Bioinformatics Specialist (Plant & Algal Genomics)

About Us:

We are a dynamic and innovative German biotech startup, located in the vibrant start-up ecosystem of Saarbrücken (Saarland), focusing on expert consulting and innovative product development in the field of long-read sequencing and bioinformatics. Our mission is to make advanced genomics more broadly accessible, empowering researchers worldwide with user-friendly cutting-edge bioinformatics services and products.

At Holzer Scientific we believe in the power of third-generation sequencing technology and together with our collaborators and clients push the boundaries of life sciences. We actively translate research into practice and drive scientific innovation, with a particular focus on real-time genomics and metagenomics, advancing solutions that support human health and environmental sustainability. As we grow, we are looking for talented, highly motivated experts to join our team and shape the future of applied long-read sequencing.

Role Overview:

As Bioinformatics Specialist (Plant & Algal Genomics), you are the development lead and go to expert for Plant & Algal Genomics at Holzer Scientific Consulting. In your role, you are delivering custom data analysis, are designing and implement computational frameworks for the analysis of long-read sequencing data (Nanopore, PacBio) and have responsibility for projects in your field.

Your role will be part of an Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA)-funded project. As R&D Creator in ARIA’s Synthetic Plants programme based in Holzer Scientific Consulting, you will join a multinational consortium, addressing complex biological challenges during the development of programmable plastid genomes. As such you will predominantly focus on chloroplast genomics, streamlining the routine analysis of genetic variations. Operating at the intersection of plant and algal research, you will play a key role in delivering customised data analysis to our collaborators ensuring they have access to best-in-class bioinformatic tools and the required genomic insights to achieve their scientific aims around the production of valuable compounds for healthcare and manufacturing.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Analyse and manage high throughput sequencing data, including those from short- and predominantly long-read DNA sequencing
• Consult with collaborators about their biological inquires and deliver high-quality insights to clients from academia and industry
• Comprehend complex molecular biology and genetics concepts and translate them into bioinformatics solutions
• Develop and optimisepipelinesfor routinelong-read sequencing analysis
• Collaborate withwet-lab scientists, peer software engineers, and collaboratorsto develop and delivercustomisedcutting-edge solutions for academia andcommercial software products
• Createuser-friendly interfaces and software solutions, making complex sequencing dataaccessibleand understandable to wet-lab scientists
• Work on data processing, databases and custom scripts and combine them into complete software applications and packages
• Supervise and train other team members and take project responsibility
• Contribute toscientific publications, conference presentations and fairs

Your profile:

• PhD in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology or related fields
• Experienced inlong-read sequencing technologiesand a strong knowledge inplant and/or algal genomics
• Proven scientific track record with demonstrated experience in building and delivering NGS/TGS data analysis pipelines or cross platform software applications
• Well-versed in software development and deployment using GitHub, Nextflow, Conda, and Docker, ensuring reproducibility and scalability
• Strong programming skills and proficiency inPython, R, and Bash, with experience inhigh-performance computing (e.g Slurm, Kubernetes)
• Profound indata visualization techniques(e.g. Plotly, Matplotlib, ggplot2)
• Experience in comparative genomics and variant calling
• Outstanding problem-solving and teamwork skills while also possessing the ability to work independently and take responsibility
• Excellent oral and written communication in English with preference for candidates that also speak German
• Inner thrive to keep learning and developing in a fast-pacedstartup environment

Beneficial Additional Qualifications:

• Additional research experience in other areas such as human- or metagenomics
• Experience in teaching and training in bioinformatics/biotechnology
• Practical experience in an industrial or clinical setting
• Keen attention to detail and a strong passion for innovation
• General interest in nutrition, sustainability and environmental health
• Additional experience in one or several of the below named tools/areas is a plus:
• Other coding languages (JavaScript, Java, …)
• Cloud Computing services (Azure, AWS, …)
• Database Management(SQL, MongoDB, …)
• General Back-end, Front-end or Full-stack Development

Benefits:

• Full-time position offering career growth opportunities and the possibility of subsequent transition into a permanent role, subject to availability. The position is initially limited to the duration of the funding period.
• Flexible working hours including home office up to 2 days per week
• Outstanding collaborative co-working environment in one of Germany’s most thriving start-up ecosystems
• Work on high impactgenomics projectsthat contribute toscience, health, and sustainability
• Enjoy a high level of self-management and plenty of professional and personal development options
• Collaborate with international collaborators - incl. leading world-class researchers, renovated institutes, and biotech innovators - on meaningful projects
• Enjoy a collegial work atmosphere with the freedom to integrate your own ideas
• Become part of a vibrant biotech startup at the forefront of long-read sequencing and bioinformatics

How to Apply:

Submit the following documents to< email deleted for security reasons >. Applications via email only!

• A letter of interest describing relevant job experiences as they relate to listed job qualifications and interest in the position
• Curriculum vitae / Resume
• 2 professional references including name, address, email address and phone number
• Any additional information that might be favourable for your application (e.g. links to previous projects, publications, etc. )