Senior Bioinformatics Scientist - Remote

Placements24; Gqeberha; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonuses

Remote work

Health insurance

Paid time off

Professional development funds

Global collaboration opportunities

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Bioinformatics Scientist to join a fully remote research team in South Africa. You will lead scalable pipelines for genomic and transcriptomic data, perform advanced analyses, and translate findings into actionable insights.

A PhD or Masters plus 5+ years of experience are required. You will collaborate with biologists, geneticists, and clinicians, mentor juniors, and stay at the forefront of bioinformatics tools and cloud/HPC environments.

Qualifications

• PhD or Master's in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Statistics, Computer Science, or a related quantitative field.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in bioinformatics or computational biology, focusing on genomic/transcriptomic data.
• Strong programming skills: Python, R, Perl.
• Experience with BLAST, GATK, Ensembl.
• Experience with cloud (AWS, Google Cloud) and HPC environments.
• Excellent problem-solving and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable bioinformatics pipelines for large-scale genomic/transcriptomic data.
• Perform complex analyses: variant calling, annotation, association studies, pathway analysis.
• Develop statistical methods to interpret biological data and identify significant findings.
• Collaborate with scientists to define research questions and analytical strategies.
• Visualize data and communicate findings through reports and presentations.
• Mentor junior team members and document methods for publications.

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a leading global genomics research company, is seeking a highly experienced Senior Bioinformatics Scientist to join their fully remote research team. This is a unique opportunity to work from anywhere in South Africa and contribute to cutting-edge research in areas such as population genetics, disease association studies, and the development of personalized medicine solutions. The ideal candidate will possess a PhD or Master's degree in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Statistics, or a related quantitative field, with extensive experience in analyzing large-scale genomic and transcriptomic datasets. You will be instrumental in developing and implementing computational pipelines, performing complex data analyses, and translating findings into actionable biological insights. We are committed to a remote-first culture, providing our team members with the flexibility and support they need to excel. This role offers the chance to collaborate with world-class scientists and make a significant impact on the advancement of genomic science globally.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain scalable bioinformatics pipelines for the analysis of large-scale genomic and transcriptomic data (e.g., WGS, WES, RNA-Seq).
• Perform complex data analysis, including variant calling, annotation, association studies, and pathway analysis.
• Develop and implement statistical methods for interpreting biological data and identifying significant findings.
• Collaborate with experimental biologists, geneticists, and clinicians to define research questions and analytical strategies.
• Visualize and interpret complex genomic datasets, effectively communicating findings through reports and presentations.
• Contribute to the development of novel analytical approaches and algorithms to address specific research challenges.
• Ensure data integrity, reproducibility, and adherence to best practices in computational science.
• Stay abreast of the latest advancements in bioinformatics tools, algorithms, and genomic technologies.
• Mentor junior bioinformaticians and computational biologists.
• Document analytical methods and results thoroughly for scientific publications and internal use.

Requirements

• PhD or Master's degree in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Statistics, Computer Science, or a related quantitative field.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in bioinformatics or computational biology, with a focus on analyzing genomic/transcriptomic data.
• Proficiency in programming languages commonly used in bioinformatics (e.g., Python, R, Perl).
• Experience with standard bioinformatics tools and databases (e.g., BLAST, GATK, Ensembl).
• Strong understanding of statistical concepts and their application in biological data analysis.
• Experience with cloud computing platforms (e.g., AWS, Google Cloud) and high-performance computing environments.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and critical thinking skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain complex technical concepts.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a remote team setting.
• Experience with population genetics or disease association studies is highly desirable.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary and performance-based bonuses.
• Remote work arrangement, offering flexibility and work-life balance.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance coverage.
• Generous paid time off and flexible working hours.
• Annual allowance for professional development, including courses and conferences.
• Opportunity to work with state-of-the-art computational resources and cutting-edge datasets.
• Retirement savings plan with company contributions.
• A collaborative and intellectually stimulating remote work environment.
• Opportunities for career growth and advancement within a global organization.