Pay
In line with similar jobs
$130K–$170K against $118K–$194K, the middle half of what similar US postings state.
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Senior Data Scientist, Assay Development
Palo Alto, CA
Live, first seen by us today- Pay
USD 130,000–170,000/year — pay source
Salary 130,000 – 170,000 USD per year We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
Read the full posting- Work setting
- Not stated
- Employment
Full-time — employment source
Employment type Full-Time
Employment type in the employer’s posting: Full-Time
From the employer’s posting
What you’ll work on
Full postingThe Senior Data Scientist will partner with assay development, lab operations, quality, regulatory, and software teams to support DELFI’s LDT and IVD early cancer detection assays as they move from late development into commercial use.
Design studies and analyze assay performance data to guide product decisions
Develop statistical methods for production monitoring and reagent, control, and instrument qualification
Assess impact of reagent, instrument, software, and process changes; run bridging studies
Support verification and transfer to production, including defining acceptance criteria
Lead data analysis for troubleshooting, investigations, and root cause analysis
From the employer’s posting
The Senior Data Scientist will partner with assay development, lab operations, quality, regulatory, and software teams to support DELFI’s LDT and IVD early cancer detection assays as they move from late development into commercial use. The role focuses on study design and data analysis that keep our products performing reliably, including performance monitoring frameworks, change impact assessments, and bridging studies for LDT updates, as well as supporting verification and transfer to production. As products evolve, this person will also contribute to assay development work. The ideal candidate brings strong statistical foundations, experience in regulated diagnostics, and the ability to work independently across the later stages of the product lifecycle.
Design studies and analyze data to evaluate assay performance and inform product decisions.
Develop statistical methods for production monitoring and for qualifying reagents, controls, and instruments across LDT and IVD products.
Assess the impact of reagent, instrument, software, and process changes, and design and analyze bridging studies for LDT updates.
Support verification and transfer to production for LDT and IVD products, including defining acceptance criteria.
Lead data analysis for troubleshooting, investigations, and root cause analysis
Education & alternatives
Required - Master’s degree in Statistics, Biostatistics, Applied Math, Bioinformatics, Engineering, or a related quantitative field; PhD preferred. - Five or more years of experience in scientific data analysis, including at least three years in Python or R (Python preferred).
About Delfidiagnostics
In our passionate pursuit to radically improve health outcomes, we serve humanity when we:
In the employer’s words · Read in context
Posting record
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- Live
- First seen by us
- Nov 7, 2026today
- Recorded sightings
- 1
- Reposted
- once since Aug 29, 2026
These dates show when we found the posting. Check the employer’s website to confirm it is still accepting applications. We count a repost when the same title and location comes back as a new listing within 60 days of the last one coming down. Some hiring systems expire listings on a schedule, so repost rates vary by system.
How this job compares
Time since we first saw it
Day 0
Early. Similar jobs usually come down between day 7 and day 57.
From 10,553 similar postings that came down. Coming down is not always a hire.
Delfidiagnostics is hiring
1 open job
Open jobs by the week we first saw them, last 12 weeks.
- 100% of open jobs were reposted
See how this role fits your experience
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- Python
- R
Where the posting names them
- Lead data analysis for troubleshooting, investigations, and root cause analysis, and contribute to assay development as products evolve. - Produce well-documented code (Python preferred, R acceptable) that meets quality system and software team standards. What You'll Bring
- Master’s degree in Statistics, Biostatistics, Applied Math, Bioinformatics, Engineering, or a related quantitative field; PhD preferred. - Five or more years of experience in scientific data analysis, including at least three years in Python or R (Python preferred). - Strong foundations in probability theory and statistics, including hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, parameter estimation, equivalence testing, and variance components.
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Has Delfidiagnostics posted this job before?
Yes. We’ve followed one other Senior Data Scientist, Assay Development job there since August 2026. It came down after 46 days.
Demand for Data Scientist roles
New Data Scientist postings at the employers we follow are down 3% over the last 5 weeks compared with the 5 before.
Each bar is one week of new postings. The darkest bars are the last 5 weeks.
Counted from the hiring pages we’ve followed for at least five weeks, so employers we add don’t look like growth. Updated weekly.
About the role
We file this job under Data Scientist, by the work the posting describes.
Data scientists use statistics and models to answer harder questions, such as whether a change worked, what demand will look like next quarter, or which customers are likely to leave.
Postings usually ask for Python or R, SQL, statistics, experiment design and common machine learning methods.
Unlike an ML engineer, a data scientist's main output is often an analysis or a first model, not software running inside a product.
US government figures for data scientists
- Median yearly pay, May 2025
- $120,230
- Expected change, 2025 to 2035
- 34.6% more jobsagainst 3.5% for all jobs
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025) and Employment Projections (2025 to 2035). Occupation code 15-2051.
Job description
About Us
DELFI Diagnostics, Inc. (DELFI Diagnostics) is developing next-generation, blood-based tests that are reliable, accessible and deliver a new way to help detect cancer. Employing advanced machine-learning methods to whole-genome sequencing data, the DELFI ("DNA EvaLuation of Fragments for early Interception") platform is built to address the highest-burden health challenges. DELFI Diagnostics prioritizes solutions that have the potential to save lives on a global scale, including for historically underserved populations. DELFI Diagnostics’ platform relies on fragmentomics – the discovery that cancer cells are more chaotic than normal cells and, when they die, leave behind tell-tale patterns and characteristics of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) fragments. FirstLook Lung, for individuals eligible for lung cancer screening, is DELFI Diagnostics’ first laboratory-developed screening test and can be part of routine blood work. FirstLook Lung uses millions of data points to reliably identify individuals who may have cancer detected through low-dose CT, including early stage disease with a negative predictive value of 99.8 percent. This test has not been cleared or approved by the FDA.
In our passionate pursuit to radically improve health outcomes, we serve humanity when we:
Lead with Science, Anchor in Pragmatism: We pioneer life-changing science by ensuring quality, transparency, and rigor at all times. We explore thoughtfully, experiment smartly, and deliver impact with conviction.
Build With & For All: We embrace diverse backgrounds to innovate and achieve together. We are not just building a product - we aim to disrupt the path of cancer for all - no matter geography or socioeconomic class
Put We over I: We are a home for high-performing people. Through teamwork, we build collective intelligence. Each of us wins when those we serve and those who serve with us--win. We show up with empathy, humility, and integrity at every step of the journey.
DELFI has 1-2 designated in-office working days each week for employees who live within within 50 miles of Palo Alto, CA
About the Role
The Senior Data Scientist will partner with assay development, lab operations, quality, regulatory, and software teams to support DELFI’s LDT and IVD early cancer detection assays as they move from late development into commercial use. The role focuses on study design and data analysis that keep our products performing reliably, including performance monitoring frameworks, change impact assessments, and bridging studies for LDT updates, as well as supporting verification and transfer to production. As products evolve, this person will also contribute to assay development work. The ideal candidate brings strong statistical foundations, experience in regulated diagnostics, and the ability to work independently across the later stages of the product lifecycle.
What You'll Do
-
Design studies and analyze data to evaluate assay performance and inform product decisions.
-
Develop statistical methods for production monitoring and for qualifying reagents, controls, and instruments across LDT and IVD products.
-
Assess the impact of reagent, instrument, software, and process changes, and design and analyze bridging studies for LDT updates.
-
Support verification and transfer to production for LDT and IVD products, including defining acceptance criteria.
-
Support regulatory submissions (CLIA/CAP, NYS, FDA as applicable) with rigorous, well-documented analyses.
-
Lead data analysis for troubleshooting, investigations, and root cause analysis, and contribute to assay development as products evolve.
-
Produce well-documented code (Python preferred, R acceptable) that meets quality system and software team standards.
What You'll Bring
-
Master’s degree in Statistics, Biostatistics, Applied Math, Bioinformatics, Engineering, or a related quantitative field; PhD preferred.
-
Five or more years of experience in scientific data analysis, including at least three years in Python or R (Python preferred).
-
Strong foundations in probability theory and statistics, including hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, parameter estimation, equivalence testing, and variance components.
-
Experience in a regulated diagnostics environment (IVD, LDT, or similar), including designing, analyzing, and documenting verification, validation, or change assessment studies.
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Demonstrated ability to independently lead study design and analysis with cross-functional teams.
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Ability to connect assay chemistry to data behavior to troubleshoot performance issues.
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Familiarity with Design of Experiments and related quality methods (statistical process control, measurement systems analysis, Six Sigma/DMAIC).
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Experience supporting launched assays, including production monitoring, lot qualification, or post-market changes.
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Experience supporting assay transfer from development into production or a clinical laboratory.
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Exposure to NGS-based assays, including sequencing QC and batch variability.
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Familiarity with FDA design controls and IVD submissions.
Required
Preferred
Actual base pay will consider experience, skillset, education, and geography.
This role may be eligible for other forms of compensation, including an annual bonus and a new hire equity grant, subject to the terms of the applicable plans and Company discretion. All employees are also eligible for DELFI's comprehensive and competitive benefits package, including but not limited to: a flexible time-off policy; a 401(k) retirement plan; an extremely competitive medical, dental, and vision coverage; onsite lunch 3 days a week; and other wellness related offerings.
Salary
130,000 – 170,000 USD per year
We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
Employment type
Full-Time
Source details
Source notes
Source excerptsSelected passages from the saved posting. Check the full description for conditions and exceptions.
- Pay
Salary 130,000 – 170,000 USD per year We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
- Location & working pattern
Palo Alto, CA
Working pattern and location restrictions need checking in the full posting.
- Work authorization
No clear work-authorization passage found. Eligibility is unconfirmed.