A healthier future. It’s what drives us to innovate. To continuously advance science and ensure everyone has access to the healthcare they need today and for generations to come. Creating a world where we all have more time with the people we love. That’s what makes us Roche.
This role is based in the Real-World & Clinical Data Strategy (RWCDS) team which drives data excellence and analytics to power enhanced decision-making and evidence-generation within Roche Product Development. We develop and implement data strategies that unlock the value of clinical, operational, and real-world data to accelerate evidence generation, decision-making, and innovation across PD and beyond. By embedding FAIR principles, advancing data governance, and enabling data productization, RWCDS ensures that data is not only findable and usable, but also a driver of scientific rigor, regulatory readiness, and AI-powered transformation. Through deep partnerships with internal functions and external collaborators, we shape a future-ready data ecosystem that supports personalized healthcare and efficient drug development.
The Opportunity
The Senior Data Innovation Specialist (RWD) helps identify, prototype, and scale novel methods and technologies that transform how data is used across product development. Reporting to the Data Innovation Lead, you will drive emerging capabilities such as agentic AI, semantic integration, and knowledge graphs to unlock new use cases for clinical, real-world, and operational data. You will design and build AI-enabled tools and agentic workflows that transform how RWD analyses are performed. This includes developing reusable analytical components, enabling models and agents to interact with data and tools, automating parts of scientific workflows, and creating scalable solutions that can be adopted across projects and teams. You will collaborate with scientists, engineers, product teams, and external partners to design proof-of-concepts, validate innovative solutions, and assess long-term feasibility. This role requires curiosity, strong technical grounding, and a mindset oriented toward experimentation and continuous learning.
In this role, you will have the chance to lead technical evolution and drive high-impact data initiatives across the organization:
- Drive Innovation: Apply specialized knowledge of emerging data types, technologies, and methods to lead innovation activities and complex analytical projects.
- Collaborative Piloting: Partner with cross-functional teams to pilot data innovations and integrate them into clinical development and data science workflows.
- Platform Development: Design, build, and evaluate agentic workflows that enable models to use tools, access data, execute analytical tasks, and support scientific.decision-making while maintaining scientific rigor, traceability, and human oversight
- Strategic Evaluation: Proactively identify innovation areas through competitive landscaping and evaluate the feasibility and quality of unconventional data sources.
- Framework Creation: Develop tools and frameworks that support the scalable evaluation, reuse, and streamlining of experimental data approaches and workflows.
- Subject Matter Expertise: Serve as an expert on innovation methodology, guiding peers through new data modalities and mentoring junior team members.
- Compliance & Governance: Ensure all activities maintain strict compliance with data privacy and security regulations, including HIPAA and GDPR.
Who You Are
We are looking for a visionary professional who thrives at the intersection of technology and healthcare:
- Educational Background: You hold a Master’s or PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, Life Sciences, Data Science, or a related field.
- Proven Experience: You bring 5+ years of experience in data science or healthcare innovation, with a track record of implementing successful AI-driven pilots or products.
- Strategic Agility: You possess strong problem-solving and critical thinking skills, coupled with the ability to make independent decisions based on sound principles.
- Innovation Mindset: You are familiar with agile, product-thinking, and innovation frameworks such as Lean Startup or Design Thinking.
- Agentic AI: Hands-on experience designing and building production-oriented AI agents or agentic systems, including capabilities such as tool/function calling, retrieval, structured outputs, routing or orchestration, and multi-step or multi-agent workflows
- Communication & Collaboration: You have excellent verbal and written communication skills and demonstrate deep respect for cultural differences in a global workplace.
Preferred:
- Exposure to real-world data or research informatics in a biomedical setting
- Interest in emerging technologies such as machine learning, knowledge graphs, or clinical AI
- Ability to summarize results for both technical and non-technical audiences
This position is based in South San Francisco, CA and relocation benefits are not available for this posting
The expected salary range for this position based on the primary location of South San Francisco, CA is $117,600.00 - $218,400.00 USD Annual. Actual pay will be determined based on experience, qualifications, geographic location, and other job-related factors permitted by law. A discretionary annual bonus may be available based on individual and Company performance. This position also qualifies for the benefits detailed at the link provided below.
Benefits
#PDDT
#PDDSSF
Genentech is an equal opportunity employer. It is our policy and practice to employ, promote, and otherwise treat any and all employees and applicants on the basis of merit, qualifications, and competence. The company's policy prohibits unlawful discrimination, including but not limited to, discrimination on the basis of Protected Veteran status, individuals with disabilities status, and consistent with all federal, state, or local laws.
If you have a disability and need an accommodation in relation to the online application process, please contact us by completing this form Accommodations for Applicants.
Skills Required
- Master's or PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, Life Sciences, Data Science, or a related field
- 5+ years of experience in data science or healthcare innovation
- Track record of implementing successful AI-driven pilots or products
- Strong problem-solving and critical-thinking skills
- Ability to make independent decisions based on sound principles
- Familiarity with agile, product-thinking, and innovation frameworks such as Lean Startup or Design Thinking
- Hands-on experience designing and building production-oriented AI agents or agentic systems
- Experience with tool or function calling, retrieval, structured outputs, routing or orchestration, and multi-step or multi-agent workflows
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to collaborate respectfully across cultural differences in a global workplace
- Exposure to real-world data or research informatics in a biomedical setting
- Interest in machine learning, knowledge graphs, or clinical AI
- Ability to summarize results for technical and non-technical audiences
Genentech Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Genentech and has not been reviewed or approved by Genentech.
-
Healthcare Strength — Health coverage is described as comprehensive across medical, dental, vision, mental health, and prescriptions, supported by HSAs/FSAs and broad wellness resources. On‑site fitness and health centers, mental‑health clinicians, and specialized programs like fully covered preventive cancer screenings and menopause support deepen the offering.
-
Retirement Support — Retirement benefits feature a 401(k) with up to a 4% company match plus an additional annual 6% company contribution to eligible pay. Additional financial protections such as life and accident insurance complement salary, bonuses, and stock options.
-
Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time away includes about 20 paid vacation days, paid holidays, personal days, and a year‑end shutdown. A paid six‑week sabbatical every six years notably expands long‑term time‑off flexibility.
Genentech Insights
What We Do
Considered the founder of the industry, Genentech, now a member of the Roche Group, has been delivering on the promise of biotechnology for more than 40 years. Genentech is a biotechnology company dedicated to pursuing groundbreaking science to discover and develop medicines for people with serious and life-threatening diseases. Our transformational discoveries include the first targeted antibody for cancer and the first medicine for primary progressive multiple sclerosis. We're passionate about finding solutions for people facing the world's most difficult-to-treat conditions. That is why we use cutting-edge science to create and deliver innovative medicines around the globe. To us, science is personal. Making a difference in the lives of millions starts when you make a change in yours.
