Remote Senior Bioinformatician - Pharmaceutical Research

Placements24; Stellenbosch; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Home office stipend

Generous paid time off

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Bioinformatician for a fully remote role to advance genomic and omics analyses supporting drug discovery. You will design pipelines, apply ML methods, and collaborate with cross-functional teams from anywhere globally.

The role requires a PhD/Master’s in a quantitative field, 5+ years in bioinformatics, and strong programming and cloud experience. Excellent communication and leadership are essential for mentoring teams.

Qualifications

• PhD or Master's degree in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Computer Science, Statistics, or a related quantitative field.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in bioinformatics or computational biology within a research or pharmaceutical setting.
• Proficiency in programming languages commonly used in bioinformatics (e.g., Python, R, Perl, Java).
• Extensive experience with bioinformatics tools and databases (e.g., BLAST, UCSC Genome Browser, Ensembl).
• Strong understanding of statistical modeling, machine learning algorithms, and their application to biological data.
• Experience analyzing large-scale genomic and transcriptomic data.
• Familiarity with cloud computing platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) is a plus.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to work independently in a remote setting.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to articulate complex concepts clearly.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and deliver results in a timely manner.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement bioinformatics pipelines for the analysis of high-throughput sequencing data (e.g., RNA-Seq, WGS, ChIP-Seq) and other omics datasets.
• Develop and apply statistical and machine learning methods to identify biomarkers, predict drug responses, and uncover novel biological insights.
• Collaborate closely with biologists, chemists, and other research scientists to define research questions and design appropriate computational analyses.
• Develop and maintain databases and data management systems for biological and experimental data.
• Visualize complex biological data to effectively communicate findings to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Stay current with the latest advancements in bioinformatics, computational biology, and relevant pharmaceutical research areas.
• Contribute to the writing of research publications and patent applications.
• Mentor junior bioinformaticians and research staff on computational approaches and data analysis best practices.
• Ensure reproducibility and rigor in all computational analyses and code development.
• Participate in cross-functional project teams, providing computational expertise and strategic input.

Skills

Problem solving

Independent work

Communication

Analytical thinking

Education

PhD or Master’s degree in Bioinformatics/Computational Biology/CS/Statistics or related field

Tools

Python

R

Perl

Java

BLAST

UCSC Genome Browser

Ensembl

AWS

Azure

GCP

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a leading global pharmaceutical company dedicated to advancing scientific discovery, is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Senior Bioinformatician to join their innovative team. This is a fully remote position, offering flexibility and the opportunity to work from anywhere. You will play a crucial role in analyzing large-scale genomic, proteomic, and other biological datasets to identify potential drug targets, understand disease mechanisms, and support drug discovery and development programs. The ideal candidate possesses a strong computational biology background, expertise in statistical analysis and machine learning, and a proven ability to translate complex biological data into actionable insights. Our client is committed to fostering a collaborative and intellectually stimulating remote work environment where scientific curiosity and groundbreaking research are paramount. This role is critical in driving our pharmaceutical research initiatives forward, regardless of physical location.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement bioinformatics pipelines for the analysis of high-throughput sequencing data (e.g., RNA-Seq, WGS, ChIP-Seq) and other omics datasets.
• Develop and apply statistical and machine learning methods to identify biomarkers, predict drug responses, and uncover novel biological insights.
• Collaborate closely with biologists, chemists, and other research scientists to define research questions and design appropriate computational analyses.
• Develop and maintain databases and data management systems for biological and experimental data.
• Visualize complex biological data to effectively communicate findings to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Stay current with the latest advancements in bioinformatics, computational biology, and relevant pharmaceutical research areas.
• Contribute to the writing of research publications and patent applications.
• Mentor junior bioinformaticians and research staff on computational approaches and data analysis best practices.
• Ensure reproducibility and rigor in all computational analyses and code development.
• Participate in cross-functional project teams, providing computational expertise and strategic input.

Requirements

• PhD or Master's degree in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Computer Science, Statistics, or a related quantitative field.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in bioinformatics or computational biology within a research or pharmaceutical setting.
• Proficiency in programming languages commonly used in bioinformatics (e.g., Python, R, Perl, Java).
• Extensive experience with bioinformatics tools and databases (e.g., BLAST, UCSC Genome Browser, Ensembl).
• Strong understanding of statistical modeling, machine learning algorithms, and their application to biological data.
• Experience analyzing large-scale genomic and transcriptomic data.
• Familiarity with cloud computing platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) is a plus.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to work independently in a remote setting.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to articulate complex concepts clearly.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and deliver results in a timely manner.

Benefits

• Our client offers a highly competitive salary, comprehensive remote work benefits package including health, dental, and vision insurance, generous paid time off, and a home office stipend. This remote position provides exceptional flexibility and work-life balance.
• You will be part of a global, innovative research team working at the forefront of pharmaceutical discovery, with opportunities for professional development and attendance at leading scientific conferences.
• Our client is committed to employee growth and recognizes outstanding contributions in a virtual, inclusive environment.