Statisticians

About Statisticians

Statisticians design clinical trials to test the safety and effectiveness of new medicines. They then collect and analyse the data generated by these trials to obtain government approval for the medicine to be sold to the general public.

"Obviously you've got to enjoy working with figures but there's far more to the job than that. The information you collect can show whether a medicine is safe for use - a hugely important role."

What does the job involve?

Statisticians are involved at every stage in the development of a medicine from helping scientists identify new chemical compounds to designing meaningful trials that show how the medicine works in the human body. You'll often work in teams with people from different job areas and may have the chance to work in an international project team.

What kind of qualifications do I need?

Statisticians generally have a background in mathematics and IT. A typical route is to study IT, mathematics and/or statistics at A-level and then to take a degree and a postgraduate qualification. There are also opportunities for people with vocational qualifications (HND) to become statistical programmers. You'll need strong technical knowledge, the creativity to develop new processes and good communication skills. You'll sometimes have to explain your findings at meetings to people who don't know the first thing about statistics!

What kind of career opportunities will I enjoy?

There is a high demand for statisticians and statistical programmers. This means salaries and benefits are very competitive. You might start your career working on an individual trial and later lead a large clinical programme involving trials all over the world. Whatever your entry skills and qualifications, we'll help you develop them with a range of technical and professional development courses, both internal and external.

Where can I work

We employ statisticians at Charnwood and Alderley Park.

Where can I find out more?

Check out our website www.astrazeneca.co.uk

Other websites you might find useful are www.psiweb.org and www.rss.org.uk