Data Scientist (all genders) in Digital Cardiovascular Research at the University Heart & Vascular Centre

Main tasks

At the University Heart and Vascular Centre (UHZ), we redefine cardiovascular care by seamlessly integrating large-scale clinical research into our care processes. Our Clinical Cohort Study (CCS) includes over 10,000 deeply phenotyped patients with long-term follow-up and a comprehensive biospecimen collection. Innovative patient-centred research through remote monitoring and connected wearables enriches this ecosystem. Combined with our population-based Hamburg City Health Study (HCHS) and multiple interventional clinical trials, this high-dimensional, longitudinal data resource provides an unparalleled playground for computational experts to develop and apply cutting-edge methods that drive data-driven discovery and shape the future of cardiovascular medicine.

Your position sits at the heart of our data-driven research ecosystem, where you'll play a pivotal role in shaping the future of cardiovascular science. You will lead the curation, management, and strategic enhancement of our rich, multimodal cardiovascular datasets. The position goes beyond maintaining data. Your contribution will significantly enhance our capabilities in data-driven research and therefore unlock new scientific opportunities.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Lead Data Curation & Quality Assurance: Take ownership of the quality and integrity of our large-scale, longitudinal clinical datasets by applying rigorous data validation, AI-driven anomaly detection, and quality control pipelines.
• Drive Cohort-Wide Data Harmonization: Integrate heterogeneous data sources – including structured clinical records, imaging data, digital ECGs, and wearable-derived time series – into unified, analysis-ready datasets that power scalable, reproducible research.
• Innovate Data Infrastructure & Curation Workflows: Design and implement modern, automation-ready strategies for data structuring, metadata management, quality control and enrichment – unlocking the full potential of our unique cardiovascular data ecosystem.
• Contribute to Scientific Discovery & Publications: Leverage your work to generate impactful research. You'll have the opportunity to co-author publications and drive scientific advancements in data-driven cardiovascular medicine, with a focus on interoperability, real-world evidence, and advanced analytics.
• Support Tooling & Infrastructure Development: Depending on your technical expertise, contribute to the development and optimization of in-house software tools for secure pseudonymization, biospecimen linkage, longitudinal tracking, and remote monitoring via mobile and wearable technologies.
• Collaborate Across Disciplines to Deliver Impact: Work hand-in-hand with clinical researchers, biostatisticians, data engineers, and Research IT teams to translate clinical needs into data solutions.

This position is temporary for two years.

Your Profile

• Academic Background: You hold an excellent master's degree or PhD in a quantitative field such as computational biology, bioinformatics, data science, computer science, or a closely related discipline.
• Professional Experience: You bring at least two years of post-graduate experience in either academia or industry, working hands-on with large-scale data curation, advanced analytics, or applied machine learning projects. Please enclose a reference with your application.
• Technical excellence: You have a high level of proficiency in data science and data engineering, which you can demonstrate through your GitHub presence, a comparable portfolio of projects or contributions to open-source or scientific communities.
• Tech Stack Compatibility: You are fluent in Python, both for analysis and for building robust software components such as APIs, automation scripts and back-end tools. You are comfortable working in Linux-based environments and are confident with Docker. You can also handle basic server maintenance tasks. Experience with microservice architectures and relational databases (PostgreSQL and MSSQL) is also expected. Collaborating on version control through GitLab comes naturally to you.
• Mindset working style: You are proactive, pragmatic and thrive in dynamic, agile environments. You are motivated by complex programmes that can be solved through innovative software, and you love finding these solutions. You enjoy solving real-world problems and take ownership of your work, from the prototype stage through to production.
• Communication & Collaboration: You excel at translating complex technical topics for interdisciplinary teams of clinicians, researchers, and data scientists. You’re also capable of documenting your work for both scientific publication and operational use. Fluency in both German and English is required.
• Bonus Points: Experience in biomedical research or clinical settings is a strong plus. While this is a computational role, genuine interest in clinical medicine is essential for understanding the context and impact of your work. Demonstrated experience in the field of AI and ML driven data science is equally a strong plus.

Immunity status

Please note that employment is contingent upon proof of immunization or immunity against the measles virus, in accordance with applicable legal and medical requirements. Documentation (e.g., vaccination certificate) must be provided before employment begins.

Our Offer

• Attractive compensation according to TVöD/VKA
• Secure employment with meaningful work and respectful collaboration
• Comprehensive onboarding and open knowledge exchange within the team
• Extensive training and further education programs at our UKE Academy for Education and Careers
• Opportunities to contribute to our “UKE INside” personnel policy through cross-professional and cross-hierarchical projects
• Sustainable travel: subsidies for the Deutschlandticket as a job ticket, and Dr. Bike bicycle service
• Family-friendly working environment: cooperation on childcare, free vacation childcare, advice for employees with relatives in need of care
• Excellent health, wellness, and sports programs
• A wide range of dining options in our staff restaurant, with additional choices available at the “Health Kitchen” cafés, bistros, and an on-site supermarket