Senior Bioinformatician (Genomics)

Placements24; Midrand; Remote; ZAR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Base salary with performance bonuses

Remote work flexibility

Health, dental and vision insurance

Retirement plan with company matching

Generous paid time off

Professional development opportunities

Home office stipend

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Bioinformatician to join a fully remote, high-caliber R&D team. You will design pipelines for NGS data (WGS, WES, RNA-Seq), perform advanced statistical analyses, and develop ML approaches to gene function and disease targets.

Collaboration with geneticists and software engineers is essential, with mentorship and knowledge sharing encouraged. The role emphasizes independence in a remote setting, strong communication, and a passion for genomic research in a

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in bioinformatics or related field.
• At least 5 years of hands-on experience analyzing large-scale genomic and transcriptomic data.
• Proficiency in Python and R with relevant libraries.
• Experience with cloud platforms and containerization.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement robust pipelines for NGS data (WGS, WES, RNA-Seq).
• Perform statistical analysis to identify patterns and variants.
• Develop ML models for gene function and disease association.
• Collaborate with experimental biologists to validate findings.
• Maintain bioinformatics databases and resources.
• Mentor junior bioinformaticians and share best practices.
• Present findings at meetings and conferences.

Skills

Python

R

Statistical methods

Machine learning

Education

Master's or PhD in Bioinformatics / Computational Biology

Tools

BWA

GATK

STAR

Kallisto

DESeq2

edgeR

Docker

Singularity

AWS

GCP

Azure

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a pioneering force in the field of computational biology and data-driven scientific discovery, is seeking an exceptional Senior Bioinformatician to join their fully remote, high-caliber research and development team. This role is critical in advancing our understanding of complex biological systems through the application of cutting‑edge bioinformatics techniques. You will collaborate with a diverse group of scientists, including geneticists, molecular biologists, and software engineers, to analyze and interpret large-scale genomic and transcriptomic datasets. This is an unparalleled opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking research from the comfort of your own home office, driving innovation in a truly remote‑first environment. We are committed to fostering a collaborative and intellectually stimulating atmosphere where your contributions are valued and recognized.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement robust computational pipelines for the analysis of next-generation sequencing (NGS) data, including whole-genome sequencing (WGS), whole-exome sequencing (WES), and RNA‑sequencing (RNA‑Seq).


• Perform in-depth statistical analysis and interpretation of genomic data to identify patterns, variants, and functional insights relevant to various research projects.


• Develop and apply machine learning algorithms for the prediction of gene function, disease association, and drug target identification.


• Collaborate with experimental biologists to validate computational findings and design follow-up experiments.


• Contribute to the development and maintenance of our client's bioinformatics databases and knowledge resources.


• Mentor junior bioinformaticians and contribute to team knowledge sharing and best practice development.


• Present research findings at internal meetings and external scientific conferences.

Requirements

• Master's or Ph.D. in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Computer Science, Statistics, or a related quantitative field.


• Proven track record (5+ years) of hands‑on experience in analyzing large-scale genomic and transcriptomic datasets using tools such as BWA, GATK, STAR, Kallisto, DESeq2, and edgeR.


• Proficiency in programming languages commonly used in bioinformatics, such as Python (with libraries like Pandas, NumPy, SciPy, Scikit-learn) and R.


• Strong understanding of statistical methods and machine learning techniques applied to biological data.


• Experience with cloud computing platforms (e.g., AWS, GCP, Azure) and containerization technologies (e.g., Docker, Singularity) is highly desirable.


• Excellent problem‑solving skills and the ability to work independently in a remote setting.


• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to effectively present complex scientific information to diverse audiences.


• Demonstrated experience in **genomics** research and a passion for scientific exploration.

Benefits

• Our client offers a competitive compensation package commensurate with experience, including a generous base salary and performance‑based bonuses.


• As a fully remote position, we provide a comprehensive benefits package that includes excellent health, dental, and vision insurance, a robust retirement savings plan with company matching, and generous paid time off.


• Employees also have access to professional development opportunities, including conference attendance and ongoing training.


• We believe in supporting our remote workforce with stipends for home office equipment and ergonomic assessments.


• Join a team that values innovation, scientific rigor, and work‑life balance in the exciting field of **Midrand**, **Gauteng**, **ZA** bio-discovery.