Staff Bioinformatics Scientist — Genomics, SVs/AI Analysis

Illumina; San Diego, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 156,000 - 233,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Genomics sequencing access

Family planning

Health/dental/vision benefits

Retirement benefits

Paid time off

Job summary

Illumina is seeking a Staff Bioinformatics Scientist to join the methods development team, focusing on secondary analysis algorithms for DRAGEN. You will design and implement production-grade C/C++ software for structural variant detection and graph-based methods, collaborating across QC, FPGA, SW, and clinical genomics teams.

You should have a strong CS and genomics background, with experience in NGS, multi-threading, and AI-assisted prototyping, and you will contribute to a fast-paced,

Qualifications

• Typically requires a minimum of 8 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 6 years and a Master’s degree; or a PhD with 3 years of experience; or equivalent experience.
• Experience developing next generation sequencing data analysis methods.
• Extensive experience in an object-oriented programming language; C++ preferred.
• Strong background in computer science algorithms relevant to bioinformatics.
• Ability to efficiently leverage AI-assisted tools in development to rapidly iterate and prototype ideas.
• Strong communication skills and ability to describe complex analyses to audiences with diverse backgrounds.
• Ability to contribute independently and collaboratively, take ownership of assigned tasks, and excel in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience using version control systems such as Git.
• Knowledge or background in NGS-based methods for assembly, structural variant detection, and cancer-related applications would be especially well suited to this role.

Responsibilities

• Design, prototype, and implement innovative computational or statistical algorithms to extract meaningful biological signal from sequencing assays.
• Implement algorithms in production-grade C/C++ software.
• Collaborate deeply with interdisciplinary teams (QC/QA test teams, FPGA teams, SW teams, clinical genomics teams).
• Engage with external scientific teams to build product credibility and define emerging requirements.
• Clearly communicate technical methods and findings across internal teams with diverse expertise.

Skills

C++

Algorithms

Bioinformatics

Multi-threading

AI-assisted tools

Communication

Git

NGS data analysis

Education

PhD

Master's degree

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Git

CI/CD

NGS data analysis tools

Python

Job description

Illumina is seeking a Staff Bioinformatics Scientist to join the methods development team, focusing on secondary analysis algorithms for DRAGEN. You will design and implement production-grade C/C++ software for structural variant detection and graph-based methods, collaborating across QC, FPGA, SW, and clinical genomics teams.

You should have a strong CS and genomics background, with experience in NGS, multi-threading, and AI-assisted prototyping, and you will contribute to a fast-paced,