Viral Bioinformatics Lead

computercraft; Bethesda (MD); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Computercraft in Bethesda, Maryland, seeks a Virus Bioinformatics Lead to guide a multidisciplinary team of biologists and developers responsible for curating public viral sequences and developing bioinformatics tools and data-delivery workflows. You will engage with researchers and public-health professionals to set strategic goals and priorities, advancing usability and impact of viral data resources.

The role emphasizes leadership in data analysis, tool development, and collaboration across

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in bioinformatics, molecular biology, computational biology, or a closely related scientific field.
• A demonstrated record of research or professional work in viral genomics and bioinformatics.
• Familiarity with virus taxonomy, comparative genomics, and evolutionary processes.
• Practical knowledge of bioinformatics tools and the application of genomic sequencing data to biomedical and other scientific use cases.
• Familiarity with NCBI resources and tools.
• Experience leading teams, setting goals, prioritizing work based on available information and stakeholder needs, and using metrics to measure success.

Responsibilities

• Develop product vision, goals, and a strategic roadmap informed by user needs and aligned with NLM priorities.
• Prioritize product-team activities and provide clear guidance to create incremental value in an Agile environment.
• Lead data analysis and user research efforts and use findings to develop product requirements and inform objective decision-making.
• Collaborate with scientists, bioinformaticians, and software developers within and outside NIH to meet the needs of clinical and basic researchers and public-health professionals.
• Develop partnerships and collaborations with internal and external stakeholders to improve data usability and impact.
• Conduct outreach to research scientists, data scientists, clinicians, and other members of the research and public-health communities.

Skills

Leadership experience

Team management

Verbal and written communication

Project planning

Stakeholder engagement

Problem-solving

Education

Ph.D. in bioinformatics, molecular biology, computational biology, or a closely related field

Tools

Bioinformatics tools

Job description

Do you have expertise in virology and enjoy developing and using bioinformatics tools to improve scientific data resources, guide multidisciplinary teams, and support research and public-health needs?

Computercraft is seeking a Virus Bioinformatics Lead to support the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), part of the National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.

In this scientific leadership role, you will guide a multidisciplinary team of biologists and developers responsible for curating public viral sequences and developing bioinformatics tools and data-delivery workflows. You will engage with the research and public health community and set strategic goals and priorities based on user needs, with the goal of promoting scientific discovery, improving public health, and enhancing preparedness for public health crises.

NCBI Virus is a leading public resource for viral sequence data, providing annotation, validation, normalization, and access that support bench research, surveillance, and public-health preparedness. Learn more at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/virus/vssi/#/.

Job Responsibilities

• Develop product vision, goals, and a strategic roadmap informed by user needs and aligned with NLM priorities.
• Prioritize product-team activities and provide clear guidance to create incremental value in an Agile environment.
• Lead data analysis and user research efforts and use findings to develop product requirements and inform objective decision-making.
• Collaborate with scientists, bioinformaticians, and software developers within and outside NIH to meet the needs of clinical and basic researchers and public-health professionals.
• Develop partnerships and collaborations with internal and external stakeholders to improve data usability and impact.
• Conduct outreach to research scientists, data scientists, clinicians, and other members of the research and public-health communities.

Required Skills/Experience

• Ph.D. in bioinformatics, molecular biology, computational biology, or a closely related scientific field.
• A demonstrated record of research or professional work in viral genomics and bioinformatics.
• Familiarity with virus taxonomy, comparative genomics, and evolutionary processes.
• Practical knowledge of bioinformatics tools and the application of genomic sequencing data to biomedical and other scientific use cases.
• Familiarity with NCBI resources and tools.
• Experience leading teams, setting goals, prioritizing work based on available information and stakeholder needs, and using metrics to measure success.
• Experience creating an effective and collaborative work environment.
• Demonstrated ability to work successfully in multidisciplinary collaborative research.
• Excellent verbal and written communication, organizational, interpersonal, networking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland, at least three days per week.
• Ability to obtain Public Trust clearance.

Desired Skills/Experience

• Postdoctoral experience in applied virology, viral genomics, or a related field.
• Familiarity with and commitment to FAIR data practices.
• Familiarity with or experience working in an Agile environment.
• Working familiarity with one or more scripting languages.
• Ability to work with common structured documents (XML, JSON, and CSV)
• Working familiarity with large SQL databases.

Who May Be a Good Fit

This position may be especially attractive to a Ph.D.-trained viral genomics scientist, computational virologist, bioinformatics leader, or postdoctoral researcher who wants to combine scientific expertise with product direction, team leadership, and public-resource stewardship. The strongest candidates will be comfortable moving between detailed viral-sequence and bioinformatics questions and broader decisions about user needs, priorities, data quality, scientific workflows, and public-health impact.

Compensation and Benefits

The anticipated salary range for this position is $110,000-$160,000 annually.

• health, dental, vision, and disability and life insurance
• a 401(k) plan with matching
• paid leave starting at 128 hours/year for the first 3 years of employment
• 11 paid holidays
• We also offer the opportunity for a positive work-life balance with a standard 40-hour work week and the chance to work alongside a team of highly accomplished professionals.

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