Bioinformatics Team Lead

Georgetown University; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 55,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Georgetown University seeks a Bioinformatics Team Lead to guide algorithms, databases, and software tools for the UniProt Consortium initiative. The role blends leadership with hands-on development across high-performance computing and web interfaces.

You will collaborate with international partners, drive reproducible bioinformatics workflows, and contribute to scientific outcomes while operating in a hybrid work environment.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in computer science or bioinformatics required.
• Ten+ years of experience in bioinformatics software engineering and in developing PIR infrastructure for UniProt.
• Strong programming experience in C, C++, Perl, Python and extensive database management.

Responsibilities

• Lead bioinformatics and software engineering efforts for the UniProt Consortium project.
• Oversee algorithms, databases, and application development including system design and implementation.
• Coordinate informatics activities such as UniRef production, ID mapping, bibliography systems, and website/FTP maintenance.
• Develop and improve bioinformatics tools, databases, analytics tools, web interfaces, workflows, and scalability.

Skills

Leadership

Collaboration

Communication

Team management

Problem solving

Education

Master’s degree in computer science or bioinformatics

Tools

C

C++

Perl

Python

Oracle

Job description

Under the limited direction of Dr. Cathy H. Wu, Professor of Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology and Director of Protein Information Resource, the Bioinformatics Team Lead will assume responsibilities for leading and developing novel algorithms and software tools supporting the NIH-funded UniProt Consortium project listed below, as well as collaborative projects being established. The candidate will be expected to work in a team environment, working closely with collaborating organizations.* UniProt: AI-Driven Scaling of Protein Knowledge for Biomedical Research* 09/02/2026 – 08/31/2031, U24HG007822-13* $23,920,712 (total costs); GU-PIR Component: $4,276,115* MPI: Dr. Cathy Wu (contact PI), GU-PIR (Georgetown University-Protein Information Resource), USA; Dr. Alex Bateman, EMBL-EBI (European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute), UK; Dr. Paul Thomas, SIB (Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics), Switzerland**Additional duties include, but are not limited to:** * Lead bioinformatics and software engineering efforts for the UniProt Consortium project.* Oversee algorithms, databases, and application development, including system design and implementation.* Coordinate key informatics activities such as UniRef production, ID mapping, bibliography systems, Peptide Search, and website/FTP maintenance.* Develop and improve bioinformatics tools and systems, including databases, analytics tools, web interfaces, workflows, scalability, and performance.* Contribute to the scientific community through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and staying current with emerging technologies. **Work Interactions** This position serves as a technical and collaborative link among Georgetown University and external partners, working closely with bioinformatics and data curation colleagues at the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB), and the PIR curator team. The position coordinates and contributes to cross-institutional activities involving protein sequence databases, annotation, data curation, and bioinformatics services, and provides technical expertise for resolving complex data and infrastructure issues. Through these collaborations, the position influences the quality, interoperability, and reliability of resources used by researchers and the broader scientific community. The position supports Georgetown University’s mission in biomedical research, data science, and the advancement of scientific knowledge. **Requirements and Qualifications** * Master’s degree in computer science* A minimum of ten years of experience in bioinformatics software engineering* A minimum of ten years of experience in developing software to support the PIR bioinformatics infrastructure for the UniProt project, including the parallelization, optimization and scaling of the UniRef clustering methods for database production in regular releases* Extensive experience in programming with C, C++, Perl, Python* Extensive experience in database management, including Oracle* Extensive experience in bioinformatics databases, web applications, and web interface development* Experience in advanced algorithm design, including artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) methods* Experience in high-performance computing and cloud computing* Experience in system administration and server maintenance* Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team research environment* Demonstrated ability to prepare scientific results for publications and/or presentations at relevant seminars and meetings* Excellent verbal and written communication skills* Strong attention to detail and responsiveness* Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to foster a collaborative work environment **Work Mode Designation** This position has been designated as **Hybrid**. Please note that work mode designations are regularly reviewed in order to meet the evolving needs of the University. Such review may necessitate a change to a position’s mode of work designation. Complete details about Georgetown University’s mode of work designations for staff positions can be found on the Department of Human Resources website: https://hr.georgetown.edu/mode-of-work-designation.**Pay Range:**The projected salary or hourly pay range for this position which represents the full range of anticipated compensation is:$54,616.00 - $100,493.33