Principal Operations AI Data Scientist

Roche seeks a Principal Operations AI Data Scientist in Basel to lead the design and deployment of AI agents that optimize R&D workflows and drive operational efficiency within the Innovation Accelerator team.

This position sits within the Innovation Accelerator team, which acts as the strategic engine for data and AI innovation in Product Development Data Sciences. The team translates long-term visions into actionable strategies, incubating cross-functional use cases and partnering with internal and external collaborators to prototype and productize new solutions.

Responsibilities

• Architect, build, and roll out AI/ML agents to enhance workflow efficiency and provide operational insights.
• Spot high-value automation opportunities within the R&D data ecosystem and convert them into technical implementations.
• Create intelligent pipelines for process monitoring and optimization using both structured and unstructured data sources.
• Develop and refine AI agents for internal PDD users, focusing on tasks like metadata enrichment, task routing, and data retrieval.
• Utilize advanced NLP, system optimization, and process analytics techniques in practical business scenarios.
• Partner with engineering teams, domain experts, and business stakeholders to guarantee solution feasibility and user value.
• Represent the AI operations strategy in cross-functional projects and promote the design of scalable solutions.
• Offer technical mentorship, share industry best practices, and guide junior staff in addressing operational AI challenges.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or higher degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Engineering, Biomedical Informatics, or a closely related discipline.
• At least 8 years of experience in creating and delivering AI/ML solutions with clear operational impact, or an advanced degree plus 6 years of equivalent experience.
• Strong proficiency in Python software development and associated AI libraries.
• Proven history of applying AI or automation to streamline internal workflows and business processes.
• Solid understanding of operational data, ML pipelines, and frameworks for AI productization.
• Comprehensive knowledge of best practices for model reproducibility, interpretability, and validation.
• Ability to think independently and make decisions grounded in sound principles.
• High strategic agility, including strong problem-solving and critical thinking capabilities.
• Respect for cultural diversity when working with colleagues in a global environment.
• Superior verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical ideas clearly.

Nice to have

• Experience in building and deploying operational agents, RAG pipelines, or domain-specific LLM applications.

About the company

Roche is a global health company with over 100,000 employees dedicated to advancing science. The organization’s mission is to prevent, stop, and cure diseases while ensuring access to healthcare for current and future generations. The culture fosters personal expression, open dialogue, and genuine connections, empowering employees to explore new possibilities and deliver life-changing healthcare solutions.

• A culture that values personal expression, open dialogue, and genuine connections.
• Employees are treated with respect, acceptance, and appreciation.
• Empowerment to explore new possibilities and foster creativity.
• Commitment to delivering life-changing healthcare solutions for generations to come.