Sr. Bioinformatics Scientist, MRD

Abbott Laboratories; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

The Senior Bioinformatics Scientist at Abbott will serve as technical lead in the MRD program, guiding complex R&D projects and coordinating analyses across data science workflows. You will develop methods, curate datasets, build models, and contribute to diagnostic assay development.

You will manage bench data in HPC or cloud environments, evaluate data quality, discuss results with stakeholders, and mentor junior scientists while driving initiatives that advance product development.

Qualifications

• PhD/MS/BS with relevant experience as specified in minimum qualifications.
• 5+ years of industry or academia experience in bioinformatics.
• 3+ years in medical device/IVD, biotech, life science or pharmaceutical industry.
• Extensive experience in Linux-based HPC or cloud computing environments and tools.
• Ability to write custom code in at least three programming or scripting languages.
• Technical expert in molecular biology/biochemistry and/or NGS and genomics.
• Knowledge of product/assay research, design, or development.
• Working knowledge of statistical and mathematical methods in biology/genetics.
• Authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Technical leadership: bioinformatics lead on complex R&D projects and planning.
• Analysis and interpretation: analyze experimental data and identify trends.
• Complex problem solving: tackle problems of extremely complex scope.
• Method and study design: develop methods and development plans for new studies.
• Data and computational management: manage data in HPC or cloud environments.
• Data quality: evaluate data impact and address trends.
• Innovation and IP: track tech developments and contribute to IP.
• Communication: present findings to stakeholders and managers.
• Documentation: prepare procedures, protocols, reports, and compliance.

Skills

Programming languages

Linux HPC / Cloud mastery

Education

PhD in relevant field

MS with 4 years experience in lieu of PhD

BS with 6 years experience in lieu of PhD

Tools

Linux HPC

Cloud computing

NGS / Genomics knowledge

Job description

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 122,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

Position Overview

The Senior Bioinformatics Scientist will serve as a technical lead and subject matter expert within the Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) program, working collaboratively with senior scientists and leaders on complex Research and Development projects. In this role, you will participate in or lead the planning of projects and analyses, and often act as the bioinformatics lead responsible for successful project execution. You will independently determine methods and procedures for new assignments, make detailed observations, analyze data, interpret results, and provide insights that shape the next steps and direction of the project. Your work will center on developing novel methods to identify and integrate genomic and epigenetic biomarkers that improve the sensitivity and specificity of MRD assays, contributing end-to-end across the data science workflow: collecting public datasets, curating internal data, forming hypotheses, building and validating models, and exploring machine learning and AI-based approaches. You will also research new technologies, contribute ideas and concepts to improve or develop processes, and help establish methods and workflows that advance product development toward diagnostic assay products.

Essential Duties

Include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Technical leadership: Serve as bioinformatics lead and subject matter expert on one or more complex R&D projects, including those supporting diagnostic assay product development, and lead or participate in project and analysis planning.
• Analysis and interpretation: Independently analyze experimental data across several product or technology areas, interpret results, identify trends, problems, and discrepancies, and recommend next steps and project direction.
• Complex problem solving: Tackle problems of extremely complex scope where intangible variables must be evaluated, applying independent judgment to define methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria.
• Method and study design: Independently develop methods, procedures, and development plans for new studies, and give technical input on project planning and experimental design.
• Data and computational management: Manage bench-generated data and bioinformatics outputs in HPC or cloud computing environments, selecting and applying the right methods and technologies.
• Data quality: Evaluate the impact of nonconforming data on products or processes and address trends in study data.
• Innovation and IP: Track industry and technology developments, propose new techniques, lead process improvements, and contribute to the intellectual property portfolio.
• Communication and presentation: Present and defend scientific findings at data, group, project, and departmental meetings, and communicate clearly with stakeholders at all levels, including functional managers and the clinical lab.
• Documentation and compliance: Prepare and approve technical procedures, protocols, and reports, support abstracts, conferences, and publications, and follow legal, ISO, QSR, and Quality Management System requirements.
• Mentorship and collaboration: Train and mentor research associates and junior scientists, foster a trusting, collaborative team environment, and manage multiple projects with shifting priorities.
• Maintain regular and reliable attendance.
• Ability to act with an inclusion mindset and model these behaviors for the organization.
• Ability to travel 5% of working time away from work location, may include overnight/weekend travel.

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. in bioinformatics, computational biology, computer science, mathematics, or related field; or Master’s degree in bioinformatics, computational biology, computer science, mathematics, or related field plus 4 years of experience in lieu of a Ph.D.; or Bachelor’s degree in bioinformatics, computational biology, computer science, mathematics, or related field plus 6 years of experience in lieu of Ph.D.
• 5+ years of industry or academia experience in bioinformatics.
• 3+ years of experience in medical device/IVD, biotech, life science or pharmaceutical industry.
• Extensive experience in Linux-based HPC or cloud computing environments and associated tools.
• Ability to write custom code in at least three programming or scripting languages.
• Technical expert in the area of molecular biology and/or biochemistry and/or next-generation sequencing (NGS) and genomics.
• Knowledge of product/assay research, design, or development.
• Working knowledge of statistical and mathematical methods in biology/genetics
• Demonstrated ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without accommodation.
• Authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Preferred Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in medical device/IVD, biotech, life science or pharmaceutical industry.
• Previous experience as a project lead for a team of scientists.
• 1+ years of direct people leadership and management experience.
• Previous industry experience in product development or technical support.
• Background containing a substantial amount of bioinformatics work including troubleshooting.
• Previous experience working in a molecular diagnostics/clinical laboratory setting.

The base pay for this position is $90,000.00 – $180,000.00. In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted.