Lead NLP Specialist

IQVIA NLP (Linguamatics), DTA&AI (Data Transformation, Automation & AI)  

Location (Hybrid Remote/Office based role): UK

Overview of the role

IQVIA NLP consistently maintains competitive edge by incorporating advanced emerging methods in our platform. The state of the art in NLP is constantly evolving and recently has seen major advances around Transformer models and Large Language models, and recently ChatGPT.

We are seeking a Lead NLP Specialist to guide our team of advanced researchers and engineers working to evaluate emerging techniques, develop novel approaches and prototype them ahead of incorporation in our platform. You will act as our lead subject matter expert for advanced NLP methods with direct involvement in the definition and delivery of ground-breaking customer projects and opportunities.

You will have a strong personal background in advanced NLP and analytics, particularly around alternative ML approaches and a desire to unlock genuine innovations while staying current with the rapidly evolving NLP field. You will have the confidence and depth of knowledge in the field to experiment with new techniques and tools and push the envelope of what can delivered.

You will also need to direct, inspire and mentor the research team, supporting their projects and guiding their delivery. You will have a highly analytical and conceptual mindset combined with strong leadership and project management skills and an ability to influence change. You will be expected to take an active role in strategic decision-making, balancing both short and medium-term priorities. You will also be expected to support high value sales by positioning our advanced methods.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the complete portfolio of research initiatives, taking accountability for creating a culture of excellence and balancing project risk with the need to be bold and innovative.
• Work with the research team to develop prototypes and POCs around emerging methods.
• Stay current with the leading edge of emerging methods in NLP by desk research and participation in relevant conferences and forums.
• Publish both informally and formally around your NLP research, highlighting IQVIA’s leadership in advanced techniques
• Serve as an IQVIA wide SME for advanced NLP, bringing your experience and influence to bear on internal initiatives and customer-facing projects
• Participate in the specification and delivery of customer projects incorporating advanced methods
• Collaborate with other advanced AI teams within IQVIA, our customers and partners

Qualifications

• BA/BSc in science, mathematics, economics, computer science or a related discipline
• PhD, MSc, or equivalent postgraduate qualification or MBA, or equivalent experience

Desired technical skills and knowledge

• Deep experience of leading NLP methods, approaches and challenges with particular understanding of Transformer models, large language models and refinement learning. Track record of successful research projects and publications.
• Experience of working at leadership level with responsibility for leading high exposure strategic business initiatives
• Understanding of key advanced data science platforms and languages – Python, Snowflake, Databricks, AWS/Azure, Kubernetes, ML ops
• Strong project management skills with particular skill in managing POCs around experimental techniques and delivery of complex projects
• Broad knowledge/experience of IT systems, architectures and systems integration
• Thorough understanding of the health technology and global pharmaceutical industry
• Familiarity with the software life cycle and commercial software development
• Ability to explain complex situations or offerings to non-expert clients and senior management stakeholders

Essential personal skills and behaviors

• The ability and inclination to take on a leadership role and to take the initiative in working situations to complete resolution
• An ability to establish strong and lasting business relationships
• Excellent interpersonal and verbal communication skills
• A commitment to working collaboratively and effectively with others in and across the team to accomplish goals
• A commitment to timely internal and client communication; with clients, IQVIA project managers and team members, IQVIA colleagues and others 
• Proven time management and personal organisational skills
• Lean experience desirable
• Change management experience desirable

About IQVIA NLP

IQVIA NLP is a leading provider of Natural Language Processing solutions focussed on Human Data Science. NLP is a foundational technique for AI and ML and a critical enabler for IQVIA’s Connected Intelligence solutions and the delivery of clinical trials and studies. IQVIA NLP is an acknowledged leader in this space with a global customer base spanning Major Pharma companies, Healthcare Payers & Providers and Government.

By using NLP, IQVIA and its customers leverage the value of unstructured patient data, social media and scientific literature, impacting pharmaceutical/MedTech development and care delivery from Bench to Bedside. In 2022, IQVIA launched its next generation Cloud and Data Science centric NLP platform which is expected to rapidly accelerate the technologies’ uptake. The platform includes our leading-edge multi-method NLP core, our market leading curation component and an enterprise class automation server for deployment in cloud or in enterprise.

The IQVIA NLP team is around 120 FTE worldwide. We collaborate closely with the wider DTA&AI team in the areas of graph technology, deidentification and predictive analytics and broadly across IQVIA.

Why Join?

We know that meaningful results require not only the right approach but also the right people. Regardless of your role, we invite you to reimagine healthcare with us. You will have the opportunity to play an important part in helping our clients drive healthcare forward and ultimately improve human health outcomes.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however only those selected for interview will be contacted.

IQVIA is a strong advocate of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We believe that a work environment that embraces diversity will give us a competitive advantage in the global marketplace and enhance our success. We believe that an inclusive and respectful workplace culture fosters a sense of belonging among our employees, builds a stronger team, and allows individual employees the opportunity to maximize their personal potential.

IQVIA is a leading global provider of advanced analytics, technology solutions and clinical research services to the life sciences industry. We believe in pushing the boundaries of human science and data science to make the biggest impact possible – to help our customers create a healthier world. Learn more at https://jobs.iqvia.com