LIFESCIENCES LONDON
As a world-leading centre for life sciences, London’s life sciences sector is booming with new jobs created by international investment tripling in 2014 – 2015 compared to the previous year.
Leading International companies are drawn to the capital to take advantage of the word class research in Leading Universities and research institutions, the highly skilled world leading talent, the strong financial sector and London’s diverse population, providing unique clinical research.
With more than 50,000 students studying medicine, a rich ecosystem, world class science in our Universities and research institutes, generating more research papers than in any other city in the world after Boston.
Driving innovation and commercialisation and being the number one preferred relocation destination for professionals and the most popular city for those considering working abroad, London is an attractive city for jobseekers wishing to work in life sciences sector.
Around the world, organizations are creating more data every day, yet most are struggling to benefit from it.
But what is a data scientist?
Data science teams come together to solve data problems an organization might face. Each individual will have a different part of the skill set required to complete a data science project from end to end. The roles within data science are really a set of complementary roles but each have a specific vocabulary. There are data scientists–but there are also data engineers, and data analysts.
The data scientist’s skills – advanced analytics, data integration, software development, creativity, good communications skills and business acumen – often already exist in an organisation. Just not in a single person.
Such people are also likely to be spread over different roles, such as statisticians, bio-chemists, programmers, computer scientists and business analysts. And they’re easier to find and hire than data scientists.
Data Scientist jobs
There are data scientists who fine-tune the statistical and mathematical models that are applied onto data. When somebody is applying their theoretical knowledge of statistics and algorithms to find the best way to solve a data science problem, they are filling the role of data scientist. When somebody builds a model to predict the number of credit card defaults in the next month, they are wearing the data scientist hat.
A data scientist will be able to take a business problem and translate it to a data question, create predictive models to answer the question and present the findings.
Statisticians that focus on implementing statistical approaches to data, and data managers who focus on running data science teams tend to fall in the data scientist role.
Data scientists are the bridge between the programming and implementation of data science, the theory of data science, and the business implications of data.
Skills You’ll Need: Knowledge of algorithms, statistics, mathematics, and broad knowledge of programming languages such as R and Python. Broad knowledge of how to structure a data problem, from framing the right questions to ask, to communicating the results effectively.
Typical background: Mathematics, economics, computer science, physics
Data Engineers
There are data engineers, who rely mostly on their software engineering experience to handle large amounts of data at scale. These are versatile generalists who use computer science to help process large datasets. They typically focus on coding, cleaning up data sets, and implementing requests that come from data scientists. They typically know a broad variety of programming languages, from Python to Java. When somebody takes the predictive model from the data scientist and implements it in code, they are typically playing the role of a data engineer.
Data architects that focus on structuring the technology that manages data models and database administrators who focus on managing data storage solutions tend to be part of the category of data engineers.
Skills You’ll Need: A deep knowledge of data storage and warehousing solutions (SQL and NoSQL – based), and programming frameworks such as Hadoop and Spark that can help you source data and process it.
Typical background: Computer science, engineering.
Data Analysts
Lastly, there are data analysts who look through the data and provide reports and visualizations to explain what insights the data is hiding. When somebody helps people from across the company understand specific queries with charts, they are filling the data analyst role.
Business analysts are a subset of data analysts that are more concerned with the business implications of the data and the actions that should result. Should the company invest more in project X or project Y? Business analysts will leverage the work of data science teams to communicate an answer.
Skills You’ll Need: Data analysts will need a solid grasp of data manipulation (using programs like Excel) and data communication. 
Typical Majors: Business, economics, statistics
Skillsets
Broadly speaking, there are three distinct skillsets that must be reconciled in data science.
Algorithms: You understand the theory of data science, the statistics, modelling rules and mathematics that are at the heart of any data problem. You understand how experiments are designed and measured. You understand the algorithms and theory behind data science.
Engineering: You understand the engineering required to source, process and store data. You should be aware of programming languages and distributed computing schemes that will help you deal with massive amounts of data at scale. You should understand the programming that applies your theories to massive datasets. (Engineering)
Communication: You understand how to communicate your solutions, and how to relate those solutions to business problems.
VIEW OUR DATA SCIENTIST JOBS IN LONDON HERE.
Launched in 2014 to promote and grow the world leading life sciences cluster of England’s south east, MedCity is a collaboration between the Mayor of London and the capital’s three Academic Health Science Centres - Imperial College Academic Health Science Centre, King’s Health Partners, and UCL Partners
Internationally promoting life sciences investment, entrepreneurship and industry in the region, it’s supported by the Higher Education Funding Council and the Mayor of London, and works with the region’s academic, research and NHS institutions, as well as local enterprise partnerships and the Mayor’s official promotional organisation London & Partners.
Over the next 20 years, MedCity will position the greater south east of England as a world-leading, interconnected region for life sciences research, development, manufacturing and commercialisation.
London is one of the world’s most famous city’s, with its population of 14 million in the Metropolitan Region (the second most populated of Europe after Moscow) turning London into a dynamic city full of opportunities.
London’s lifestyle is intense and pleasant. It is one of the most cosmopolitan cities of the world, with people from many different ethnicities, religions and countries. Apart from its millions of residents, London receives more than 15 million tourists every year.
The architecture of the city has a typical English style, with buildings of moderated height with classic basements. With the London Underground, the transport means are quick and very accessible.
Whilst London is one of the most expensive cities in the world, life standards are high and the jobs pay good salaries. Its dynamic pace attracts millions of people from any age that delight in the numerous activities offered in this dynamic capital city. Whether it’s the shopping, restaurants, pubs, sports, concerts, or its world famous West End Theatre’s, London makes for one of the most diverse cities to live in the world.
