• Validate other team members’ work via independent programming in R.
• Implement and optimize algorithms for processing and analyzing data, with a focus on optimizing the CODEX database.
• Develop custom R packages and integrate existing tools with external systems, databases, and platforms (e.g., cloud infrastructure, computational frameworks).
• Ensure high code quality and reproducibility of analyses.
• Perform unit testing, debugging, and troubleshooting issues related to the codebase.
• Document methodologies, workflows, and results to facilitate knowledge sharing within the team and organization.
• Prepare reports and presentations as needed for internal and external stakeholders.
• Participate in the development of standards and create efficient processes.
• Collaborate with the project team to ensure timely delivery and quality of all programming-related deliverables.
• Mentor junior programmers.
• May also be responsible for managing other programmers if needed.
• May provide operational support, including the ongoing development and improvement of business practices and processes.
• Support the project team in all aspects of programming activities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Bioinformatics, Statistics, Mathematics, Pharmaceutical Sciences, or a related field.
• Proven experience programming in R, including data manipulation, statistical modeling, and visualization (experience with packages such as ggplot2, dplyr, shiny, tidyr, etc.).
• Experience working in bioinformatics, pharmacometrics, or computational biology is a plus.
• Experience with relational databases (e.g., SQL) and knowledge of data integration practices.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment while delivering high-quality results.
• A quick learner able to rapidly grasp and master new/changing business needs.
• Excellent communication skills in English, and ability to adapt communication styles to varied internal and external partners.
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently within a team environment.
• Ability to collaborate with other team members and across business units.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to apply computational methods to complex biological and pharmaceutical problems.
• Understanding of statistical analysis and predictive modeling techniques.
• Familiarity with Git for version control and collaborative coding.
• Familiarity with machine learning approaches and data mining is an advantage.
• R programming, RStudio, Shiny, and related R libraries for analysis and visualization.
• Basic knowledge of Python and/or other programming languages (e.g., C++, Java) is a plus.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms, data storage, and high-performance computing environments is a plus.

Certara bases all employment-related decisions on merit, taking into consideration qualifications, skills, achievement, and performance. We treat all applicants and employees without regard to personal characteristics such as race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, nationality, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental condition, genetic information, military service, or other characteristic protected by law.