Lead Computational Biologist

Placements24; Cape Town; Hybrid; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Remote work flexibility

Health insurance

Paid time off

Professional development

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Lead Computational Biologist to spearhead remote bioinformatics initiatives, driving insights from genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics to accelerate drug discovery.

You will lead a global remote team of data scientists and bioinformaticians, design scalable pipelines, and develop predictive models while collaborating with biologists and clinicians to translate data into actionable targets in precision medicine.

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent in a quantitative field such as Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, CS, or Statistics.
• 7+ years of experience analyzing large-scale biological datasets (genomics/transcriptomics).
• Proficiency in Python or R and bioinformatics libraries.
• Strong statistical, ML, and data mining skills.
• Experience with cloud platforms and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Excellent leadership and remote collaboration abilities.

Responsibilities

• Develop advanced computational methods for large-scale biological data.
• Design scalable pipelines for genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics.
• Collaborate with experimental biologists and clinicians to define research questions and interpret results.
• Lead and mentor a remote team of bioinformaticians.
• Develop predictive models to identify drug targets and biomarkers.
• Drive strategic direction of computational biology and data science capabilities.

Skills

Python/R

Cloud computing

Leadership

Statistical modeling

Machine learning

Team mentoring

Education

Ph.D. in Computational Biology

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

AWS

GCP

Azure

Job description

About the Role

Our client is seeking an innovative Lead Computational Biologist to spearhead their advanced bioinformatics initiatives, working entirely remotely. This role is critical for deriving insights from vast biological datasets, including genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data, to accelerate drug discovery and development programs. You will be instrumental in building and scaling our computational infrastructure and leading a team of talented data scientists and bioinformaticians. The ideal candidate thrives in a remote-first setting, excels at complex data analysis, and is passionate about leveraging computational power to solve challenging biological questions. Join us in shaping the future of precision medicine from anywhere.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement advanced computational and statistical methods for analyzing large-scale biological data.
• Design and manage scalable bioinformatics pipelines for genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data processing.
• Collaborate closely with experimental biologists and clinicians to identify key research questions and interpret results.
• Lead and mentor a team of computational biologists, fostering a culture of innovation and scientific rigor.
• Develop predictive models and machine learning algorithms to identify potential drug targets and biomarkers.
• Contribute to the strategic direction of the company's computational biology efforts and data science capabilities.

Requirements

• Ph.D. or equivalent experience in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Computer Science, Statistics, or a related quantitative field.
• Extensive experience (7+ years) in analyzing large-scale biological datasets, with a focus on genomics and transcriptomics.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python or R, and experience with relevant bioinformatics libraries.
• Strong understanding of statistical modeling, machine learning, and data mining techniques.
• Experience with cloud computing platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and containerization technologies (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Excellent leadership, communication, and collaboration skills, essential for a remote team environment.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary and stock options.
• Full remote work flexibility, allowing you to work from anywhere.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance coverage.
• Generous annual leave and paid holidays.
• Professional development allowance for courses, conferences, and training.
• A dynamic, forward-thinking company culture focused on scientific advancement and impact in Cape Town 's R&D landscape.