Bioinformatics Scientist I
Watchmaker Genomics
Date: 1 week ago
City: Cape Town, Western Cape
Contract type: Full time
Watchmaker Genomics is inviting applications for the full-time position of Bioinformatics Scientist. This position reports to the Senior Bioinformatics Scientist II, Team Lead and will be an onsite position at our Salt River, Cape Town location, with the flexibility to work from home 1-2 days/week.
The candidate will be responsible for both robust internal analytical pipeline development, on-going ad hoc R&D data analysis, and advancing our ability to engineer enzymes. Furthermore, this individual will contribute to the design, development, and implementation of novel algorithms for analyzing large data sets to extract information on the functionality of novel enzymes for RNA/DNA manipulation, and modules or kits for analysis of nucleic acids in a variety of experimental contexts. We strive to automate our analytical pipelines which requires rigorous, scalable software development and testing. Additionally, the R&D data analysis will require a good analysis aptitude, and firm understanding of the basic molecular biology and sequencing library preparation. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in the analysis of RNA or DNA NGS sequencing libraries. Familiarity with core bioinformatic tools for NGS data analysis is also essential.
The successful candidate will thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced working environment and contribute directly to our company culture and success. The position provides an opportunity to gain valuable experience in both product development and to complement a strong technical background.
Responsibilities
The candidate should have a Ph.D. in bioinformatics, computational biology, mathematics, statistics, or physics with 2+ years of industry experience (or an M.Sc with 5+ years industry) in bioinformatics, computational biology, mathematics, statistics, or physics. The candidate must have a proven track record of development of their own, or contributing to a team's software for working with bioinformatics related data. Software engineering skills and a demonstrated track record of contributing to projects being worked on by multiple parties are both preferred. The ideal candidate would have some experience with structural bioinformatics, but this is not a requirement.
The following skills and experience are requirements for the position:
To apply for the position, please submit the following in a PDF format on watchmakergenomics.com:
If selected to participate in the interview process, the names and contact information of three professional references who are able to assess your suitability for the position in terms of the specified requirements will be requested. We will also request a current payslip.
NO RECRUITMENT AGENCIES PLEASE
We are only accepting direct applications for this position. We are not working with external recruiters or agencies at this time. Unsolicited resumes or candidate submissions from third-party recruiters will not be considered and will be deemed the property of Watchmaker Genomics
WE ARE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER
Watchmaker Genomics is committed to being an equal opportunity employer and creating a culturally diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability status, age, or veteran status or any other characteristics as protected by applicable law.
All applicants will be asked if currently eligible to work in South Africa; and if now or in the future will require visa sponsorship to continue working in South Africa.
This position may be subject to pre-employment checks, including driving history check, drug screening and a background check for any convictions directly related to its duties and responsibilities. All pre-employment checks will comply with all applicable laws.
The candidate will be responsible for both robust internal analytical pipeline development, on-going ad hoc R&D data analysis, and advancing our ability to engineer enzymes. Furthermore, this individual will contribute to the design, development, and implementation of novel algorithms for analyzing large data sets to extract information on the functionality of novel enzymes for RNA/DNA manipulation, and modules or kits for analysis of nucleic acids in a variety of experimental contexts. We strive to automate our analytical pipelines which requires rigorous, scalable software development and testing. Additionally, the R&D data analysis will require a good analysis aptitude, and firm understanding of the basic molecular biology and sequencing library preparation. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in the analysis of RNA or DNA NGS sequencing libraries. Familiarity with core bioinformatic tools for NGS data analysis is also essential.
The successful candidate will thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced working environment and contribute directly to our company culture and success. The position provides an opportunity to gain valuable experience in both product development and to complement a strong technical background.
Responsibilities
- Contribute to a highly innovative and efficient R&D computational biology program
- Contribute to novel algorithms for the prediction of novel enzymes
- Perform bioinformatics data analysis tasks
- Build, maintain and grow a well-engineered and documented code base
- Contribute to strategies for efficient data management for the purpose of maximizing learning from new and historical datasets
- Mentor and train junior bioinformatics scientists
- Participate in customer collaborations and product support
- Identify opportunities for internal process improvement
The candidate should have a Ph.D. in bioinformatics, computational biology, mathematics, statistics, or physics with 2+ years of industry experience (or an M.Sc with 5+ years industry) in bioinformatics, computational biology, mathematics, statistics, or physics. The candidate must have a proven track record of development of their own, or contributing to a team's software for working with bioinformatics related data. Software engineering skills and a demonstrated track record of contributing to projects being worked on by multiple parties are both preferred. The ideal candidate would have some experience with structural bioinformatics, but this is not a requirement.
The following skills and experience are requirements for the position:
- Proficiency in Python
- Highly proficient with bioinformatics data analysis, tools (e.g. bwa, picard, fgbio, STAR, samtools, bedtools, deseq2), workflow systems (Nextflow, snakemake), algorithms, and methodologies
- A firm understanding of molecular biology techniques such as PCR and sequencing library preparation
- Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to work as an effective member of a goal-oriented team
- Adept and creative problem-solving skills
- Demonstrated ability to plan, build, troubleshoot, complete scalable software solutions to advanced data analysis problems
- Rigorous data analysis skills, including solid statistics and advanced bioinformatics
- Excellent organizational skills and outstanding attention to detail
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Proficiency with version control
- Ability to be in office for collaboration with the team
- Familiarity with the analysis of epigenomic, single cell RNA-seq or long-read sequencing data
- Familiar with AWS tools and infrastructure (e.g. EC2, S3, IAM, ECS, Lambda, and Batch)
- Comfort with basic statistical analysis of large data sets
- Working knowledge of structural biology (structural modelling, molecular dynamics, protein docking simulations)
- Ph.D. (plus a minimum of 2 years of relevant industry experience) or an M.Sc (plus a minimum of 5 years of relevant industry experience) in bioinformatics, computational biology, mathematics, statistics or physics.
To apply for the position, please submit the following in a PDF format on watchmakergenomics.com:
- Letter of motivation (upload where it says cover letter)
- Resume or Curriculum vitae, highlighting relevant qualifications and experience
If selected to participate in the interview process, the names and contact information of three professional references who are able to assess your suitability for the position in terms of the specified requirements will be requested. We will also request a current payslip.
NO RECRUITMENT AGENCIES PLEASE
We are only accepting direct applications for this position. We are not working with external recruiters or agencies at this time. Unsolicited resumes or candidate submissions from third-party recruiters will not be considered and will be deemed the property of Watchmaker Genomics
WE ARE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER
Watchmaker Genomics is committed to being an equal opportunity employer and creating a culturally diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability status, age, or veteran status or any other characteristics as protected by applicable law.
All applicants will be asked if currently eligible to work in South Africa; and if now or in the future will require visa sponsorship to continue working in South Africa.
This position may be subject to pre-employment checks, including driving history check, drug screening and a background check for any convictions directly related to its duties and responsibilities. All pre-employment checks will comply with all applicable laws.
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