Staff Bioinformatics Software Engineer

R2 Global; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

R2 Global seeks an experienced Staff Bioinformatics Software Engineer to lead development of scalable analytical platforms for genomic data interpretation. You will guide architecture, mentor teams, and partner with scientists to deliver advanced pipelines and applications.

The role emphasizes technical leadership, collaboration, and leveraging NGS workflows, cloud infrastructure (AWS), and reproducible environments to accelerate discovery and product development in a growing life sciences

Qualifications

• Minimum of 7 years in software engineering, computational biology, or bioinformatics.
• Proven track record leading large-scale development initiatives.
• Expertise with NGS pipelines, genomics data processing, and variant analysis.
• Strong Python or R programming and Linux proficiency.
• Experience with cloud infrastructure (AWS) and CI/CD practices.
• Familiarity with Nextflow and Snakemake workflow frameworks.
• Hands-on with Docker/Conda environments and reproducible pipelines.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, architecture, and implementation of bioinformatics software and platforms.
• Set technical direction for new products and enhancements.
• Mentor engineers and scientists; enforce best practices.
• Collaborate with researchers to support experimental design and interpretation.
• Develop scalable workflows for large sequencing datasets and analyses.
• Drive automation, testing, and maintainability across systems.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to deliver end-to-end solutions.

Skills

NGS pipelines

Python

R

Linux

AWS

Leadership

Mentoring

Unit testing

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/Bioinformatics

Master's degree or PhD preferred

Tools

BWA

Bowtie2

GATK

SAMtools

FastQC

Docker

Conda

Nextflow

Snakemake

NVIDIA Parabricks

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Staff Bioinformatics Software Engineer to play a key leadership role in the development of innovative software solutions supporting advanced genomic and molecular diagnostics technologies. This position combines bioinformatics expertise, software engineering excellence, and technical leadership to drive the creation of scalable analytical platforms used for processing and interpreting complex sequencing data.

The successful candidate will partner closely with scientists, laboratory teams, operations stakeholders, and software engineers to develop next-generation capabilities across a growing life sciences technology portfolio. This individual will help shape technical strategy, guide architecture decisions, and lead the delivery of sophisticated bioinformatics applications and data analysis pipelines.

Technical Leadership

• Lead the design, architecture, and implementation of bioinformatics software applications and analytical platforms.
• Drive technical direction for new product initiatives and enhancements to existing systems.
• Establish engineering best practices to improve quality, scalability, automation, and maintainability.
• Provide mentorship and technical guidance to software engineers and scientific team members.

Bioinformatics & Data Analysis

• Develop and optimize computational workflows for large-scale sequencing data processing and analysis.
• Design algorithms used for genomic analysis, variant detection, sequence alignment, and biological interpretation.
• Collaborate with research scientists to support experimental design and evaluate analytical outcomes.
• Apply statistical and computational methods to solve complex biological and genomic challenges.
• Contribute to long-term platform strategy and future product development efforts.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and implement innovative solutions that improve bioinformatics capabilities.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to ensure successful delivery of software and data analysis solutions.

Required Qualifications

Technical Expertise

• Extensive experience building and maintaining Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) analysis pipelines and workflows.
• Strong knowledge of genomic data processing, including:
• FASTQ
• SAM/BAM
• VCF
• Advanced programming experience using Python, R, or similar scientific computing languages.
• Deep understanding of Linux environments and command-line development.
• Experience creating and maintaining automated bioinformatics workflows and analysis platforms.
• Hands-on experience with industry-standard bioinformatics tools such as:
• BWA
• Bowtie2
• GATK
• SAMtools
• FastQC
• Strong knowledge of cloud-based infrastructure, particularly:
• Amazon EC2
• Amazon S3
• Amazon RDS
• Experience with source control systems and modern software engineering practices.
• Familiarity with unit testing methodologies and test-driven development approaches.

Workflow & Infrastructure Experience

• Experience using workflow management frameworks such as:
• Nextflow
• Snakemake
• Exposure to containerization and reproducible development environments including:
• Docker
• Conda

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree (Master's or Ph.D.) in:
• Bioinformatics
• Computer Science
• Computational Biology
• Statistics
• Mathematics
• Data Science
• Related scientific discipline
• Experience with targeted sequencing panel design and optimization.
• Knowledge of genome assembly methodologies and genomic data interpretation.
• Strong understanding of statistical modeling techniques.
• Familiarity with Hidden Markov Models and related computational methods.
• Experience with GPU-accelerated bioinformatics technologies such as NVIDIA Parabricks.

Professional Attributes

• Demonstrated ability to influence technical direction and lead large-scale development initiatives.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work effectively with multidisciplinary teams.
• Track record of mentoring engineers and fostering technical growth.
• Continuous learner with a passion for advancing computational biology and software engineering practices.
• Results-oriented mindset with a focus on quality, efficiency, and execution.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Bioinformatics, Data Science, Statistics, Mathematics, or a related field required.
• Master's degree or Ph.D. preferred.

Experience

• Minimum of 7 years of relevant software engineering, computational biology, or bioinformatics experience.
• Proven history of increasing technical responsibility and leadership.

Additional Information

• On-site position based in Houston, Texas.
• Approximately 10% domestic and international travel may be required.