Bioinformatics Scientist, Assay Design and Pipelines

Thermo Fisher; Singapore; On-site; SGD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Thermo Fisher Scientific is seeking a Bioinformatics Scientist to design qPCR assays and advance computational pipelines for scalable assay development. You will translate biological questions into assay strategies, optimize primer/probe sets, and collaborate across bioinformatics, product management, and support teams.

The role requires strong genomics knowledge, proficiency in Python and R, and experience building scalable workflows.

Qualifications

• PhD or MSc/BSc in a genomics, computational biology, or related field with relevant project experience.
• Strong programming and scripting skills in Python and R.
• Experience with bioinformatics pipelines and large-scale data analysis.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and optimize qPCR assays for various applications.
• Analyze and interpret complex genomic data to support target selection and assay development.
• Prepare and present scientific reports and progress updates.
• Develop, maintain, and optimize bioinformatics pipelines for large-scale assay development.
• Maintain version-controlled code and reproducible computational workflows.
• Contribute to publication or productization of developed algorithms or tools.

Skills

Python

R

Genomics

Primer design

Pipeline development

Education

PhD in Bioinformatics

Master or Bachelor's in related field

Tools

IGV

BLAST

BWA

Ensembl

Job description

Bioinformatics Scientist

We are seeking a skilled and motivated Bioinformatics Scientist to join our team, specializing in assay and content development for qPCR, dPCR, and CE technologies. The role focuses on delivering high-quality assays on schedule and contributing to the development and maintenance of computational pipelines, databases, and infrastructure to scale assay development. This position requires strong domain knowledge of genomics, PCR-based methods, and proficiency in bioinformatics pipeline development. You will convert biological questions into assay strategies and assign robust primer/probe sets. You will streamline workflows and optimize code for efficiency and scalability. Collaboration with other bioinformatics scientists, product management, and customer support colleagues is essential.

Primary Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and optimize qPCR assays for various applications, including gene expression, genotyping, copy number analysis, and pathogen detection.
• Analyze and interpret complex genomic and sequence data to support target selection and assay development.
• Prepare and present scientific reports and presentations to communicate findings and progress.
• Develop, maintain, and optimize bioinformatics pipelines and workflow automation for large-scale assay development.
• Maintain version-controlled repositories, documentation, and reproducibility across computational workflows.
• Participate in the publication or productization of developed algorithms, pipelines, or tools

Required Qualifications

• PhD, Master or Bachelor's degree in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics, or related fields. Preferred with 2+ years of relevant experience.
• Strong genomics & molecular biology domain knowledge in at least one of the domains in plant, mammalian, microbial, and oncology systems.
• Bioinformatics stack: IGV, BLAST, BWA/other aligners; major databases (GenBank, Ensembl); experience across genomics, and quantitative data with strong analytical, problem-solving skills.
• Strong programming for scripting: advanced Python and working R, solid debugging.
• Teaming & execution: excellent communication; effective cross-functional collaboration; able to work independently and manage multiple projects concurrently.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in C/C++/Java/Perl/JavaScript/ReactJS; solid debugging.
• Experience with other assay development platforms, such as NGS, microarrays, etc.
• Familiarity with workflow orchestration frameworks (Nextflow, Snakemake, Latch) or cloud computing and high performance computing environments.

At Thermo Fisher Scientific, each one of our 70,000 extraordinary minds has a unique story to tell. Join us and contribute to our singular mission—enabling our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer.

Tagged as: Life Sciences