Life Sciences Application Specialist

The University of Sydney; Sydney; On-site; AUD 131,000 - 148,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Sydney is seeking a Life Sciences Application Specialist to enable world-class life sciences research by developing scalable, reproducible bioinformatics applications and workflows across HPC, GPU and cloud platforms.

You will collaborate with researchers, SIH and ICT teams to deliver innovative bioinformatics solutions, support computational biology objectives, and help evolve the Sydney Research Cloud ecosystem while building capacity across the university's research

Qualifications

• Postgraduate qualification in bioinformatics, computational biology or related discipline, or equivalent training/experience.
• Experience developing and deploying bioinformatics pipelines and workflows (e.g., Nextflow, Snakemake).
• Strong knowledge of bioinformatics and molecular biology with omics datasets.
• Experience supporting bioinformatics infrastructure and open-source tools in large data environments.
• Strong Linux/HPC, cloud computing skills and scripting (Python, shell).

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver scalable bioinformatics applications and workflows across HPC, GPU and cloud environments.
• Collaborate with researchers to translate objectives into reproducible computational solutions and pipelines.
• Provide specialist advice on bioinformatics tools and data management.
• Maintain shared software environments, datasets, and workflow resources.
• Design and deliver training, documentation and user support to raise researcher capability.

Skills

Nextflow

Snakemake

Python

Shell scripting

Education

Postgraduate qualification in bioinformatics

Tools

Containers

Job description

• Full time, term until 31st December 2030
• Join the Sydney Informatics Hub (SIH) and help deliver cutting-edge bioinformatics solutions that enable world-class life sciences research across the University
• Base Salary $131,108 - $147,858 + 17% superannuation

About the opportunity

As the Life Sciences Application Specialist, you will play a leading role in enabling world-class life sciences research at the University of Sydney. Working within the Sydney Informatics Hub (SIH) Platforms Team, you will combine expertise in bioinformatics, molecular life sciences and research computing to develop scalable, reproducible applications and workflows that help researchers tackle complex scientific challenges.

You will collaborate with researchers, SIH colleagues, ICT teams and national research infrastructure partners to deliver innovative bioinformatics solutions across high-performance computing, GPU and cloud environments. Through the development of shared tools and services, specialist technical advice, researcher training and community engagement, you will help shape the future of the Sydney Research Cloud ecosystem while building computational capability across the University's research community

Your key responsibilities will be to:

• develop and deliver scalable bioinformatics applications, workflows and services across HPC, GPU and cloud environments that support life sciences research
• partner with researchers to translate scientific objectives into practical, reproducible computational solutions and analysis pipelines
• provide specialist advice on bioinformatics tools, computational biology approaches, data management and research computing resources
• maintain and enhance shared software environments, reference datasets, workflow resources and bioinformatics infrastructure
• design and deliver training, documentation and user support that strengthens researcher capability and promotes best practice
• contribute to the ongoing evolution of the Sydney Research Cloud through service development, technology evaluation and collaboration with internal and external partners

About you

• postgraduate qualifications in bioinformatics, computational biology, life sciences, computer science or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of training and experience
• demonstrated experience developing and deploying bioinformatics pipelines and workflows using technologies such as Nextflow, Snakemake and software containers
• strong knowledge of bioinformatics and molecular biology, including experience working with genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics or other large-scale omics datasets
• experience supporting and maintaining bioinformatics infrastructure, open-source software tools and large-scale research data environments
• strong technical expertise in Linux-based environments, high-performance computing, cloud computing and scripting using Python and shell languages
• proven ability to deliver technical projects, engage effectively with researchers and stakeholders, and communicate complex concepts through training and support activities

Sponsorship / work rights for Australia

You must have unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this employment to be eligible to apply. Visa sponsorship is not available for this appointment.

Pre-employment checks and declarations

Your employment is conditional upon the successful completion of all pre-employment or background checks required for the role in terms satisfactory to the University. Also, to meet the University’s obligations under the National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Eliminate Gender-Based Violence you will be asked to declare if you have been investigated for, or found to engaged in, sexual harm or gender-based violence in the course of previous employment or in a legal process. Similarly, your ongoing employment is conditional upon the satisfactory maintenance of all relevant clearances and background check requirements. If you do not meet these conditions, the University may take any necessary step, including the termination of your employment.

EEO statement

At the University of Sydney, our shared values are trust, accountability and excellence and we strive to be a place where everyone can thrive. We are committed to creating a University community that thrives through diversity and reflects the wider community that we serve. We deliver on this through our commitment to diversity and inclusion, evidenced by our people and culture programs, as well as key strategies to increase participation and support the careers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, women, people living with a disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and those who identify as LGBTQIA+. We welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds.

We are proud to be recognised as an Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) Platinum Employer. Find out more about our work on diversity and inclusion.

The University reserves the right not to proceed with any appointment.

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