Lead Computational Biologist - Bioinformatics

Placements24; Gauteng; Hybrid; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work infrastructure

Home office allowance

Health insurance

Generous paid time off

Flexible working hours

Conference participation

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking an experienced Lead Computational Biologist to drive our remote-first bioinformatics initiatives. You will guide research directions, build scalable pipelines for WGS, WES, and RNA-Seq, and mentor a distributed team of bioinformaticians in a flexible environment.

You will collaborate with clinical and experimental scientists to translate complex genomic data into actionable insights for precision medicine and drug discovery, while advancing data governance and

Qualifications

• PhD in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, CS, Statistics, or a related field.
• 7+ years in bioinformatics research, with 2+ years in leadership.
• Proficiency in Python and R; experience with Bioconductor.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and HPC.

Responsibilities

• Develop and validate bioinformatics pipelines for WGS/WES/RNA-seq.
• Lead computational analyses to identify biomarkers and targets.
• Mentor a remote team of computational biologists.
• Collaborate with experimental scientists to interpret results.
• Maintain data management strategies and data integrity.
• Stay current with ML, genomics advancements.

Skills

Python

R

Bioconductor

Leadership

Cloud computing

Education

PhD in Computational Biology / Bioinformatics

Tools

BWA

Samtools

GATK

HPC

Job description

About the Role

Our client is seeking an experienced Lead Computational Biologist to spearhead their bioinformatics initiatives from a remote-first capacity. This critical role involves developing and implementing advanced computational strategies to analyze large-scale genomic and proteomic datasets, driving discoveries in precision medicine and drug development. You will lead a team of talented bioinformaticians, guiding research directions and ensuring the robustness of our analytical pipelines. This is an exceptional opportunity for a motivated professional to make a significant impact on global health through innovative data science and biological insight, working within a fully remote and flexible environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, validate, and implement cutting-edge bioinformatics pipelines for the analysis of high-throughput sequencing data (e.g., WGS, WES, RNA-Seq).
• Lead the design and execution of computational analyses to identify novel biomarkers, drug targets, and disease mechanisms.
• Collaborate closely with experimental biologists, geneticists, and clinicians to interpret complex biological data and generate actionable insights.
• Manage and mentor a team of computational biologists, fostering a collaborative and productive remote working environment.
• Develop and maintain robust data management strategies, ensuring data integrity and accessibility for research projects.
• Stay abreast of the latest advancements in computational biology, machine learning, and genomics, and apply them to research challenges.

Requirements

• PhD in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Computer Science, Statistics, or a related quantitative field.
• Minimum of 7 years of progressive experience in bioinformatics research, with at least 2 years in a leadership or team management role.
• Expertise in programming languages such as Python and R, and proficiency with bioinformatics libraries and tools (e.g., Bioconductor, Samtools, BWA).
• Strong understanding of statistical methods, machine learning algorithms, and their application to biological data.
• Experience with cloud computing platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and high-performance computing environments.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to clearly articulate complex technical concepts to diverse audiences, especially in a remote setting.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary and performance-based incentives.
• Comprehensive remote work infrastructure support and home office allowance.
• Full health, dental, and vision insurance coverage.
• Generous paid time off and flexible working hours.
• Opportunities for continuous learning, professional development, and conference participation.