Lead Bioinformatics Scientist

Placements24; Rustenburg; On-site; ZAR 1,500,000 - 2,100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Health insurance

Retirement savings plan

Conference funding

State-of-the-art technology

Job summary

Placements24 seeks a Lead Bioinformatics Scientist for its state-of-the-art research facility in Rustenburg, North West. The role centers on driving genomics and transcriptomics analyses, developing pipelines, and mentoring a team in a collaborative lab environment.

The ideal candidate will have a PhD and 7+ years in bioinformatics, with leadership experience and fluency in Python/R and flagship tools. On-site position with opportunities to publish and advance scientific discovery.

Qualifications

• PhD in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Computer Science, Statistics, or related field.
• 7+ years of progressive bioinformatics experience; 3+ in lead/supervisory roles.
• Expertise with NGS data (Illumina, PacBio).
• Proficiency with Python and/or R; experience with bioinformatics libraries/tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of bioinformatics pipelines for high-throughput sequencing data (WGS, WES, RNA-Seq).
• Design analyses to identify genetic variations, gene expression, and functional genomics insights.
• Develop and apply statistical methods for data interpretation and modeling.
• Collaborate with experimental biologists to translate questions into computational approaches.
• Manage and mentor a team of bioinformatics analysts and scientists.
• Ensure data integrity, reproducibility, and documentation of analyses.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Mentoring

Communication

Education

PhD in Bioinformatics/Computational Biology/CS/Statistics

Tools

Python

R

Bioconductor

GATK

BWA

Job description

About the Role Our client, a pioneering biotechnology firm, is seeking an experienced Lead Bioinformatics Scientist to join their cutting-edge research facility in **Rustenburg, North West**. This role is crucial for driving the analysis of complex biological datasets, particularly in the areas of genomics and transcriptomics. The ideal candidate will possess a deep understanding of computational biology and a proven ability to lead scientific projects from inception to completion. You will be responsible for developing and implementing sophisticated analytical pipelines, interpreting large-scale genomic data, and collaborating closely with molecular biologists and geneticists to uncover novel insights. This is an on-site position, offering a dynamic and collaborative lab environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development and implementation of bioinformatics pipelines for the analysis of high-throughput sequencing data (e.g., WGS, WES, RNA-Seq).
• Design and execute computational analyses to identify genetic variations, gene expression patterns, and functional genomics insights.
• Develop and apply statistical methods for data interpretation and modeling.
• Collaborate with experimental biologists to define research questions and translate them into computational approaches.
• Manage and mentor a team of bioinformatics analysts and scientists.
• Ensure data integrity, reproducibility, and documentation of all analyses.
• Stay current with the latest advancements in bioinformatics tools, algorithms, and biological databases.
• Present findings to scientific teams, management, and at external conferences.
• Contribute to the strategic direction of bioinformatics research within the organization.
• Optimize existing pipelines for performance and scalability.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Computer Science, Statistics, or a related field.
• Minimum of 7 years of progressive experience in bioinformatics research, with at least 3 years in a lead or supervisory role.
• Expertise in analysing next-generation sequencing data (e.g., Illumina, PacBio).
• Proficiency in scripting languages such as Python and/or R, and experience with bioinformatics tools and libraries (e.g., Bioconductor, GATK, BWA).
• Strong understanding of molecular biology, genetics, and genomics.
• Experience with high-performance computing (HPC) environments and cluster computing.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects and lead scientific teams.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
• Experience with cloud computing platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) is a plus.
• Proven track record of publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Benefits

• Our client offers a competitive salary, comprehensive health insurance, and retirement savings plan.
• This role provides significant opportunities for professional growth, including funding for conferences and training.
• Employees benefit from a stimulating work environment with access to state-of-the-art technology.
• Located in **Rustenburg, North West**, you will be part of a dedicated team focused on advancing scientific discovery in a collaborative setting.
• The company strongly believes in work-life balance and offers generous annual leave.
• This on-site position is perfect for someone looking to make a substantial contribution to the field of bioinformatics.