Bioinformatician

 

Description:

This position is for Bioinformatics Scientist with expertise in statistical and computational techniques. The Bioinformatician will work under supervision of Molecular Director. He or she will serve as an integral developer of the computational/analytic tools associated with new high-throughput genetic technologies under development.

 

Key Responsibilities:

· Develop and validate new bioinformatics methods and data processing pipelines to accurately interpret, analyse and report results of next generation sequencing.

 

· Serve as a technical expert in bioinformatics within the organization and provide support to multiple projects and programs.

 

· Develops and implements new QC measures and algorithms into the pipelines, processes or analyses.

 

· Assists with the development of standard operating procedures for bioinformatics analyses of clinical diagnostic tests.

 

· Performs data management, data analysis and other bioinformatics-related tasks in coordination with other genomics staff. Assures that quality control criteria are met, and clinical cases reported timely.

 

· Maintains and implements changes to lab informatics systems and other software interfaces as needed.

 

· Follows clinical laboratory procedures and policies in the performance of routine and specialized tasks.

 

· Ensures compliance with CAP/ISO requirements.

 

· Utilize statistical and machine learning techniques to aide in the interpretation of quantitative genomic data.

 

SECTION 2

Position Specifications

Qualifications:

§ Ph.D in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Statistics, Computer Science or closely related fields with a focus on applications of next generation sequencing (NGS)

§ Minimum 2-3 years of relevant experience

§ Great communications skills

§ Strong programming skills, and the ability to design and prototype computational algorithms in C , Python, R, Java, or C#

§ Comfortable in a Linux/Unix environment

§ Proven track record analysing data for next-generation DNA sequencing and/or genomic analysis a strong plus

§ Experience performing quantitative analyses on large genomic datasets. Understanding of molecular biology and human genetics / genomics highly desirable.

§ Industry or production next generation DNA sequencing experience (e.g., product development and commercialization) a plus.

§ Demonstrate outstanding personal initiative and the ability to work effectively as part of a team

§ Demonstrates excellent verbal and written and communication skills

§ Proven ability to draw robust conclusions from complex datasets, and present them in a clear and understandable way

 

SECTION 3

Competencies

Introduction: Competencies are a combination of knowledge, skills and abilities that are needed to perform tasks effectively. They aim to describe performance expectations in observable and measurable terms.

 

NRL’s position competency profiles are composed of two elements: Core Competencies, that relate to specific business aspects and Functional Competencies that are derived from the individual job position. They are either job-specific (e.g. accounting knowledge) or function-specific (e.g. Human Resources knowledge).

 

Core Competency Profile

Communications Skills

 

§ Actively listens and recalls others main points and takes them into account in own communication.

§ Checks own understanding of others communications.

 

English Language and Fundamentals

§ Demonstrates knowledge of basic vocabulary to communicate in English.

§ Knows the most important grammar rules of English.

§ Writes simple sentences for business purposes.

 

Verbal Communication

§ Maintains continuous open and consistent communication with others.

§ Uses varied sentence structure and vocabulary cohesively to convey ideas fluently.

 

Interpersonal Skills

§ Treats others with courtesy and respect.

§ Is professional and positive in interactions with others and is able to establish rapport quickly.

§ Responds effectively in moderately stressful situations.

§ Avoids counterproductive behaviour when confronted with frustrating problem or situation.

 

Writing Skill

§ Writes straight forward documents that are logical and comprehensive, yet concise.

 

Presentation Skills

§ Clearly presents straight forward matters to a small and known group.

 

Self and workload management

§ Establishes organizational systems for managing work, and tracking, monitoring, and measuring success.

§ Maintains discipline with respect to time keeping and attendance (compliance with working hours, avoiding frequent absenteeism and unauthorized absence from work).

§ Manages time effectively.

§ Monitors progress, quality of work and use of resources; provides status updates and makes adjustments as required.

§ Reflects on completed activities, identifies what worked well, what did not and how to improve own performance.

§ Continually seeks, acquires, and applies new knowledge and learning to improve job performance.

 

Position Competency Profile

§ Able to multitask and work independently as required.

§ Follow Standard Operating Procedures

§ Receive and prepare samples for processing.

§ Entry of requisition information into the LIMS system

§ Perform and document results of clinical testing.

· Participation in proficiency testing as proscribed by the College of American Pathologists Accreditation Program.

· Ensure availability of laboratory reagents and supplies.

· Maintenance of assay documentation including that of specimen handling, labelling, and worksheet preparation.

· Perform DNA isolation, Sanger and Illumina DNA/RNA sequencing, and analysis of assay results.

· Resolve actual and potential problems that may adversely affect test performance or results.