Bioinformatics Specialist

The University of British Columbia; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 98,000 - 147,000; Full time

Job summary

The BC Children's Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR) Bioinformatics Core is expanding. The Bioinformatics Specialist will lead the Core, establish centralized analysis pipelines for genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data, and manage compute and data systems.

You will assess institute needs, perform analyses, communicate results, and support researchers, collaborating with BCCHR leadership, Foundational Science, and IT to ensure scalable, end-to-end data solutions.

Job description

Job Title

Bioinformatics Specialist

Job Category

M&P - AAPS

Job Profile

AAPS Salaried - Statistical Analysis, Level C

Job Family Group

Staff - Non Union

Department

BCCHR Foundational Science | BC Children's Hospital Research Institute | Faculty of Medicine

Compensation Range

$8,810.92 - $13,202.50 CAD Monthly The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range for a job.

Job End Date

November 30, 2029

Posting End Date

November 8, 2026

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

This position is subject to the satisfactory completion of required background checks.

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary

The BC Children's Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR) is developing a centralized bioinformatics core to support the unique needs of the foundational and translational research conducted by its members. We require a bioinformatician to take on a dual service/development role of the BCCHR Bioinformatics Core (the \"Core\").

The Bioinformatics Specialist is responsible for developing and overseeing the Core, including establishing and utilizing centralized analysis pipelines, conducting bioinformatics-based needs assessments across the Institute, communicating and marketing the Core, and managing compute and data management systems. This individual will research, analyze, implement solutions to support and enhance BCCHR activities, and provide excellent service to its users.

Organizational Status

Reports to the BCCHR Director - Research Informatics and works in collaboration with the BCCHR Associate Director - Foundational Science, BCCHR IT, and the users of the Core (researchers, staff, students, or industry clients) as well as collaborators at affiliated organizations.

Work Performed

• Provides leadership, visioning, and guidance for bioinformatics data analysis at BCCHR. This includes assessing bioinformatics needs across BCCHR to inform pipeline needs, training requirements, project support requirements, and institutional strategic planning.
• Determines which analytical services will best help the BCCHR in discussion with the advisory committee, based on volume and potential impact of service needs.
• Establishes Bioinformatic Core services and service standards.
• Develops SOPs and maintain proper documentation.
• Performs internal marketing and promotion of the Core.
• Acts as a liaison between technical groups and stakeholders across the BCCHR and UBC to coordinate system needs (both onsite and offsite).
• Leads strategic planning in conjunction with BCCHR Leadership and Advisory committee to address priorities, service costs, and cost-recovery expectations.
• Acts as the lead analyst/programmer for software development, and lead architect for data management and database solutions. Provides design input and strategic technical suggestions in these areas to Institute leadership to maintain an end-to-end system that efficiently houses, analyzes, and disseminates high-quality data and results.
• Develops tests for all software developed by creating test data and inputs and testing code.
• Monitors and analyzes systems issues and provides recommendations for all systems supported infrastructure as part of regular operations.
• Writes and maintains systems documentation including user and technical manuals.
• Develops pipelines including for genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data.
• Implements data management tools including relational database management applications for efficient storage and retrieval of all results from all samples used in the research work.
• Contributes to team interactions by consultation, collaboration, teamwork, and task sharing. Works to ensure that experimental design includes data management and analysis considerations.
• Conducts and supports bioinformatics and statistical analyses and interpretation of sequencing data (e.g., DNA and RNA) in internal and collaborative research projects using appropriate software tools and custom-written programs and scripts.
• Documents and communicates analysis results in written and oral form.
• Offers guidance to researchers for project-specific protocol adaptations. Evaluates technology through vendor collaborations.
• Advises researchers on study design and analytic approaches via consultation meetings as requested.
• Maintains appropria