Senior Computational Biologist - Remote First

Placements24; Randburg; Hybrid; ZAR 2,470,000 - 3,458,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully remote role

Competitive salary + bonuses

Health, dental, and vision insurance

Retirement plan with company matching

Professional development funding

Generous PTO

Home office stipend

Remote-first culture

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Computational Biologist to join a remote-first team focused on genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data analysis. You will design and implement advanced computational pipelines and apply machine learning to extract biological insights driving drug discovery and development.

The ideal candidate holds a PhD with 7+ years in computational biology or bioinformatics, strong Python or R skills, and experience with HPC and cloud platforms.

Qualifications

• PhD in a quantitative field (Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, CS or Statistics).
• Minimum 7 years of relevant research in computational biology or bioinformatics.
• Strong Python or R programming with bioinformatics libraries.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement advanced computational pipelines for high-throughput data (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics).
• Develop ML algorithms to identify patterns and generate hypotheses from complex datasets.
• Collaborate with experimental biologists and clinicians to guide research strategies.
• Create custom bioinformatics tools and scripts to support research objectives.
• Visualize data and communicate findings to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Stay current with advancements in computational biology and related fields.
• Mentor junior scientists and contribute to knowledge sharing.
• Contribute to experimental design to validate computational findings.
• Manage data integrity, storage, and security for large datasets.
• Participate in publications and conferences.

Skills

Python

R

Machine learning

Statistics

Data analysis

Education

PhD in Computational Biology/Bioinformatics/CS/Statistics

7+ years of research experience

Tools

Biopython

Pandas

NumPy

SciPy

AWS

Google Cloud

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a globally recognized leader in biotechnology and bioinformatics, is seeking a highly skilled Senior Computational Biologist to join their dynamic, remote-first team. This role is focused on developing and implementing sophisticated computational approaches to analyze large-scale genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic datasets. You will play a key role in extracting biological insights that drive our drug discovery and development efforts. The ideal candidate will possess a strong foundation in biology, extensive experience in bioinformatics, and advanced programming skills. This is a fully remote position, offering unparalleled flexibility and the opportunity to collaborate with leading researchers worldwide from the comfort of your home office. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce, leveraging cutting-edge technology to address complex biological questions. Join us in revolutionizing healthcare through data-driven biological discovery. This is a fantastic opportunity for a motivated scientist to make a significant impact without geographical constraints. We embrace a remote-first culture, ensuring seamless collaboration and support for all team members regardless of their location.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement advanced computational pipelines for the analysis of high-throughput biological data (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics).
• Develop and apply machine learning algorithms to identify patterns and generate hypotheses from complex biological datasets.
• Collaborate with experimental biologists and clinicians to interpret results and guide research strategies.
• Develop custom bioinformatics tools and scripts to support research objectives.
• Visualize complex biological data and communicate findings effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Stay current with the latest advancements in computational biology, bioinformatics, and relevant biological fields.
• Mentor junior computational biologists and contribute to team knowledge sharing.
• Contribute to the design of experiments to validate computational findings.
• Manage data integrity, storage, and security for large-scale biological datasets.
• Participate in scientific publications and presentations at relevant conferences.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Computer Science, Statistics, or a related quantitative field.
• Minimum of 7 years of relevant research experience in computational biology or bioinformatics.
• Strong programming skills in Python or R, including experience with relevant bioinformatics libraries (e.g., Biopython, Pandas, NumPy, SciPy).
• Proficiency in using high-performance computing environments and cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Google Cloud).
• Experience with common bioinformatics databases and sequence analysis tools.
• Deep understanding of statistical methods and machine learning techniques applied to biological data.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.
• Proven ability to work independently and manage projects effectively in a remote setting.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, essential for a distributed team.
• Experience with single-cell data analysis is a plus.
• Publication record in reputable journals is highly desirable.

Benefits

• This is a fully remote role, offering the ultimate flexibility.
• Our client provides a highly competitive salary and performance-based bonuses.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans are available from day one.
• A generous retirement savings plan with company matching is offered.
• Excellent opportunities for professional growth, including funding for online courses, workshops, and virtual conferences.
• Generous paid time off policy to support work-life balance.
• Home office setup stipend to ensure a productive and comfortable remote work environment.
• We foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning within our remote-first organization.