Director, Benchmarking & Challenges

Director, Benchmarking & Challenges

At Sage Bionetworks, we believe in the power of open science and interdisciplinary collaboration to create a new vision of human health. We strive for actionable biomedical insights through the responsible sharing and reuse of data, all guided by our deep scientific expertise and diligent governance controls.

We're a dynamic, adaptable team, and at Sage, we highly value individuals who can flexibly navigate various roles and functions. Diversity in experiences, backgrounds, and identities is essential for our rich culture of learning and collaboration. Our partnerships, both within Sage and with external communities, are founded on trust, transparency, and a commitment to growth. Together, we are leaving a lasting imprint on the fields of science and medicine.

Sage Bionetworks has led the development of concepts and infrastructure to objectively evaluate algorithms across diverse biomedical fields, including bioinformatics, biomedical informatics, medical imaging, and clinical trials. As a trusted partner in hosting challenges and benchmarking initiatives, Sage acts as an impartial mediator among data generators, owners, and modelers. We integrate technology with biomedical and data science expertise to facilitate the objective assessment of algorithms on critical data sets, including proprietary data and algorithms that cannot be broadly shared. These assessments help the biomedical community define standards, establish benchmarks, and guide future algorithm development.

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Director with people leadership experience to lead our Benchmarking & Data Challenges team. The successful candidate will be responsible for designing, managing, and executing benchmarking projects and data challenges that drive innovation and excellence in our scientific research and development efforts. This role requires a deep understanding of scientific methodologies, data analysis, and project management.

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership & Strategy

• Develop and implement strategic plans for benchmarking and data challenge initiatives.
• Lead and mentor a team of scientists and data analysts.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align benchmarking efforts with company goals.
• Manage existing relationships and establish new strategic partnerships.
• Engage with global research, industry, and standards development communities to stay abreast of new technologies and best practices.

Project Management

• Oversee the planning, execution, and delivery of benchmarking and data challenge projects.
• Ensure projects are completed on time, within scope, and within budget.
• Manage resources, timelines, and project risks effectively.

Scientific Analysis & Evaluation

• Design and implement robust benchmarking methodologies and data challenge frameworks.
• Analyze and interpret complex scientific data to draw meaningful conclusions.
• Develop and maintain databases and tools for data analysis and reporting.

Collaboration & Communication

• Foster strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including academic institutions, industry partners, and regulatory bodies.
• Communicate project progress, findings, and recommendations to senior management and stakeholders.
• Present scientific results at conferences, workshops, and other professional forums.

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

• Stay current with advancements in scientific research, data analysis techniques, and industry trends.
• Identify opportunities for process improvements and implement best practices.
• Drive innovation through the development of new benchmarking and data challenge methodologies.

Specific Team Responsibilities

• Oversee a team of bioinformaticians, data scientists, and engineers supporting data challenges in life sciences.
• Assist external partners in the design and execution of data challenges, including developing challenge questions, processing and assessing data, selecting metrics, and writing and publishing results.
• Develop standard operating procedures and best practices to streamline challenge operations.
• Lead the development of standardized benchmarking protocols and metrics.
• Oversee infrastructure supporting benchmarking of bioinformatic tools and algorithms on large-scale datasets spanning various data types, including molecular, imaging, sensor, and medical records data.
• Direct and manage the bioinformatics team in the research, design, and development of bioinformatics tools and processes.
• Develop policies and procedures related to bioinformatics research, analysis, and data curation.
• Lead the delivery of reporting and analytical solutions to stakeholders.
• Oversee the development of bioinformatics systems and workflows for data management and analysis.
• Manage existing relationships and establish new strategic partnerships. The role will interface with both the technical/scientific and non-scientific audiences alike in an engaging and cohesive manner.
• Engage with global research, industry, and standards development communities to keep abreast of new technologies and best practices.

We’d love to hear from you if you have the following:

Education & Experience

• Are passionate about open science and collaboration
• PhD or equivalent degree in a scientific discipline such as Computer Science, Bioinformatics, Data Science, or related field, with expertise in working on problems in Biology, Chemistry, and Healthcare
• A minimum of 5 years of experience in scientific research, data analysis, or a related field. This includes graduate school work
• Have experience acting as a Principal Investigator or group lead for a scientific program or have postdoctoral experience with a strong publication record
• Have contributed to the procurement of funded research grants and/or contracts
• Demonstrated evidence of leadership in large collaborative research projects

Technical Skills

• Strong expertise in statistical analysis, data modeling, Machine Learning, and data visualization.
• Proficiency with scientific computing software and tools (e.g., R, Python, MATLAB).
• Experience with database management and data integration.

Soft Skills

• Excellent leadership and team management skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Outstanding communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

Project/Team specific skills preferred:

• Ability to travel as needed for conferences, meetings, and collaborative projects.
• Strong commitment to ethical standards and scientific integrity.

Job Functions and Physical Requirements

The following cognitive and physical activities outline the essential functions required for successful job performance. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to fulfill these functions.

Physical Demands

• Extended periods of sitting at a desk and using a computer.
• Repeated wrist, hand, and finger movements.
• Requires clear vision for tasks like data analysis, transcribing, computer use, and reading.
• Occasionally lifting or moving objects weighing up to 10 pounds.

Cognitive Demands

• Able to work effectively under deadlines.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Attention to detail and accuracy.
• Flexibility to adapt to changing environments, priorities and multitask.

Additional Requirements

• Travel is required a minimum of two times per year for on-site events in Seattle, WA.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Works well in a team and maintains professionalism.
• Follows company policies, procedures, and relevant laws and regulations.

Note: This list is not exhaustive and may be subject to modification as job duties evolve.

About Us

Sage Bionetworks is a nonprofit biomedical research organization that was founded in Seattle in 2009. We focus on advancing human health through open science practices and radical collaboration, with a view to breaking down existing silos in science and technology. Through our work, we guide responsible data sharing and reuse, benchmark scientific methods and results, and empower participants to be active partners in research. We are a bold team of scientists, engineers, product developers, governance specialists and business experts, working to bring data and communities together in unique ways that accelerate medical progress. As a growing organization, Sage is supported through a dynamic portfolio of competitive research grants, commercial partnerships, and philanthropic contributions.

Sage Bionetworks is pleased to offer a comprehensive benefit package, competitive to both commercial and not-for-profit life science organizations. The plan includes health, dental, vision, life, AD&D and, long term disability benefits; paid time off; a retirement plan; flexible spending accounts; a shared incentives plan, voluntary long-term care insurance, and other voluntary products. Additional information can be found here: Benefits – Sage Bionetworks

At Sage Bionetworks, we implement equitable workplace strategies to guarantee fair compensation. Actual compensation is determined based on current market data, experience, and internal pay parity. This position is classified as a Sage Director level, with a salary range of $137,390 to $186,150. New hires typically receive an offer between the minimum and midpoint of the range, although higher offers may be considered based on experience and market conditions.

We have a distributed workforce and support remote and/or on-site hybrid work arrangements within the United States. All interviews will be conducted virtually unless otherwise communicated.

At Sage Bionetworks, we uphold equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or veteran status. We strictly prohibit discrimination and harassment based on these protected categories, in compliance with federal and state equal employment opportunity laws.