Data Science Manager at Ginkgo Bioworks

On the Data Team, our focus is the strategic application of data science and engineering across the business. We tackle diverse problems that span molecular biology, robotic automation, finance & business strategy, and operations, all in service of supporting data-driven decision-making. We do that through a combination of durable software tools, closely embedded analysts, and side-by-side collaboration with data engineering. 

Every day we face new technical and scientific challenges that require deep cross-functional collaboration and novel solutions. Success in this evolving field is only possible with teams that represent diverse people, ideas, backgrounds, experiences, and ways of working. Active inclusion is core to how Ginkgo wins. We’re an equal opportunity employer and encourage individuals from underrepresented backgrounds to apply. 

As a Data Science Manager, you’ll join a distributed, highly collaborative team composed of data engineers, analysts, and data scientists with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences (the team is currently located in Boston and Seattle). You'll partner closely with scientific collaborators from across Ginkgo to develop analysis plans, deliver durable reports, on-board and train partners, and work with data scientists and engineers to design data-driven software tools. Ideal candidates are self-starters with a strong technical background who can identify opportunities to solve problems with data. Candidates should be curious and eager to learn about both the science and the business, possess analytical skills and reasoning, be a strong leader who can mentor and grow the team, and excel at communicating the team's work to broad audiences.


Responsibilities

Leading high-output technical team; building and nurturing team culture, coaching, and creating personalized development plans for all team members from entry-level to principal
Delivering end-to-end data products, i.e. ability to work across the product lifecycle from exploration and discovery, to operationalization and production 
Project management including managing complexity and making informed trade-offs to quickly escape rabbit holes and make on-time deliveries
Breaking down complex technical and quantitative topics for audiences with mixed levels of technical expertise; in particular, translating technical and scientific concepts into business outcomes and recommendations is essential for success in this role
Comfort and aptitude for presenting progress, insights, and recommendations to stakeholders and senior leadership
Storytelling with data, specifically supporting data-driven decisions with compelling visualizations
Building strong partnerships with collaborators and stakeholders, influencing and collaborating at all organizational levels
Willingness to work on a distributed team and adhere to common working hours across time zones
Minimum requirement of quarterly travel to headquarters in Boston, MA



Minimum Requirements

Must be able to start the day at 10am EST and have familiarity with communication strategies and tactics for managing a distributed team
​​Strong working knowledge of SQL and the ability to self-serve with basic data exploration tools like Tableau
Software development best practices including story estimation, test-driven development, code review, and version control with git
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Strong technical writer and documenter
Fluency and practical experience with statistical methods like exploratory data analysis, hypothesis testing, power analysis, regression, and generalized linear models, as well as familiarity with advanced methods like time-series and survival analysis
Fluency and practical experience with machine learning concepts and algorithms in supervised and unsupervised learning settings; examples include general machine learning workflow, linear/logistic regression, decision trees, neural networks, clustering, etc.
Fluency and practical experience with data visualization techniques and best practices



Preferred Capabilities and Experience

Experience with Agile workflow practices and familiarity with Atlassian tools including Jira, and Confluence
Experience with the Amazon Web Services ecosystem
Familiarity with biological data, specifically in the context of high-throughput screening



To learn more about Ginkgo, check out some recent press:
What is it really like to take your company public via a SPAC? One Boston biotech shares its journey (Fortune)
Ginkgo Bioworks resizes the definition of going big in biotech, raising $2.5B in a record SPAC deal that weighs in with a whopping $15B-plus valuation (Endpoints News)
Ginkgo Bioworks CEO on scaling up Covid-19 testing: ‘If we try, we can win’ (CNBC)
Ginkgo raises $70 million to ramp up COVID-19 testing for employers, universities (Boston Globe)
Ginkgo Bioworks Redirects Its Biotech Platform to Coronavirus (Wall Street Journal)
Ginkgo Bioworks Provides Support on Process Optimization to Moderna for COVID-19 Response (PRNewswire)
The Life Factory: Synthetic Organisms From This $1.4 Billion Startup Will Revolutionize Manufacturing (Forbes)
Synthetic Bio Pioneer Ginkgo Raises $290 Million in New Funding (Bloomberg)
Ginkgo Bioworks raises $350 million fund for biotech spinouts (Reuters)
Can This Company Convince You to Love GMOs? (The Atlantic)

We also feel that it’s important to point out the obvious here – there’s a serious lack of diversity in our industry, and that needs to change. Our goal is to help drive that change. Ginkgo is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all of its practices, especially when it comes to growing our team. Our culture promotes inclusion and embraces how rewarding it is to work with people from all walks of life.  

We’re developing a powerful biological engineering platform, so we must remain mindful of the many ways our technology can – and will – impact people around the world. We care about how our platform is used, and having a diverse team to build it gives us the best chance that it’s something we’ll be proud of as it continues to grow. Therefore, it’s critical that we incorporate the diverse voices and visions of all those who play a role in the future of biology.

It is the policy of Ginkgo Bioworks to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and employment applicants.