Research Statistician, MRC Biostatistics Unit, Cambridge

Research Statistician
Fixed term to 31st December 2017
Salary Range: £27,084 – £34,144 per annum MRC Biostatistics Unit, Cambridge UK

Do you want to develop innovative biostatistical methods motivated by challenging real-world problems, and at the same time gain in-depth exposure to the pharmaceutical industry and hands-on experience of working in a commercial environment?

This is a unique opportunity to work on a collaborative post-doctoral research project jointly sponsored and supervised by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and the MRC Biostatistics Unit (MRC BSU), to develop and apply state-of-the-art statistical methods in drug development.

About US
The MRC BSU is one of Europe’s leading biostatistics research institutions, and the recently created Statistical Innovation Group at GSK has a remit to develop and embed the use of innovative statistical methods to enhance the quality, robustness, and efficiency of clinical trials across GSK. The MRC Biostatistics Unit aims to advance medical science by the development, application and dissemination of statistical methods. It is one of Europe’s leading biostatistics research institutions and includes many internationally renowned statisticians. It provides a privileged environment for statistical research.

About the Role
Working jointly with Drs Adrian Mander and Ian White at the MRC BSU, and Prof Nicky Best (Statistical Innovation Group, GSK) you will develop methodology relevant to the MRC BSU ‘Design and Analysis of Randomised Trials’ research theme. The specific focus of your research will include methods for adaptive clinical trials (e.g. comparison of strategies for enrichment/adaptive populations, optimal frequency of adaptations, design of adaptive dose-response studies, adaptive designs for preclinical studies) and/or methods for handling missing data in randomised studies (e.g. comparison of multiple imputation, Bayesian and weighting methods for non-normal, non-ignorable missing data, eliciting and incorporating expert judgement about missing data processes, methods to include retrieved dropout data, design and presentation of sensitivity analyses). Specific choice of research topics will depend on the post-holder’s interests and skills. In addition to methodology development, you will publish papers in high quality peer-reviewed journals, disseminate your work at statistical and clinical conferences, and make open-source software available that implements the methodology you develop. There will also be the opportunity to work regularly with clinical and statistical colleagues at GSK’s Stevenage and/or Stockley Park (west London) sites, and you will be expected to communicate the results of your research via internal GSK seminars, writing best practice guides and developing training material and examples to help disseminate your methods to the wider clinical statistics community within and outside GSK.

About You
You will have, or be about to obtain, a PhD in statistics or related subject.
Some knowledge/experience of methodology for clinical trials and/or missing data and/or applied Bayesian methods would be highly desirable but not essential, as would statistical computing experience (e.g. Programming in R or Stata or SAS). You must have excellent communication skills and show potential to publish high quality scientific papers.

What We Offer
Working for the MRC means you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a final salary pension scheme, a flexible pay and reward policy, and 30 days annual leave entitlement to access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme and childcare vouchers, as well as the chance to put the MRC on your CV in the future.

How to Apply
Adrian Mander (adrian.mander@mrc-bsu.cam.ac.uk) or Nicky Best (nicky.x.best@gsk.com).

Applications are handled by the UK Shared Business Services Ltd; to apply please visit our job board at http://www.topcareer.jobs/Vacancy/irc168833_4906.aspx. If you are unable to apply online please contact us on 01793 867000 quoting reference IRC168833.

Closing date: 4 January 2015

This is one of two joint GSK/MRC-BSU post-doctoral positions currently being advertised. Details of the other position, which will focus on developing methodology relevant to the MRC BSU ‘Design and Analysis of Clinical Trials’
research theme, can be found http://www.topcareer.jobs/Vacancy/irc168853_4905.aspx. Interested candidates are welcome to apply for one or both positions, according to qualifications and interest.

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Andrea Wadeson Assoc.CIPD
Unit Administrator
MRC Biostatistics Unit
University Forvie Site