Senior Bioinformatician - Remote Research Focus

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

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working hours

Fully remote environment

Professional development funding

State-of-the-art computational tools

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Bioinformatician for a fully remote position. Join a globally distributed team to analyze large genomic datasets, develop computational methods, and drive research insights from your home office.

The role requires a PhD or Master’s in a quantitative field and 5+ years of hands-on bioinformatics experience, with strong Python and R skills and familiarity with Biopython, SciPy, and Pandas. Cloud and containerization experience are a plus.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. or Master's in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, CS, Statistics or related field.
• Minimum 5 years of hands-on bioinformatics experience with complex data.
• Proficiency in Python and R with relevant libraries (Biopython, SciPy, Pandas).
• Strong statistical, ML methods, and problem-solving in biology.
• Experience with bioinformatics databases (NCBI, Ensembl, UniProt).

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and validate computational pipelines for omics data.
• Develop robust code in Python/R for analysis and visualization.
• Collaborate with researchers to interpret results and guide experiments.
• Apply statistics, ML and pathway analysis to derive insights.
• Contribute to algorithm/tool development and maintain reproducible work.
• Stay updated on bioinformatics advances and document methods.

Skills

Bioinformatics

Python programming

R programming

Statistical analysis

Machine learning

Data visualization

Team collaboration

Education

PhD in Bioinformatics

Master's in related field

Tools

Biopython

SciPy

Pandas

Docker

AWS / GCP / Azure

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a pioneering force in the **Scientific Research & Development** sector, is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Senior Bioinformatician to join their dynamic and globally distributed team. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research initiatives from the comfort of your home office. As a fully remote position, we are looking for self-starters who thrive in an autonomous environment and are adept at collaborating effectively across virtual platforms. You will play a pivotal role in analyzing complex biological datasets, developing novel computational approaches, and driving the interpretation of research findings. This role is ideal for an individual passionate about leveraging data science and computational biology to solve challenging scientific problems, contributing directly to groundbreaking discoveries. The **Midrand, Gauteng, ZA** region, while not the physical location for this role, represents the operational hub from which this distributed team is managed.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and validate computational pipelines for analyzing large-scale genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data.
• Develop and maintain robust code in Python, R, or similar languages for data analysis and visualization.
• Collaborate closely with experimental biologists, geneticists, and other researchers to interpret results and guide experimental design.
• Perform statistical analysis, machine learning, and pathway analysis to identify biological insights and potential drug targets.
• Contribute to the development of new algorithms and tools for bioinformatics research.
• Stay abreast of the latest advancements in bioinformatics, computational biology, and relevant biological fields.
• Document methodologies, results, and code thoroughly for reproducibility and knowledge sharing.
• Present findings to internal teams and potentially at scientific conferences.

Requirements

• Ph.D. or Master's degree in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Computer Science, Statistics, or a related quantitative field.
• Minimum of 5 years of hands-on experience in bioinformatics, with a strong track record of analyzing complex biological data.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python and R, and experience with relevant bioinformatics libraries (e.g., Biopython, SciPy, Pandas).
• Solid understanding of statistical methods, machine learning algorithms, and their application in biological research.
• Experience with common bioinformatics databases and resources (e.g., NCBI, Ensembl, UniProt).
• Familiarity with cloud computing platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and containerization technologies (Docker) is a plus.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently and as part of a remote team.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to non-experts.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines in a fast‑paced research environment.

Benefits

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Generous paid time off and holiday schedule.
• Professional development opportunities and funding for conferences.
• Flexible working hours and a fully remote work environment, promoting work‑life balance.
• Opportunity to work on impactful research that contributes to scientific advancement.
• Access to state-of-the-art computational resources and collaborative tools.