Project Data Scientist

Job description

Location Work from home in Ireland. Eligibility to work Unfortunately we cannot offer Irish work permits or Visa sponsorship. About this Role As a Project Data Scientist in Research Pathology at Deciphex, you will prepare, characterise, and validate the datasets and model outputs that drive our research pathology AI across toxicologic pathology and translational research. Working at the interface of histopathology, computational pathology, and data science, you will turn whole-slide images and structured study data into curated, statistically characterised datasets and qualified analytical outputs. This will include control-dataset characterisation, confounder and batch-effect detection, data-quality assessment, and validation of downstream AI models. You will support the evaluation of pathology AI models and downstream applications such as anomaly detection, lesion identification, segmentation, and whole-slide classification. This will include contributing to practice-relevant benchmarks, characterising model performance and failure modes, identifying confounders and batch effects, and applying clinically and operationally meaningful measures of performance. You will work alongside pathologists, the AI team, software and product teams, contributing to validation strategy and ensuring that datasets and analytical outputs meet the evidentiary and regulatory expectations of preclinical and translational research. A major focus of the role will be supporting Deciphex’s delivery within two EU-funded public-private partnerships: BIGPICTURE (IMI) and VICT3R (IHI). You will contribute to shared data models, metadata standards, dataset onboarding, control-data analysis, and interoperability between Deciphex platforms and consortium infrastructure. Working across internal teams and external partner organisations, you will help resolve data and transfer issues and ensure that project outputs meet agreed standards for quality, traceability, and responsible data handling. Key Responsibilities Support Deciphex’s technical and scientific delivery across BIGPICTURE and VICT3R, working with internal teams and consortium partners to deliver agreed data-science activities Curate, characterise, and analyse large preclinical and translational pathology datasets, including whole-slide images, structured study data, annotations, and associated metadata Contribute to the VICT3R data model for whole-slide imaging, including metadata schemas, annotation standards, controlled terminology, and linkage to SEND domains Characterise control datasets through descriptive and statistical analysis, including trend assessment and detection of confounders and batch effects relevant to Virtual Control Group development Support interoperability between Patholytix and BIGPICTURE infrastructure by contributing to data mappings, requirements, specifications, and gateway testing Develop and maintain reproducible data-processing pipelines, quality-control routines, and validation workflows supporting dataset curation, model evaluation, benchmarking, and project delivery Support the evaluation of downstream pathology AI models through performance characterisation, failure analysis, and clear evidence packages Support the onboarding of non-clinical whole-slide images and metadata from consortium contributors, including data preparation, validation, transfer, and troubleshooting Produce technical analyses, documentation, data deliverables, and progress reporting in accordance with agreed consortium milestones Work with pathologists, AI, software, product, and project teams to translate scientific and operational requirements into reliable datasets and analytical outputs grounded in appropriate pathology context Apply appropriate data-quality, traceability, GDPR, and GLP-aligned handling practices across consortium submissions and analytical outputs Required Skills and Experience Advanced degree in data science, bioinformatics, computational biology, biomedical science, biostatistics, statistics, computer science, or a related quantitative field, or equivalent applied experience Proficiency in statistical computing and data manipulation using one or more relevant languages and tools Experience applying data science or machine learning to biomedical imaging, life-science, or other complex scientific datasets. Experience analysing and evaluating machine-learning model outputs, including performance characterisation, error analysis, and interpretation of results in a scientific or biomedical context Experience curating, integrating, quality-controlling, and documenting datasets and associated structured metadata Strong grounding in applied statistics, including exploratory analysis, experimental design, identification of confounders and batch effects, and selection of meaningful performance measures Ability to translate scientific and project requirements into well-defined datasets, analytical workflows, quality-control checks, and clear evidence-based outputs. Experience developing reproducible analytical workflows using version control, testing, environment and configuration management, data provenance, and technical documentation Excellent written and verbal communication in English, including the ability to produce clear technical documentation and communicate data issues to specialist and non-specialist stakeholders Demonstrated ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary and multi-organisation teams, managing competing scientific and delivery priorities Desirable Skills and Experience Understanding of preclinical toxicology study design, treatment and control groups, endpoints, and histopathology workflows Familiarity with non-clinical data standards and regulated research environments, including SEND/CDISC terminology, GLP principles, or regulatory-grade whole-slide image management Familiarity with whole-slide imaging, digital pathology platforms, image formats, and image-data management Prior experience contributing to EU-funded consortia (e.g. IMI, IHI, Horizon Europe) or other multi-organisation scientific partnerships involving industry, academia, CROs, or public bodies Understanding of biomedical data governance, including data integrity, traceability, responsible data handling, and GDPR principles. Ability to read and interpret scientific publications, technical standards, data specifications, and relevant regulatory guidance. About the Company Through the work that we do, the team at Deciphex helps pharma to accelerate the process of essential drug development and helps patients to get timely and accurate diagnosis. Founded in Dublin in 2017, Deciphex has scaled rapidly to a team of over 230 people and counting who are providing software solutions to address the pathology gap in research pathology and clinical areas. We have offices in Dublin, Exeter, Oxford, Toronto and Chicago and are expanding our team throughout the world. We are software developers, clinical specialists, AI engineers, operations professionals and so much more, all working as one team to support our customers and patients. Our team culture is built on trust. We give our team the space they need to deliver results and the environment to ensure they can enjoy doing it. We are looking for highly motivated individuals who are excited to take on challenges and value making a difference in their day-to-day work. This is a unique opportunity to make a difference in the emerging Digital Pathology field. Read more about Deciphex here and more about our incredible team on our Careers Page here What are the benefits of working with Deciphex? Healthcare benefits Competitive annual leave A true sense of meaning in your work by contributing to better patient outcomes. The opportunity to work alongside a world-class high performing team in a hyper-growth startup environment. A chance to work on exciting,challenging and unique projects. Regular performance feedback and significant career growth opportunities. A highly collaborative and supportive multi cultural team. Deciphex is an equal opportunities employer and we are committed to the principle of equality. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to age, race, religious beliefs, political views, gender identity, affectional or sexual orientation, national origin, family or marital status (including pregnancy), disability, membership of the travelling community or any other classification protected by applicable law. A copy of our Privacy Policy can be viewed here