Senior Specialist – Clinical Data and AI (Alajuela, Costa Rica)

Life Unlimited. At Smith+Nephew we design and manufacture technology that takes the limits off living. 

Smith+Nephew, a pioneering leader in medical technology since 1856, is seeking a highly skilled data scientist. Reporting directly to the Manager of Clinical Data and AI, the successful candidate will be an inquisitive problem-solver who is enthusiastic about applying data science and AI methods to real-world clinical research challenges. This role focuses on leveraging modern cloud and data lake environments to develop AI/ML solutions and analytical prototypes using rich clinical and operational datasets.

The ideal candidate will have a strong foundation in data science, and a proven track record in creating and deploying internal ML/automation solutions to enhance data analytics processes.

This position is a P3 level 

What will you be doing? 

Data Science, ML/AI Development, and Deployment:

• Collaborate with clinical data scientists, biostatisticians, and clinical operations experts to identify use cases for data science-based solutions and AI models in clinical research

• Assist in developing AI/ML models for supporting clinical operations, and data analysis

• Preprocess, clean, and organize clinical datasets for AI applications

• Generate actionable insights from a rich historical repository of clinical research data

• Support the integration of AI/ML tools into clinical research workflows

• Assist in assessing data quality issues and recommending improvements

• Research state-of-the-art AI/ML techniques relevant to clinical research

• Develop automation scripts or analytical utilities that streamline clinical data analysis workflows.
   

Communication and Testing:

• Identify key performance indicators for AI/ML models in production, and evaluate performance in uses cases with a global span

• Document methodologies, workflows, and results to ensure reproducibility and transparency

• Present findings and recommendations to the team and stakeholders clearly and concisely

Travel Requirements:  <10%   

What will you need to be successful?  

Required Qualifications

Education:

• Currently pursuing a bachelor's, master’s, or PhD degree in a relevant field (e.g., data science, computer science, engineering). A relevant graduate degree is preferred.

Language:

• Advanced English skills

Competences:

• Proficiency in Python (required)

Preferred Qualifications

Knowledge:

• Familiarity with common AI/ML frameworks, e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn, and LLM’s

• Familiarity with version control systems, particularly Git

• Familiarity with common cloud data science / data lake platforms such as Databricks

• Foundational knowledge of clinical data is a plus

• Familiarity with business intelligence tools such as PowerBI, Spotfire, Tableau is a plus

Competences:

• R is a plus, PySpark is a plus

• A knack for innovation and a passion for leveraging technology to solve complex business problems

You. Unlimited

We believe in creating the greatest good for society. Our strongest investments are in our people and the patients we serve. 

Inclusion + Belonging - Committed to Welcoming, Celebrating and Thriving. Learn more about our Employee Inclusion Groups on our website https://www.smith-nephew.com/ 

• Your future:  stock purchase program, referral bonus, subsidy in transport and food, recognition program.

• Work/Life Balance: Extra days off, birthday off, voluntary hours.

• Your Wellbeing: company doctor, medical insurance, gym, health campaigns, employee assistance program, parental leave. 

• Flexibility: Hybrid work model (for more professional roles), flexible schedules.

• Training: Training program, unlimited learning.

• Extra perks: employees association, and more…

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