Principle Bioinformatics Scientist

Job Description - Principle Bioinformatics Scientist (260000L9)

The Principal Bioinformatics Scientist is the highest individual contributor role within the bioinformatics track, serving as a domain expert and scientific leader across multiple projects, technologies, and disease areas. This position requires a Ph.D. in a biological or computational discipline and 12–15 years of experience in applied bioinformatics, including leadership of independent computational research or development efforts. The Principal Scientist independently drives scientific collaborations, develops novel analytical strategies and tools, supports funded research programs, mentors across job functions, and shapes institutional standards in open science, reproducibility, and infrastructure.

Ideal candidates bring a record of publications, tool or method development, open‑source contributions, and a strong commitment to collaborative, high‑impact science.

Minimum Education
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in a biological or computational discipline (Required)

Minimum Work Experience
12–15 years in applied bioinformatics, genomics, and computational work, inclusive of relevant doctoral research (Required)

Required Skills/Knowledge

• Technical Skills
  • Expert proficiency in UNIX/Linux environments.
  • Expert‑level programming and data analysis in R, Python, or equivalent.
  • Deep experience with NGS, microarray, multi‑omics, and other high‑throughput platforms.
  • Expertise with bioinformatics tools, pipelines, and genomic databases (GATK, UCSC Genome Browser, Bioconductor, ENCODE, NCBI, Kids First, gnom
    
    AD, Clin Var, OMIM, HGMD, COSMIC).
  • Proficient in Git Hub, Docker/Podman/Singularity, and workflow automation.
  • Strong grasp of workflow management tools (Snakemake, Nextflow, WDL, CWL).
  • Experience with HPC and/or cloud platforms (AWS, Google Cloud) for large‑scale analyses.
  • Ability to develop user‑facing bioinformatics applications (RShiny, Python Streamlit).
• Scientific & Analytical Skills
  • Design and execute robust statistical analyses across diverse genomic and proteomic data.
  • Interpret and visualize results in biological or clinical contexts.
  • Deep domain expertise in at least one disease area or biological system.
  • Write scientific manuscripts, figures, and methods; authorship of peer‑reviewed papers.
• Collaborative & Professional Skills
  • Lead complex interdisciplinary projects and guide teams to publication.
  • Strong mentorship and training of junior scientists.
  • Excellent organizational, communication, and presentation skills.
  • Effective interaction with investigators, clinicians, laboratory staff, peers, and leadership.
  • Commitment to open science practices (transparency, reproducibility, shared documentation).
  • Familiarity with project management tools (Scrum, Agile, Jira, Git Hub Projects, Trello, Asana).

• Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)
  • Uphold the highest ethical standards and integrity in scientific activities.
  • Ensure data privacy and patient confidentiality.
  • Maintain reproducibility and transparency in code, workflows, and documentation.
  • Properly cite software tools, data sources, and collaborators.
  • Comply with institutional policies and federal regulations.
• Independent Research & Method Innovation
  • Lead and execute independent bioinformatics projects or tool development aligned with institutional priorities.
  • Innovate new methodologies, pipelines, or frameworks for multi‑omics research.
  • Drive the scientific vision for computational strategies in collaborative studies and grant applications.
  • Translate biological hypotheses into analytical designs and computational architecture.
• Infrastructure, Tool Development & Technical Leadership
  • Resolve advanced bioinformatics and workflow issues independently.
  • Guide platform architecture for reproducible and sustainable computational infrastructure.
  • Set best practices for code development, testing, versioning, and release management.
• Strategic Collaboration, Grant Support & Program Development
  • Lead or co‑lead institutional or multi‑center research collaborations.
  • Provide strategic consultation on bioinformatics infrastructure and project planning.
  • Identify, apply for, and secure grant funding for…