Senior Manager / Director, Statistical Genetics

insitro's mission is to bring better drugs faster to the patients who can benefit most, through machine learning and data at scale. Our strategy combines causal evidence from human genetics with in vitro cellular data from our automated wet-lab platforms to find causal genetic intervention points and carry them into therapeutic programs. In this role you'll lead and grow an established team of statistical geneticists responsible for advancing our machine learning statistical genetics platform and using it to extract novel biological insight. You'll partner closely with ML scientists to develop novel phenotypes, with software engineers to build robust tools, and with computational biologists and therapeutic area scientists to turn genetic signals into programs. As the leader of this team, you'll set both strategic and technical direction, and structure the collaborations that move insitro's programs forward through a deeper understanding of causal human biology. This position reports to the Senior Director, AI/ML (Human Genetics), and is remote-eligible within the US or based in South San Francisco with an in-person hybrid schedule of three days per week.

Responsibilities

Lead, mentor, and grow a team of four statistical geneticists developing methods to extract insight from human genetics; Define the roadmap and priorities for statistical genetics at insitro, and hold the bar for rigor; Lead the team in building new ML methodology that extracts more signal from human genetics and integrates it with other data modalities; Partner with software engineering to turn one-off analyses into well-tested workflows the whole research organization can run; Own GWAS, rare variant, and post-GWAS analyses across internal indications to identify and prioritize novel targets, moving from association to causal hypothesis; Partner with therapeutic area and drug discovery scientists to convert genetic findings into validated, tractable programs

Requirements

PhD in statistical genetics, human genetics, computational biology, biostatistics, or a related field; 5+ years of experience; Deep knowledge of statistical genetics as applied to target discovery in an industry setting; Direct people management experience, with a track record of mentoring and growing technical talent; Demonstrated experience applying machine learning to genetic, imaging, or other clinical data; A history of publication and methodological innovation in statistical genetics; Cross-functional communicator who communicates clearly and collaborates easily across functions, including with experimental scientists and software engineers

Nice to have

Strong Python or R in a cloud environment, with a track record of reusable, tested, version-controlled code; Real understanding of a disease area relevant to insitro (cardiovascular, metabolic, liver, ophthalmologic, or neurological); Genetic discoveries that have shaped a real drug discovery decision or program; Work with high-content modalities such as single-cell or bulk omics, genetic perturbation screening, spatial proteomics, or pooled optical screening

Benefits

Eligibility for Annual Performance Bonus Plan; Eligibility for Equity Incentive Plan; 401(k) plan with employer matching; Medical, dental, and vision coverage; Mental health and well-being support; Open, flexible vacation policy; Paid parental leave of at least 16 weeks for birth parents and 10 weeks for new parents; Quarterly budget for books and online courses; New hire stipend for home office setup; Monthly cell phone and internet stipend; Free onsite baristas and daily lunch for onsite or hybrid employees; Free commuter bus network to South San Francisco HQ from around the Bay Area