Bioinformatician 2
The University of Chicago

Department

PSD Computer Science: Administration and Staff

About the Department

Are you passionate about leveraging your skills to combat global health threats? The University of Chicago (UC) invites applications from experienced bioinformaticians to join our cutting-edge vaccine development bioinformatics group. Together, we're dedicated to building tools and workflows essential for the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness and Innovation (CEPI) Disease X program, aimed at preventing the spread of emerging viruses.
Led by Professor Rick Stevens from the Department of Computer Science, our project focuses on constructing a comprehensive knowledge base of data and AI models crucial for vaccine development against emerging viruses. Researchers with diverse backgrounds from UChicago and Argonne National Laboratory will be partnering with cross-institution collaborators at Houston Methodist, UT Austin, UTMB, JCVI, and LJI.

Job Summary

The job develops and implements programs to promote a research project or contributes to the scientific direction of a research resource.

Responsibilities

• Leads bioinformatic viral genomic analysis and research, including assembly, annotation, data mining, and metadata curation.
• Conducts phylogenomics and structural biology research independently and presents findings to the team and research community.
• Developing AI models to predict metadata and experimental outcomes.
• Presents research findings at conferences, seminars, and scientific journals.
• Collaborates closely with internal and external stakeholders to drive innovation in the field.
• Serves as a resource for collecting data and performing analysis. Facilitates and promotes a research project by providing scientific or intellectual information.
• Develops laboratory protocols and training on new techniques. Manage, analyze and make recommendations on complex data sets for research.
• Creates first drafts for scientific writing and publications, including protocols and grants.
• Trains and mentors laboratory personnel.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:
Minimum requirements include a PhD in related field.
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Work Experience:
Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.
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Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• PhD degree in bioinformatics, computational biology, computer science, or biology.
  

Experience:

• Expertise in bioinformatics and AI techniques to tackle research challenges in virology and vaccine development.
  
• Strong background in virology or viral bioinformatics.
  
• Experience with next-generation sequencing (NGS) data analysis workflows.
  

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Proficiency in bioinformatics analysis techniques and tools.
  
• Familiarity with computational algorithms for DNA sequence alignment and polymorphism detection.
  
• Fluency in Python, with experience in Perl recommended.
  
• Familiarity with Unix command line environment.
  
• Familiarity with AI based techniques is preferred.
  

Preferred Competencies

• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
  
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
  

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
  
• Cover Letter (required)
  
• References Contact Information (3)(required)
  

When applying, the document(s) MUSTbe uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Research

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

FLSA Status

Exempt

Pay Frequency

Monthly

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Benefits Eligible

Yes

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

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