Sr Staff Data Scientist - Machine Learning

CareDx, Inc. is a leading precision medicine solutions company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of clinically differentiated, high-value healthcare solutions for transplant patients and caregivers. CareDx offers products, testing services, and digital healthcare solutions along the pre- and post-transplant patient journey, and is the leading provider of genomics-based information for transplant patients.

The data science team is dedicated to the discovery, development, and delivery of complex genomic clinical insights. The team also drives innovations, new machine-learning-driven products, and enhancements to existing products, all aimed at advancing transplant patient care. As a Senior Staff Data Scientist, under the guidance of the Senior Director of Data Science, you will work independently and cross-functionally, engaging with R&D, data engineering, biostatistics, bioinformatics teams to design, build, and deploy innovative data solutions.

Responsibilities:

• Partner closely with R&D and medical scientists to deeply understand the scientific and clinical context of transplant-related projects, ensuring data science strategies are aligned with product and research goals.
• Lead product development efforts from a data science perspective-translating target product profiles into analytical and modeling strategies, defining success metrics, and driving cross-functional collaboration throughout the development lifecycle.
• Design, implement, and validate machine learning and optimization models to derive actionable insights from diverse data sources, including molecular biomarkers, clinical trial datasets, electronic medical records (EMR), and digital health solution data.
• Research and develop novel algorithms and approaches to improve model performance, interpretability, and clinical utility.
• Own the end-to-end data science workflow-from data exploration and model development to deployment-ensuring reproducibility, scalability, and robust documentation.
• Communicate key findings and insights through effective data storytelling, clear and concise communication, and compelling visualizations that resonate with technical and non-technical stakeholders alike.
• Foster a collaborative data science culture by sharing best practices, mentoring team members, and promoting a high standard of analytical rigor and integrity.

Qualifications:

• PhD or Master's degree in Data Science, Statistics, Bioinformatics, or a related quantitative field, with 5+ (PhD) or 8+ (Master) years of industry experience in applied machine learning, preferably in healthcare, biotech, or life sciences. The title and seniority level may be adjusted based on the candidate's qualifications and experience.
• Deep experience developing and validating predictive models using classical ML methods such as: regularized regression (e.g., Elastic Net), SVM, random Forests and ensemble methods, gradient boosting techniques.
• Strong knowledge of cross-validation strategies, hyperparameter tuning, and model selection techniques for robust generalization.
• Proven ability to build end-to-end ML pipelines: feature engineering, imputation, model training, evaluation, and deployment.
• Expertise in handling structured clinical, molecular, and real-world healthcare datasets.
• Skilled in model interpretation and visualization, including SHAP, partial dependence plots, and feature importance analysis.
• Proficiency in Python (scikit-learn, pandas, numpy, matplotlib) and/or R (caret, glmnet, ranger, xgboost).
• Experience with version control (Git), collaborative development, and cloud-based data science environments.
• Strong project management skills and experience producing reproducible, well-documented code
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex data insights into actionable recommendations

Preferred Qualifications:

• Fluency in generative AI (GenAI) tools and workflows, with a strong ability to evaluate, adapt, and integrate emerging technologies into daily work.
• Demonstrated experience using AI-assisted coding tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot) to enhance productivity, code quality, and scalability.
• Proven track record of staying current with cutting-edge developments in AI/ML and proactively incorporating relevant tools into data science workflows.
• Ability to lead or contribute to a continuous evaluate-adapt-deploy cycle for technology adoption within the team.

Additional Details:

Every individual at CareDx has a direct impact on our collective mission to improve the lives of organ transplant patients worldwide. We believe in taking great care of our people, so they take even greater care of our patients.

Our competitive Total Rewards package includes:

• Competitive base salary and incentive compensation
• Health and welfare benefits including a gym reimbursement program
• 401(k) savings plan match
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Pre-tax commuter benefits
• And more!

In addition, we have a Living Donor Employee Recovery Policy that allows up to 30 days of paid leave annually to a full-time employee who makes the selfless act of donating an organ or bone marrow.

With products that are making a difference in the lives of transplant patients today and a promising pipeline for the future, it's an exciting time to be part of the CareDx team. Join us in partnering with transplant patients to transform our future together.

CareDx, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer and participates in the E-Verify program.

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