Lead Computational Biologist - Genomics Analysis

Placements24; South Africa; Remote; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,900,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Home office stipend

Remote-first culture

Professional development

Conferences access

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a visionary Lead Computational Biologist to drive genomics analysis from a remote setting in South Africa. You will lead development of scalable WGS/WES/RNA-Seq pipelines, perform statistical analyses, and translate results into actionable hypotheses while mentoring a distributed team.

Working with colleagues across digital platforms, you will shape experimental design, collaborate with clinicians, and contribute to grants and proposals.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. or equivalent in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, CS, Statistics, or related field.
• Minimum 6 years of experience in computational biology or bioinformatics with a genomics focus.
• Experience building genomics pipelines with Python, R, Bash, Snakemake, Nextflow.
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and containerization (Docker, Singularity).
• Strong statistics knowledge and machine learning applications to biology.
• Excellent communication and remote collaboration skills.
• Experience with Git and version control.

Responsibilities

• Develop, optimize, and maintain pipelines for processing large-scale genomics datasets (WGS, WES, RNA-Seq).
• Perform statistical analysis and interpretation of genomic variation and gene expression data.
• Collaborate with experimental biologists and clinicians to design experiments.
• Develop and implement ML models for biological data analysis and prediction.
• Manage and curate genomic databases and ensure data integrity.
• Stay current with advancements in bioinformatics and genomics technologies.
• Present findings to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Mentor junior computational biologists and data scientists in the remote team.
• Contribute to research proposals and grant applications.

Skills

Excellent communication

Remote work leadership

Independent work

Education

Ph.D. or equivalent in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, CS, Statistics, or related field

Tools

Python

R

Bash

Snakemake

Nextflow

Docker

Singularity

Git

AWS

GCP

Azure

Job description

About the Role

Our client is seeking a visionary Lead Computational Biologist to drive our genomics analysis initiatives from a fully remote setting. This role is crucial for advancing our understanding of complex biological systems through the application of cutting-edge computational techniques. You will be responsible for developing and implementing scalable pipelines for high-throughput sequencing data analysis, including whole-genome, exome, and RNA-seq data. This position offers the unique opportunity to shape the future of our research in Tembisa , working with a globally distributed team of scientists and engineers. We are looking for a leader who is passionate about unlocking biological insights from vast datasets and who can translate complex computational findings into actionable biological hypotheses. This remote-first role emphasizes autonomy, collaboration via digital platforms, and impactful contributions to significant scientific endeavors. The ideal candidate thrives in a virtual environment and possesses exceptional communication skills to foster strong team cohesion and project momentum.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, optimize, and maintain robust computational pipelines for processing and analyzing large-scale genomics datasets (e.g., WGS, WES, RNA-Seq).
• Perform in-depth statistical analysis and interpretation of genomic variation, gene expression, and epigenetic data.
• Collaborate with experimental biologists and clinicians to design experiments and interpret results in a biological context.
• Develop and implement machine learning models for biological data analysis and prediction.
• Manage and curate genomic databases and ensure data integrity and accessibility.
• Stay current with the latest advancements in bioinformatics, computational biology, and genomics technologies.
• Present research findings and analytical strategies to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Mentor and guide junior computational biologists and data scientists within the remote team.
• Contribute to the development of research proposals and grant applications.

Requirements

• Ph.D. or equivalent research experience in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Computer Science, Statistics, or a related quantitative field.
• Minimum of 6 years of experience in computational biology or bioinformatics, with a strong focus on genomics.
• Demonstrated expertise in developing and implementing genomics analysis pipelines using common tools and programming languages (e.g., Python, R, Bash, Snakemake, Nextflow).
• Proven experience with cloud computing platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and containerization technologies (Docker, Singularity).
• Strong understanding of statistical methods and machine learning techniques applied to biological data.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, essential for a remote work environment.
• Experience with version control systems (e.g., Git).
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple projects effectively in a remote setting.
• Prior experience leading a team or projects is a significant advantage.

Benefits

• Our client provides a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits package including health and retirement plans, and a generous allowance for home office setup and professional development.
• As a remote-first organization, we foster a flexible and empowering work culture.
• This includes opportunities for continuous learning through online courses and conferences, a supportive team environment, and the ability to make a significant impact on cutting-edge research without geographical limitations.
• Access to powerful computational resources and a collaborative spirit define our remote working experience.