Bioinformatician II: Tuesday - Saturday

The Bioinformatician II will work on multiple projects analyzing biomedical data by applying existing tools and informatics resources. This role will be responsible for maintaining/testing/optimizing/customizing existing bioinformatic pipelines for NGS data and data tracking/delivery to customers. In addition, implementing and testing novel analysis approaches, developing professional quality reusable software/informatics resources for medium to large scale bioinformatics projects, and leverage prior experience and domain knowledge to improve existing methods to expedite and facilitate the data analysis and knowledge discovery process. Previous experience in high volume NGS exome and RNA production workflows is a plus.

This position is onsite at our Madison location, with a Tuesday to Saturday work schedule.

Essential Duties

Include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Implement, test, maintain, customize available/known informatics resources and scientific software/data sources in multiple programming languages/platforms for research support. Develop front ends for other analysis tools, visualize/compile results, facilitate generally defined routine data processing/migration/organization/management tasks, and build project specific workflows implementing automated analysis steps.

• Investigate, customize, prototype for new bioinformatics resources and scientific software for biomedical data processing. Requires skills in multiple programming languages, databases, computational methods, scientific computing, large scale data analysis, and heterogeneous biomedical data from multiple sources. Use of software engineering skills towards creating reusable, modular, tested, version-controlled, shared repository oriented, professional quality informatics/software/database resources.

• Design, prototype, evaluate innovative computational algorithms, data analysis, and statistical methods for biomedical data processing, interpretation and knowledge mining of data, computational algorithms, databases, scientific computing, large scale data analysis. Suggest/explore alternative/multiple data processing approaches.

• Follow scientific literature/manuscripts, investigate new biomedical data processing methods, trends, technologies, and paradigms relevant to biomedical informatics, provide feedback towards scientific findings and contribute towards manuscripts/grants/research proposals and research planning. Attend/contribute to/present at internal/external scientific meetings/conferences.

• Manage multiple bioinformatics collaborations/projects, mentor junior staff. Strategic planning, organization, management, utilization, optimization of existing and future bioinformatics resources, skills, and needs. Interact with PIs, researchers, and other bioinformaticians towards aligning/guiding the bioinformatics activities to maximize organization’s competitive advantage in biomedical research. Interact with other research divisions, computing infrastructure staff, outside academic/industrial partners.

• Excellent communication skills and strong desire to interact with researchers carrying out cutting-edge biomedical research.

• Uphold company mission and values through accountability, innovation, integrity, quality, and teamwork.

• Support and comply with the company’s Quality Management System policies and procedures.

• Maintain regular and reliable attendance.

• Ability to act with an inclusion mindset and model these behaviors for the organization.

• Ability to work designated schedule.

• Ability to work nights and/or weekends (, as needed).

• Ability to work on a mobile device, tablet, or in front of a computer screen and/or perform typing for approximately 95% of a typical working day.

• Ability to travel 5% of working time away from work location, may include overnight/weekend travel.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree/Master’s Degree in Bioinformatics/Computer Science/Bioengineering/Computational Biology or related field.

• 2 years of job related experience in academic/industrial applied research environment in biomedical data analysis.

• Demonstrated ability to understand and implement computational algorithms, statistical analysis methods, custom data analysis software.

• Demonstrated proficiency in software development in multiple programming languages, such as Python/Java, and derivatives.

• Demonstrated proficiency in downloading/learning/applying software and database resources for custom analysis and building workflows.

• Demonstrated proficiency with Linux/UNIX based systems and shell scripting.

• Demonstrated ability in analyzing gene expression, genotyping, sequencing, CGH, or in specific field needed by the duties, and various biomedical databases.

• Demonstrated proficiency with scientific computing and data visualization tools, such as MATLAB/R, and understanding of basic statistics.

• Demonstrated proficiency in software engineering processes, such as version control, backup, documentation, testing, validation.

• Demonstrated familiarity with large-scale data analysis and utilization of high-performance computing systems, parallel programming.

• Demonstrated proficiency with NGS workflow processes and languages (e.g., Cromwell/WDL, Snakemake).

• Demonstrated proficiency with cloud computing (e.g. DNAnexus).

• Demonstrated ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without accommodation.

• Authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Bioinformatics/Computer Science/Bioengineering/Computational Biology or related field.

• 2+ years in large scale NGS operations industry environments.

• Proficiency in Linux based systems, Python and AWS.