Bioinformatician or Scientific Programmer at the Biomedical Sequencing Facility of CeMM and the Medical University of Vienna
The Biomedical Sequencing Facility is Austria’s leading technology platform and service provider dedicated to genome sequencing in biomedicine – and one of the country’s largest producers of scientific ‘big data’. It is located at the CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and operates in close collaboration with the Medical University of Vienna.
To keep up with rapid growth, we are looking for a highly motivated Bioinformatician or Scientific Programmer who would like to contribute to the booming field of digital medicine. The successful candidate will process and analyze complex genome-wide datasets on a dedicated high-performance computing cluster available at CeMM, contributing to collaborative research projects and biomedical applications of genome sequencing technology. At CeMM, we take career development of our staff seriously. For example, we will train the successful candidate in state-of-the-art technologies that are in high demand in academia and industry, and we encourage contribution and co-authorship in scientific publications. Importantly, genomic medicine is a hot topic in Austria and internationally, thus creating a highly promising area for future career development. Tasks and pay are commensurable with skills and performance.
Relevant Qualifications
• Bachelor, Master, and/or PhD degree in bioinformatics, computer science, physics, or quantitative biology (or equivalent)
• Proactive mindset, getting-things-done attitude (start-up experience/spirit is a plus)
• Strong programming skills (any language) and experience working with large volumes of data
• A high degree of accuracy, reliability, organization skills, and a commitment to high-quality service provision
• A formal education in software engineering and/or work experience as a software developer is a plus (but not mandatory)
• Prior experience working with biological or medical data is also a plus (but not mandatory)
• Friendly, collaborative mindset, ability to multi-task and to work effectively in an international environment
• Written and oral communication skills in English
• Motivation to work in one of the fastest-moving and future-oriented areas of biomedicine
Typical Tasks
• Software development. Developing cutting-edge software and analysis pipelines for genome data analysis
• Data processing. Maintaining a constant flow of sequencing data (terabytes per week) being transformed into information
• Data analysis. Collaborative work with researchers whose projects profit from state-of-the-art computational methods
• Data management. Developing databases and web infrastructure to keep track of data, analyses, and projects
• Technology development. Work in areas such as single-cell sequencing and whole genome sequencing in a medical context
• Training and outreach. Contributing to workshops and teaching collaborating scientists how to analyze their data
• Genom Austria. Depending on interest, work with CeMM’s citizen science project on personal genomes could be part of the job
The Biomedical Sequencing Facility (cemm.at/research/groups/biomedical-sequencing-facility-bsf/)
The successful candidate will be part of the team of the Biomedical Sequencing Facility (BSF) based at CeMM. The BSF is Austria’s first and leading center of expertise for next generation sequencing in biomedicine, jointly operated by the Medical University of Vienna and the CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. The BSF focuses on technologies with direct relevance to biomedicine and currently offers genome, epigenome, and transcriptome sequencing services for biomedical applications. Furthermore, it supports biomedical scientists and clinicians in the development of custom NGS protocols and in the bioinformatic analysis of the resulting datasets. The BSF also leads the genome sequencing for Genom Austria (genomaustria.at/), Austria’s Personal Genome Project.
The Institute (www.cemm.at)
CeMM is an international research institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and a founding member of EU-LIFE. It has an outstanding track record of top-notch science (last five years: 10 papers in Nature/Cell/Science/NEJM, >20 papers in Nature/Cell sister journals) and medical translation. CeMM provides a truly collaborative and personal environment, while maintaining critical mass and all relevant technologies. Research at CeMM focuses on cancer, inflammation, and immune disorders. CeMM is located at the center of one of the largest medical campuses in Europe, within walking distance of Vienna’s historical city center. A study by “The Scientist” placed CeMM among the top-5 best places to work in academia world-wide (the-scientist.com/2012/08/01/best-places-to-work-academia-2012). Vienna is frequently ranked the world’s best city to live. It is a United Nations city with a large English-speaking community. The official language at CeMM is English, and more than 40 different nationalities are represented at the institute.
Please apply online (goo.gl/fW7Olw) with cover letter, CV, academic transcripts, and contact details of two referees. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Any application received by 20 May 2017 will be considered. Start dates are flexible.