Lead Bioinformatics Scientist

Placements24; Bloemfontein; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Health insurance

Stock options

Remote work

Career development

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking an innovative Lead Bioinformatics Scientist to guide computational biology research from a remote setting. You will develop and apply cutting-edge tools to analyze large-scale genomic and proteomic datasets, identify biomarkers, and advance drug discovery efforts.

You will mentor analysts, lead challenging projects, and present findings to scientific teams, management, and at industry conferences, all while enjoying a fully remote work arrangement.

Qualifications

• PhD in bioinformatics, computational biology, CS, statistics or related field.
• Minimum 6 years of experience leading bioinformatics projects.
• Expertise with large-scale biological data including NGS data (WGS, WES, RNA-Seq).

Responsibilities

• Lead design and implementation of bioinformatics pipelines for NGS data analysis.
• Develop and apply statistical and ML methods to complex biological datasets.
• Collaborate with experimental biologists and clinicians to interpret results.
• Manage computational infrastructure and resources for data processing and storage.
• Mentor junior bioinformaticians and data analysts.
• Present findings to scientific teams, management and conferences.

Skills

Project leadership

Education

Ph.D. in Bioinformatics or related field

Tools

Python

R

Perl

Job description

Our client is seeking an innovative Lead Bioinformatics Scientist to guide their computational biology research from a remote setting. This critical role involves developing and applying cutting-edge computational tools and algorithms to analyze large-scale genomic and proteomic datasets. You will be instrumental in identifying biological insights, discovering biomarkers, and advancing drug discovery efforts. This is an exceptional opportunity for a seasoned bioinformatician to lead challenging projects, mentor a team of analysts, and significantly contribute to groundbreaking scientific research, all while enjoying the flexibility of a remote work environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design and implementation of bioinformatics pipelines for next-generation sequencing (NGS) data analysis.
• Develop and apply statistical and machine learning methods to analyze complex biological datasets (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics).
• Collaborate with experimental biologists and clinicians to interpret results and generate actionable insights.
• Manage computational infrastructure and resources, ensuring efficient data processing and storage.
• Mentor and guide junior bioinformaticians and data analysts, fostering technical growth.
• Present findings to scientific teams, management, and at industry conferences.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Computer Science, Statistics, or a related field.
• Minimum of 6 years of experience in bioinformatics research, with a proven track record of leading projects.
• Expertise in analyzing large-scale biological data, including NGS data (WGS, WES, RNA-Seq).
• Proficiency in scripting languages (e.g., Python, R, Perl) and command-line environments.
• Strong understanding of statistical principles and machine learning algorithms applicable to biological data.

Benefits

• A highly competitive salary package commensurate with experience.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Generous stock options and long-term incentive plans.
• Fully remote work arrangement with support for home office setup.
• Significant opportunities for career advancement and professional development in a growing field.