Python Job: Full-Stack Software Engineer

The Centre for Population Genomics focuses on the development of cutting-edge tools and resources to facilitate the conversion of genomic data into improved diagnosis and treatment for Australians, the field known as genomic medicine. Ultimately, the Centre will generate and manage the largest sets of genomic and clinical data ever assembled in Australia, and apply these to solve a wide variety of scientific and medical problems. The Centre’s staff will operate from two physical sites: Garvan in Sydney, and the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) in Melbourne.

THE OPPORTUNITY

You’ll be responsible for designing and implementing large scale genomic analysis methods (using and extending frameworks like Hail
) in conjunction with web-based tools (like the gnomAD browser
or seqr
) for providing intuitive access to complex scientific datasets.

This role will be a part of a small, high-energy software engineering team that will work in close collaboration with the Centre’s genomic analysis teams. The latter will consist of computational biologists and population geneticists, who will iterate with you on analysis methods, tools, interfaces, and visualizations. There will be a huge opportunity to work on projects across the full stack, as the infrastructure, tools, and workflows you’ll develop will drive both the frontend and backend requirements. This is a 4 year term with high possibility of extension

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Working closely with computational biologists to translate their requirements into scalable cloud-based infrastructure (e.g. metadata databases, workflow management systems on multiple cloud providers) that can be deployed in production on massive genomic datasets.

• Gathering feedback and iterating on your tools, interfaces, and visualizations.

• Implementing, debugging, optimizing, deploying, monitoring, and maintaining your solutions, picking the most appropriate technologies for the task.

• Tracking and communicating progress regularly, flagging risks and roadblocks early on.

ABOUT YOU

• A BCST / BIT / BE degree in computer science, software engineering, information technology, bioinformatics engineering, biomedical engineering or a related field.

• Solid experience with one or more prominent languages such as Java, Python, C++, Go, Rust, Scala. Understanding of how to build performant, decoupled, testable, maintainable code.

• Experience with deployments in a standard cloud environment like AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure.

• Ability to prioritize across multiple simultaneous projects and keep stakeholders in the loop.

• Keen interest in open source and desire to learn new technologies and understand / enhance large existing code bases.

• Experience with bioinformatics analysis methods and workflows is a plus.

• A pragmatic approach to software driven by project needs and timelines rather than a predetermined commitment to specific technical stacks.

• Ability to work effectively in a fully remote team, including strong communication skills, both written and verbal.

EXCITING PROGRAMS AND PLANS AHEAD

The Centre for Population Genomics is in the process of launching the following efforts:

• A pilot program to sequence and analyze the whole genomes of 10,000 Australians from diverse populations, which currently are almost completely absent in genomic reference datasets. This will directly translate to significantly improved diagnosis of rare diseases for these groups.

• Over the next 5-10 years we anticipate that genome sequences will be generated for more than a million Australians, resulting in a raw dataset of about 100 PB. The platforms you’ll help build will need to scale accordingly.

• Building and applying new methods to directly improve the diagnosis of children affected by rare genetic diseases, such as the use of nanopore long-read DNA sequencing and single-cell RNA sequencing. This work will provide families across Australia with answers to their child’s mystery illness.

SNAPSHOT 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 ongoing 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

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