Biostatistician

What does a Biostatistician do?

Are you interested in producing statistics and conclusions about medicine and how they affect patients? Then a Biostatistician role may be for you! A Biostatistician, within Biometrics & Data Management uses information about public health and well-being to conduct clinical research into the effects and risk factors of treatments. As a Biostatistician you collect, analyse and summarise data. The findings are then distributed to the scientific community, or used by various businesses.

Types of organisation that may have vacancies for Biostatisticians include:

• pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies;
• clinical research organisations (CRO);
• universities;
• government agencies;
• healthcare corporations.

As well as these options, you could consider flexible (freelance) working on a contract basis with several organisations at a time.

Two jobs related to a Biostatistician are Clinical Data Manager and Medical Writer. It may also be possible to find an entry-level position as a Research Assistant, Clinical Research Associate or Statistician to gain experience in the clinical scientific environment before moving into a Biostatistician role.

What roles and responsibilities can you expect as a Biostatistician?

A Biostatistician job will be defined by roles and responsibilities related to the specific organisation. For example, in pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies you may be responsible for all statistical activities for the development of a specific product or therapeutic area. In a clinical research organisation (CRO) the role might be in project management and involvement in planning.

Generally, these are common roles and responsibilities:

• consider questions relating to health and collect general information from databases or past studies;
• identify gaps in data and design, implement and run clinical research;
• analyse the collected information to determine the effectiveness and risk factors of treatments;
• work closely with subject experts such as cancer biologists or infectious disease specialists, as well as those conducting the clinical research;
• develop new methods or recommendations.

What education and skills do you need as a Biostatistician?

To become a Biostatistician you will usually need to hold a higher degree such as a master’s or PhD. Many people working in this area start with an undergraduate degree in a relevant subject such as mathematics, statistics or biology, before specialising in their higher studies. Hands-on experience in clinical studies managing the statistical aspects – especially with SAS Programming and CDISC, for example – is a bonus. If you can demonstrate familiarity with analysis methods and specialised software, this is also useful.

The skills you will need to become a Biostatistician include:

• strong analytical skills;
• technical, numerical and IT skills such as SPSS, R or others;
• the ability to problem-solve and think logically;
• organisational and leadership skills.

What salary can you expect as a Biostatistician?

The base or entry-level salary for a Biostatistician in the Netherlands is between €33.700,- and €47.300,- per year. Average salaries for more experienced Biostatisticians can vary considerably depending on the location of the role and type of company.

Do you want to know more about positions as a Biostatistician?

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