Senior Bioinformatics Scientist - Drug Discovery

Placements24; East London; Hybrid; ZAR 1,976,000 - 2,964,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully remote

Competitive salary

Professional development

Retirement fund

Global team

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Bioinformatics Scientist for a fully remote drug discovery team. You will lead the development of pipelines for multi-omics data, translate complex results into actionable insights, and collaborate with researchers across disciplines to drive target identification.

The role requires a PhD and 5+ years of experience in bioinformatics, with strong Python/R skills, ML expertise, and experience with cloud platforms and HTS data.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, CS, Statistics, or related quantitative field.
• Minimum 5 years post-doctoral or industry experience in bioinformatics for drug discovery.
• Extensive experience with omics datasets (RNA-Seq, ChIP-Seq, WGS, MS data).
• Proficiency in Python and R with Biopython, SciPy, NumPy, Pandas.
• Strong statistics, ML, and data mining knowledge.
• Experience with SQL/NoSQL and bioinformatics databases (Ensembl, NCBI).

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and maintain robust bioinformatics pipelines for large datasets.
• Identify and validate novel drug targets via multi-omics integration.
• Apply statistical methods and ML to discover patterns and generate hypotheses.
• Collaborate with biologists and chemists to design experiments and interpret results.
• Develop and maintain databases and knowledge repositories.
• Contribute to HTS design and analysis for drug discovery projects.
• Stay updated on bioinformatics and ML advancements for drug discovery.
• Present findings clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Develop software tools and scripts to automate data analysis and visualization.
• Mentor junior staff and contribute to scientific development.

Skills

Python

R

Machine learning

Biopython/SciPy

Data mining

Statistics

Education

PhD in Bioinformatics or related field

Tools

SQL/NoSQL

Ensembl

UCSC Genome Browser

NCBI

AWS

Docker

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a cutting-edge pharmaceutical research organization, is seeking an experienced Senior Bioinformatics Scientist to join their fully remote drug discovery team. This role is essential for leveraging large-scale biological datasets to identify novel therapeutic targets and advance drug discovery programs. You will be responsible for developing and applying advanced computational and statistical methods to analyze diverse omics data, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. The ideal candidate possesses a strong background in bioinformatics, computational biology, and machine learning, with a proven ability to translate complex biological data into actionable insights for drug discovery. This is a unique opportunity to work remotely with a world-class team, driving innovation in a collaborative and intellectually stimulating environment, contributing to the development of life-saving medicines.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and maintain robust bioinformatics pipelines for the analysis of large-scale biological datasets (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, etc.).
• Identify and validate novel drug targets by integrating and analyzing multi-omics data from various sources.
• Apply advanced statistical and machine learning techniques to discover patterns, predict biological outcomes, and drive hypothesis generation.
• Collaborate closely with biologists, chemists, and other research scientists to design experiments, interpret results, and inform drug discovery strategies.
• Develop and maintain databases and knowledge repositories for biological data and research findings.
• Contribute to the design and analysis of high-throughput screening (HTS) campaigns and other drug discovery experiments.
• Stay abreast of the latest advancements in bioinformatics, computational biology, machine learning, and their applications in drug discovery.
• Present complex findings clearly and effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Develop and implement software tools and scripts to automate data analysis and visualization tasks.
• Mentor junior bioinformatics staff and contribute to the overall scientific development of the team.
• Ensure data integrity, reproducibility, and adherence to best practices in computational science.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Computer Science, Statistics, or a related quantitative field.
• A minimum of 5 years of post-doctoral or industry experience in bioinformatics, with a focus on drug discovery.
• Extensive experience with analyzing large-scale omics datasets (e.g., RNA-Seq, ChIP-Seq, whole-genome sequencing, mass spectrometry data).
• Proficiency in programming languages commonly used in bioinformatics, such as Python and R, and associated libraries (e.g., Biopython, SciPy, NumPy, Pandas).
• Strong understanding of statistical methods, machine learning algorithms, and data mining techniques.
• Experience with database management (SQL/NoSQL) and bioinformatics databases/resources (e.g., Ensembl, UCSC Genome Browser, NCBI).
• Familiarity with cloud computing platforms (e.g., AWS, GCP) and containerization technologies (e.g., Docker) is desirable.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a remote, collaborative team environment.
• Experience with pathway analysis and network biology is a plus.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.
• The flexibility and autonomy of a fully remote position.
• Opportunities for significant contributions to groundbreaking drug discovery research.
• Access to advanced computational resources and cutting-edge technologies.
• Collaborative and intellectually stimulating virtual work environment.
• Opportunities for professional development, including conference participation.
• Generous paid time off and holiday schedule.
• Contribution to retirement fund.