Python Job: Computational Biologist

The CPG’s vision is a world in which the potential impact of genomic data on healthcare is realised for all people, through the establishment of respectful partnerships with diverse communities and the collection and analysis of genomic data at a transformative scale. The Centre is led by experts in community engagement, software development, genomic analysis and project management. Director Daniel MacArthur previously served as the co-director of Medical and Population Genetics at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, where he led the development of the Genome Aggregation Database (gnomAD), the largest and most widely used collection of human DNA sequencing data in the world.

THE OPPORTUNITY

We are seeking a Computational Biologist to contribute to the development of cloud-based analysis pipelines for large-scale genomic datasets, to apply these pipelines to increasingly large human genomic data sets, and to work closely with other Centre staff and external researchers to carry out and publish novel analyses of the data. The Computational Biologist will join a highly collaborative team including other analysis and methods development staff, software engineers, project managers, communities specialists, and trainees.

As part of the mission of the Centre for Population Genomics, this team will be responsible for handling data generated through new sequencing projects as well as the aggregation of public resources to create a novel resource for human genetics that reflects the remarkable population diversity of Australia. The resulting data sets and software will be widely shared with the broader research community, maximising their impact on science and health outcomes.

While this position will involve direct exposure to cutting-edge genomic science, this is a professional role, with performance evaluated based on team outcomes rather than traditional academic metrics such as publications. This position could be physically based either at the MCRI in Melbourne or the Garvan Institute in Sydney. We are also open to applicants based elsewhere in Australia as a fully remote position.

Salary: up to $113,000 + 10.5% super + salary packaging
Employment Type: 3 year term contract

SNAP SHOT OF BENEFITS

• Generous salary packaging to save you income tax on your wages thereby boosting your monthly take home pay (max. $15,900 general expenses + $2,650 meals/accom)

• Ample opportunities for on-going training and development

• Stimulating, diverse and highly international research environment

• Flexible work arrangements e.g. location, start / finish times etc

• 18 weeks paid parental leave for both parents including paid superannuation

• A range of additional leave types to meet your personal needs including cultural leave, conference leave, community service and study leave

• Discounted Health Insurance

• Lifestyle discounts with our community partners

WHAT YOU WILL DO

The Computational Biologist will be responsible for performing quality control and analysis on large-scale genomic datasets. The key responsibilities include:

• Managing the ingestion of data into the CPG cloud environment, including handling metadata and performing pre-processing or data restructuring as required

• Processing and analysing large genomic datasets using cloud-based pipelines to produce high-quality genomic resources, including tasks such as variant calling and quality control assessment

• Working closely with bioinformaticians and software developers to build data analysis pipelines suitable for large-scale genomic datasets, including the refinement of existing pipelines and the development of novel solutions

• Analysing diverse genomic datasets to produce shareable resources that have the potential for real-world impact on health outcomes

• Meeting regularly with Centre project management staff to understand evolving project priorities and contribute to project delivery planning

ABOUT YOU

The key skills and experience required include:

• Formal qualifications (PhD OR Master of Science with 2+ years of related experience OR Bachelor of Science with 3+ years of related experience) in human genetics, computational biology, functional genomics, or a related field.

• Fluent in at least one programming language (Python and/or R preferred) and the Linux command line interface

• Experience working with high-performance and/or cloud computing environments

• Experience wrangling large datasets and/or complex data types, ideally from the genomics field

• Skilled communicator, who is able to explain complex concepts relating to their work to both technical and non-technical audiences

• Highly engaged and team-orientated, focused on solving important biological and medical problems through tight collaboration with other team members from a diverse range of backgrounds

DESIRABLE SKILLS

The following skills and experience would be beneficial:

• Direct experience with cloud computing and pipelining tools

• Experience performing processing, quality control and analysis of very large genomic data sets, including handling metadata and cleaning raw data

• Experience working in a collaborative coding environment, such as using git to manage code changes, using pull requests to give and receive constructive feedback, and participating in peer programming sessions

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for this position, please submit your application with a CV and cover letter as one document, stating why you are interested in this role. We are reviewing applications as they are received. If you think you’re the right person for this role, we’d love to hear how your capabilities, achievements and experience set you apart. Only applicants with full working rights in Australia are eligible to apply for this role.

Job Type: Full-time

Salary: Up to $15,900.00 per month