Senior Computational Biologist - Remote Genomics Analytics

Placements24; Mtubatuba Local Municipality; Remote; ZAR 2,312,000 - 3,138,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work

Health coverage

Retirement plan

Flexible schedule

Generous PTO

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Computational Biologist to join a fully remote team focused on analyzing large-scale biological datasets across genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics. You will develop analytical pipelines, apply advanced statistics and machine learning, and collaborate with bench scientists and data engineers to drive discovery programs.

The role requires extensive experience in bioinformatics, programming (Python or R), and cloud computing, with a track record of delivering

Qualifications

• Ph.D. or Master's degree in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Computer Science, Statistics, or a related quantitative field.
• 5+ years of experience in computational biology or bioinformatics research, preferably in an industry setting.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python or R, and experience with relevant bioinformatics libraries (e.g., Biopython, SciPy, NumPy, Pandas).
• Strong experience with common bioinformatics tools and databases (e.g., BLAST, Ensembl, UCSC Genome Browser).
• Expertise in statistical analysis, machine learning, and data mining techniques.
• Experience analyzing large-scale sequencing data (e.g., WGS, RNA-Seq).
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to tackle complex computational challenges.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in a remote team environment.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and manage project timelines.
• Experience with cloud computing platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) is a plus.
• Previous exposure to drug discovery or a related biological research area is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and maintain robust bioinformatics pipelines for the analysis of high-throughput biological data (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, etc.).
• Perform complex statistical analyses and build predictive models to identify key biological patterns and correlations.
• Collaborate closely with experimental biologists to interpret results and generate actionable insights.
• Visualize and communicate complex data effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Contribute to the design of experiments, providing input on data generation strategies and analytical approaches.
• Stay current with the latest advancements in computational biology, bioinformatics tools, and machine learning techniques.
• Develop and implement reproducible research practices, including code versioning and documentation.
• Mentor junior computational biologists and provide technical guidance to research teams.
• Participate in the preparation of scientific publications, reports, and grant proposals.
• Contribute to the strategic direction of our data analysis efforts, identifying new opportunities and challenges.

Skills

Python

R

Bioinformatics

Statistics

Machine learning

Education

Ph.D. or Master's in Computational Biology/Bioinformatics/CS/Statistics

Tools

Biopython

SciPy

NumPy

Pandas

BLAST

Ensembl/UCSC Genome Browser

Job description

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Computational Biologist to join a fully remote team focused on analyzing large-scale biological datasets across genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics. You will develop analytical pipelines, apply advanced statistics and machine learning, and collaborate with bench scientists and data engineers to drive discovery programs.

The role requires extensive experience in bioinformatics, programming (Python or R), and cloud computing, with a track record of delivering