Marine Bioinformatician - Marine Genomics & Population Genetics

CASE Consultants International; Asheville (NC); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare (medical, dental, vision)

Paid leave

Retirement plan

Remote and flexible work options

Professional development

Job summary

CASE Consultants International is seeking an experienced Marine Bioinformatician to support NOAA SEFSC Marine Mammal & Turtle Division. You will analyze large genomic datasets to understand population structure and evolutionary history of marine species, translating results into actionable insights for fisheries management and conservation.

The role involves developing reproducible bioinformatics workflows, collaborating with NOAA scientists, and contributing to field sampling and training

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or higher in Marine Biology, Marine Science, Bioinformatics, Ecology or related field.
• Experience analyzing NGS datasets (RNA-seq, WGS, exome, methylation).
• Strong programming in R and Python and reproducible workflows.
• Experience with data visualization and statistical analysis.
• Ability to work independently and in multidisciplinary teams.
• Excellent scientific writing and presentation skills.
• Occasional marine field research and vessel operations preferred.
• Leadership in small technical teams and marine genomics experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Analyze large genomic datasets using modern bioinformatics pipelines.
• Conduct population genomics, landscape genetics, and eDNA analyses.
• Develop and automate bioinformatics workflows for NGS applications.
• Support RADseq, WGS, RNA-seq, metabarcoding, CKMR studies.
• Collaborate with NOAA scientists to set priorities and deliver analyses.
• Develop data management plans complying with PARR.
• Assist with laboratory management, equipment inventory, and training.
• Participate in field sampling and marine research activities.
• Present findings to technical and non‑technical audiences and publish.
• Collaborate with NOAA Omics Network and other agencies.

Skills

R programming

Python programming

Reproducible workflows

Data visualization

Scientific writing

Independence + collaboration

Education

Master’s degree or higher in Marine Biology or related field

Tools

Bioconductor

Git/GitHub

Linux command line

High-performance computing (HPC)

Cloud-based computing

Job description

Position Overview

CASE Consultants International is seeking an experienced Marine Bioinformatician to support NOAA Fisheries’ Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) Marine Mammal & Turtle Division (MMTD). This role combines advanced computational biology with applied marine science to support the conservation and management of marine and anadromous species. The position offers an exceptional opportunity to apply cutting‑edge genomic and bioinformatics techniques to some of the nation’s highest‑priority marine conservation challenges. Working alongside NOAA scientists, you will analyze complex genomic datasets to better understand the population structure, distribution, abundance, and evolutionary history of marine mammals, sea turtles, fish, and other marine species. Your work will directly support fisheries management, endangered species recovery, and marine conservation by translating genomic data into actionable scientific information used by resource managers across NOAA.

Key Responsibilities

• Analyze large‑scale genomic datasets using modern bioinformatics pipelines and statistical methods.
• Conduct population genomic, landscape genetic, and environmental DNA (eDNA) analyses to support marine conservation research.
• Develop, refine, and automate bioinformatics workflows for next‑generation sequencing (NGS) applications.
• Support research involving RADseq, whole‑genome sequencing, RNA‑seq, metabarcoding, methylation studies, and close‑kin mark‑recapture (CKMR).
• Collaborate with NOAA scientists to identify research priorities and deliver high‑quality analytical products.
• Develop data management plans that comply with NOAA’s Public Access to Research Results (PARR) requirements.
• Assist with laboratory management, equipment inventory, purchasing, and training of new personnel.
• Participate in occasional field sampling and marine research activities.
• Present scientific findings to technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Publish research in peer‑reviewed scientific journals.
• Collaborate with the NOAA Fisheries Omics Network and scientists from Federal agencies, universities, and international research organizations.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree or higher in Marine Biology, Marine Science, Bioinformatics, Genetics, Ecology, Fisheries Science, Statistics, Computational Biology, or a closely related discipline.
• Experience analyzing next‑generation sequencing (NGS) datasets, including RNA‑seq, whole‑genome sequencing, targeted sequencing, exome sequencing, or methylation analyses.
• Strong programming experience in R and Python.
• Experience developing reproducible bioinformatics workflows and data analysis pipelines.
• Experience with genomic data visualization and statistical analysis.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating within multidisciplinary scientific teams.
• Excellent scientific writing and presentation skills.
• Ability to occasionally participate in marine field research and vessel operations.
• Preferred experience includes marine mammal research, fisheries genomics, eDNA analyses, population genetics, and leadership of small technical teams.

Desired Skills

• Landscape genetics
• Environmental DNA (eDNA)
• RADseq analysis
• Whole‑genome sequencing
• RNA‑seq analysis
• Variant calling
• Metabarcoding
• Close‑Kin Mark‑Recapture (CKMR)
• Bioconductor
• High‑performance computing (HPC)
• Git/GitHub
• Workflow automation
• Data visualization (ggplot2, heatmaps, dimensional reduction)
• Linux command line
• Cloud‑based scientific computing

Benefits

• Company‑sponsored healthcare (medical, dental, and vision)
• Paid leave
• Retirement plan
• Training and professional development
• Remote and flexible work options
• Performance‑based raises and bonuses
• Other employee benefits

CASE is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer focused on attracting, retaining, and cultivating talented professionals with diverse backgrounds and perspectives. We equitably consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information, as required by law.