Senior Data Scientist (Bioinformatics)

Placements24; Stellenbosch; Remote; ZAR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote-first position

Competitive salary and benefits

Health, dental, vision insurance

Retirement contributions

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

Placements24 invites a Senior Data Scientist with a PhD in bioinformatics to join a remote-first genomics research team. You will drive omics data analyses, build pipelines for genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics, and mentor junior scientists across disciplines.

The role emphasizes collaboration with biologists and clinicians, design of robust statistical methods, and publication‑level quality of results in a flexible, globally distributed environment.

Qualifications

• PhD in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, CS or Statistics.
• 5–7+ years of bioinformatics or computational biology research.
• Strong programming and data analysis skills with omics data.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize bioinformatics pipelines for omics data (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics).
• Analyze datasets to identify biomarkers, patterns and correlations.
• Design statistical analyses to support hypotheses and experiments.
• Build predictive models and ML algorithms for biological tasks.
• Collaborate with researchers to interpret results and guide experiments.
• Communicate insights through clear visualizations for diverse audiences.
• Stay current with advances in bioinformatics and data science.
• Mentor junior data scientists and contribute to knowledge sharing.
• Contribute to software tools and databases for research.

Skills

Python

R

Perl

ML Techniques

HPC

NGS Data Analysis

Data Visualization

Cloud Computing

Education

PhD in Bioinformatics or related field

Tools

BLAST

Ensembl

TCGA

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a cutting-edge genomics research institute, is looking for a Senior Data Scientist specializing in Bioinformatics to join their remote-first research team. This role is instrumental in analyzing complex biological datasets, including genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data, to drive biological discovery and advance personalized medicine. You will be responsible for developing and implementing sophisticated analytical pipelines, identifying key biological insights, and collaborating with researchers across various disciplines. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to high-impact research in a flexible, remote work environment, leveraging advanced computational techniques to unlock the secrets of the genome.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and optimize bioinformatics pipelines for large-scale omics data analysis (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics).
• Analyze complex biological datasets to identify significant patterns, biomarkers, and correlations.
• Design and conduct statistical analyses to support research hypotheses and experimental designs.
• Develop predictive models and machine learning algorithms for biological applications.
• Collaborate closely with biologists, clinicians, and other researchers to interpret findings and guide experimental direction.
• Visualize complex biological data to effectively communicate insights to diverse audiences.
• Stay current with the latest advancements in bioinformatics, computational biology, and data science.
• Mentor junior data scientists and bioinformaticians, contributing to team growth and knowledge sharing.
• Contribute to the development of software tools and databases for bioinformatics research.
• Ensure data integrity, reproducibility, and compliance with data privacy regulations.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Computer Science, Statistics, or a related quantitative field.
• Minimum of 5-7 years of experience in bioinformatics or computational biology research, with a focus on analyzing omics data.
• Strong proficiency in programming languages commonly used in bioinformatics (e.g., Python, R, Perl).
• Extensive experience with bioinformatics tools and databases (e.g., BLAST, Ensembl, TCGA).
• Deep understanding of statistical methods and machine learning techniques applied to biological data.
• Experience with cloud computing platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and high-performance computing (HPC) environments.
• Proven ability to manage complex data analysis projects and deliver actionable insights.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and presentation skills, essential for remote work.
• Demonstrated track record of publications in peer-reviewed journals.
• Experience with next-generation sequencing (NGS) data analysis is essential.

Benefits

• As a remote-first position, this role offers exceptional flexibility and work-life integration.
• Our client provides a highly competitive salary and benefits package, including comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance, as well as retirement contributions.
• We support continuous professional development through access to online courses, virtual conferences, and research collaborations.
• Employees benefit from working on impactful projects at the forefront of genomic research, with opportunities to contribute to groundbreaking discoveries.