Senior Bioinformatician - Clinical Genomics

Placements24; Sandton; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Hybrid work arrangements

Health & retirement plans

Professional development

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a seasoned Senior Bioinformatician to join its Clinical Genomics team in Sandton. You will analyze complex genomic data from clinical samples to support diagnostic development and personalized medicine, building robust pipelines and collaborating with geneticists, clinicians, and researchers. The ideal candidate has a Ph.D.

or M.S. in a quantitative field, 5+ years of bioinformatics experience in clinical genomics, and strong Python/R programming skills.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. or M.S. in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Genetics, or related field.
• 5+ years of professional bioinformatics experience, with clinical genomics focus.
• Expertise in analyzing NGS data (WES/WGS/RNA-Seq) and related tools/databases.
• Strong programming skills in Python or R; shell scripting and HPC experience.
• Solid understanding of human genetics, disease mechanisms, and variant interpretation.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and optimize bioinformatics pipelines for WES and WGS data.
• Perform variant calling, annotation, and filtering for disease-associated variations.
• Collaborate with clinical geneticists/pathologists to interpret findings for diagnoses.
• Contribute to development/validation of diagnostic assays and tools.
• Manage and curate large genomic databases; ensure data integrity and accessibility.
• Present findings to internal teams and external collaborators in Sandton.

Skills

communication

teamwork

problem solving

Education

Ph.D. in Bioinformatics

M.S. in related field

Tools

Python

R

Shell scripting

HPC

Job description

About the Role

Our client is seeking a seasoned Senior Bioinformatician to join their expanding Clinical Genomics team in Sandton . This role is critical in analyzing and interpreting complex genomic data from clinical samples to support diagnostic development and personalized medicine initiatives. You will be responsible for developing robust bioinformatics pipelines, implementing advanced analytical methods, and collaborating closely with geneticists, clinicians, and researchers. The ideal candidate possesses a strong foundation in bioinformatics, extensive experience with next-generation sequencing (NGS) data analysis, and a passion for applying computational approaches to clinical challenges. This is an exceptional opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking advancements in healthcare, work with cutting-edge technologies, and play a key role in improving patient outcomes. You will be instrumental in transforming raw genomic data into clinically actionable insights.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and optimize bioinformatics pipelines for the analysis of whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing data.


• Perform variant calling, annotation, and filtering to identify disease-associated genetic variations.


• Collaborate with clinical geneticists and pathologists to interpret genomic findings in the context of patient diagnoses.


• Contribute to the development and validation of new diagnostic assays and bioinformatics tools.


• Manage and curate large genomic databases, ensuring data integrity and accessibility.


• Present research findings and analytical results to internal teams and external collaborators in Sandton .

Requirements

• Ph.D. or M.S. in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Genetics, or a related quantitative field.


• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in bioinformatics, with a focus on clinical genomics or human genetics.


• Proven expertise in analyzing NGS data (e.g., WES, WGS, RNA-Seq) and utilizing relevant bioinformatics tools and databases.


• Strong programming skills in Python or R, and experience with shell scripting and high-performance computing environments.


• Solid understanding of human genetics, disease mechanisms, and variant interpretation principles.


• Excellent communication, problem-solving, and teamwork skills for collaboration within the Sandton site.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package, including health and retirement plans.


• Opportunities to work on impactful clinical genomics projects at the forefront of medicine.


• Access to high-performance computing resources and cutting-edge sequencing technologies.


• Support for professional development, including training and conference attendance.


• A collaborative and innovative work environment dedicated to improving patient care.


• Potential for hybrid work arrangements to enhance work-life balance.