7 ms·

There are a lot of comments in this thread discussing biotech salaries. They're not universally true. Source: I'm the VP of data science at Recursion, a biotech

There are a lot of comments in this thread discussing biotech salaries. They're not universally true. Source: I'm the VP of data science at Recursion, a biotech company focused on drug discovery, so I manage or have visibility into hiring in the domains that most people on this site would likely be interested in. The biotech industry (which is made up of at least three rather different verticals: tools, diagnostics, and therapeutics) is changing quite a bit today. There are certainly companies that have less of a technology or data emphasis or who are still trying to figure out the value those could bring, and those companies are far less likely to pay well in SW/DS roles. There are others that either from their inception or more recently realize the value these approaches can deliver and compensate accordingly. I personally find the new wave of biotech startups that are focused on being hybrids of experimental and computational capabilities extremely exciting (which is why I'm at one) and these are the firms where software and mathematical skill sets are most likely to be valued. You'll probably still make more on Wall Street than you would in biotech. But you don't have to be _badly_ paid in order to work on a meaningful mission. OP is, IMO, correct that biology is entering a phase in which computational skills are a rate-limiting factor in our ability to make advances (note: not _the_ limit -- experiment is still absolutely critical), and it's a super exciting and impactful field to be in. Shameless plug: Recursion is hiring a TON of positions in data science and machine learning, engineering, and elsewhere. Check us out: https://www.recursion.com/careers https://www.recursion.com/careers. (Contact info is in my bio.)

anthuswilliams 5y ago
I'm a software engineer at Recursion, and Imran is telling the truth. I was on my way to posting a comment just like this when I saw this. If you're exploring the world of AI for drug discovery, IMO, it's important not to fall for the trap of companies that just do "AI on public available data". That's just the same "the fundamental problem of software is a lack of ideas" phenomenon the article was talking about. You want to meld software and data science skills with the fundamental work of whatever industry you want to be the vanguard of. Seriously, if you're in the market, check out Recursion. My contact is in my bio also, and I'll answer any questions Imran can't (or won't :p).
junon 5y ago
No remote positions :/ That's a shame. Would have loved to apply.
- anthuswilliams 5y ago
  One problem you see a lot in biotech, is that "bio" and "tech" tend to form separate poles of the company, and there is little cross-contamination between the two. I[0] think being on site is an important counterweight to that phenomenon. I think it's what has made us successful so far. We've been doing a lot of remote work during covid and I have definitely noticed the decline of water-cooler solidarity. We still do hire remote engineers and data scientists, but only in cases where they are the literal top of their field. [0] Standard disclaimers: I work at Recursion, have drunk the Kool-Aid, etc etc
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mediocreisbest 5y ago
Having worked with Yoshua, I can say your company is lucky to have him around.
RhysU 5y ago
Man, I am so sick of my industry being a punching bag. I work in "Wall Street". My firm sells things to those who want to buy them in a highly regulated marketplace with considerable governmental and self-regulatory oversight. We do this on behalf of investors who entrust us to use their capital as fiduciaries for their, and their clients, best interests. We solve challenging problems with cutting edge approaches involving non-trivial technical, statistical, and business considerations. And we are not paid _poorly_ for our efforts. Please stop pushing a strawman financial industry narrative that we've no meaningful mission to serve your industry's recruiting needs. I don't poo on biotech to source my hires. (Of course none of this constitutes financial, or personal, advice.)
- spekcular 5y ago
  What, exactly, is the "meaningful mission" of modern tech-driven finance firms? As you note, you are paid well for helping (typically wealthy) investors make a lot of money, and this is a challenging thing to do. But nothing in your post tells me why that's meaningful. I understand the point of places like Fidelity or Charles Schwab, that offer the general public effective, low-cost investment vehicles. It's hard to deny that's a meaningful, socially beneficial thing to do. But when people punch at "Wall Street," they usually have in mind places like G-Research, whose only real purpose seems to be making an already rich owner richer.
  - RhysU 5y ago
    > What, exactly, is the "meaningful mission" of modern tech-driven finance firms? Suppose that such a firm accepts money from a state (or other) pension plan. Then part of the mission of that firm is to provide a stable retirement for every participant of that particular pension. Know anyone on a state (or other) pension?
    - spekcular 5y ago
      Do most statistical arbitrage/high frequency trading/market making shops manage state pension money? I use these terms loosely – if you want me to be more precise I can just start naming individual firms. Again, I take no issue with the firms that responsibly manage people's pensions, help the public access equity and bond markets, and so on. But those are not the firms that the people making demeaning comments about "Wall Street" are talking about. So I don't think that comment is responsive to the question I asked. Again, that question is, what is the "meaningful mission" of those other firms?

anthuswilliams 5y ago

I'm a software engineer at Recursion, and Imran is telling the truth. I was on my way to posting a comment just like this when I saw this. If you're exploring the world of AI for drug discovery, IMO, it's important not to fall for the trap of companies that just do "AI on public available data". That's just the same "the fundamental problem of software is a lack of ideas" phenomenon the article was talking about. You want to meld software and data science skills with the fundamental work of whatever industry you want to be the vanguard of. Seriously, if you're in the market, check out Recursion. My contact is in my bio also, and I'll answer any questions Imran can't (or won't :p).

junon 5y ago

No remote positions :/ That's a shame. Would have loved to apply.

anthuswilliams 5y ago
One problem you see a lot in biotech, is that "bio" and "tech" tend to form separate poles of the company, and there is little cross-contamination between the two. I[0] think being on site is an important counterweight to that phenomenon. I think it's what has made us successful so far. We've been doing a lot of remote work during covid and I have definitely noticed the decline of water-cooler solidarity. We still do hire remote engineers and data scientists, but only in cases where they are the literal top of their field. [0] Standard disclaimers: I work at Recursion, have drunk the Kool-Aid, etc etc

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mediocreisbest 5y ago

Having worked with Yoshua, I can say your company is lucky to have him around.

RhysU 5y ago

Man, I am so sick of my industry being a punching bag. I work in "Wall Street". My firm sells things to those who want to buy them in a highly regulated marketplace with considerable governmental and self-regulatory oversight. We do this on behalf of investors who entrust us to use their capital as fiduciaries for their, and their clients, best interests. We solve challenging problems with cutting edge approaches involving non-trivial technical, statistical, and business considerations. And we are not paid _poorly_ for our efforts. Please stop pushing a strawman financial industry narrative that we've no meaningful mission to serve your industry's recruiting needs. I don't poo on biotech to source my hires. (Of course none of this constitutes financial, or personal, advice.)

spekcular 5y ago
What, exactly, is the "meaningful mission" of modern tech-driven finance firms? As you note, you are paid well for helping (typically wealthy) investors make a lot of money, and this is a challenging thing to do. But nothing in your post tells me why that's meaningful. I understand the point of places like Fidelity or Charles Schwab, that offer the general public effective, low-cost investment vehicles. It's hard to deny that's a meaningful, socially beneficial thing to do. But when people punch at "Wall Street," they usually have in mind places like G-Research, whose only real purpose seems to be making an already rich owner richer.
- RhysU 5y ago
  > What, exactly, is the "meaningful mission" of modern tech-driven finance firms? Suppose that such a firm accepts money from a state (or other) pension plan. Then part of the mission of that firm is to provide a stable retirement for every participant of that particular pension. Know anyone on a state (or other) pension?
  - spekcular 5y ago
    Do most statistical arbitrage/high frequency trading/market making shops manage state pension money? I use these terms loosely – if you want me to be more precise I can just start naming individual firms. Again, I take no issue with the firms that responsibly manage people's pensions, help the public access equity and bond markets, and so on. But those are not the firms that the people making demeaning comments about "Wall Street" are talking about. So I don't think that comment is responsive to the question I asked. Again, that question is, what is the "meaningful mission" of those other firms?