Bioinformatics Research Professional

Atlanta, with extended campuses in Atlanta, Griffin, Gwinnett, and Tifton. UGA employs approximately 3,100 faculty and more than 7,700 full-time staff. The University's enrollment exceeds 41,000 students including over 31,000 undergraduates and over 10,000 graduate and professional students. Academic programs reside in 19 schools and colleges, including our newly established School of Medicine.

College/Unit/Department website: https://poultry.caes.uga.edu/

Posting Type: External

Retirement Plan: TRS or ORP

Employment Type: Employee

Benefits Eligibility: Benefits Eligible

Full/Part time: Full Time

Additional Schedule Information: Generally Monday – Friday, 8 am – 5 pm
Occasional weekend or holiday as determined by project needs

Advertised Salary: Commensurate with Experience

Posting Date: 09/30/2026

Open until filled: Yes

Proposed Starting Date: 12/01/2026

Location of Vacancy: Athens Area

EEO Policy Statement: The University of Georgia is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or veteran status or other protected status. Persons needing accommodations or assistance with the accessibility of materials related to this search are encouraged to contact Central HR (hrweb@uga.edu).

USG Core Values Statement: The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 25 institutions of higher education and learning, as well the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 08.02.18.01.02.

Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 06.05 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom.

Classification Title: Bioinformatics Analyst I

FLSA: Exempt

FTE: 1.00

Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent

Position Summary: The Bioinformatics Research Professional (Grant Funded) will have responsibility with primary focus on novel gene discovery and characterization. This position will be responsible for the development of next generation sequence pipelines for the analysis of large microbiome, transcriptome, and metabolome datasets. These pipelines and applications will be based on existing tools and algorithms as well as newly developed solutions tailored to address specific research goals.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and/or Competencies:

• Familiar with publicly available bioinformatics tools, algorithms, and websites
• Strong programming skills in R and Python
• Proficiency in working with databases and data management platforms (ex. SQL/NoSQL)
• Demonstrate a solid scientific proficiency, creativity, and ability to collaborate effectively with others, and independent thought processes
• Capable of working on problems of diverse scope in which analysis of data involves a detailed evaluation of possible factors
• Team player and a focused individual with a strong work ethic and great attention to detail
• Exhibit excellent communication skills and a broad knowledge of existing technologies, with ability to distill and relay complex scientific concepts to a variety of audiences.
• Familiar with publicly available bioinformatics tools, algorithms, and websites
• Strong programming skills in R and Python.
• Experience in bioinformatics software development and research
• Experience in NGS data analysis, including algorithm development, genome and metagenome assembly and annotation, microbial community profiling using 16S and ITS amplicon data, and development of statistical reporting tools
• Experience developing tools in programming languages such as Python, R, C++, Java, Perl, or Matlab
• Experience with general NGS data analysis tools such as SAMtools, pysam, Picard Tools, Bowtie, BWA, and CLC Genomics Workbench, and other functional annotation software
• Proven ability to independently manage several distinct projects at once
• Ability to exercise judgment within broadly defined practices and policies in selecting methods, techniques, and evaluation of criteria for obtaining results
• Ability to assemble the Eimeria spp genome to support research goals

Physical Demands:

• Standing
• Walking
• Sitting
• Lift 20 pounds
• Driving as needed to perform job duties

Is driving a responsibility of this position?: Yes

Is this a Position of Trust?: Yes

Does this position have operation, access, or control of financial resources?: No

Does this position require a P-Card?: No

Is having a P-Card an essential function of this position?: No

Does this position have direct interaction or care of children under the age of 18 or direct patient care?: No

Does this position have Security Access (e.g., public safety, IT security, personnel records, patient records, or access to chemicals and medications): Yes

Credit and P-Card policy: Be advised a credit check will be required for all positions with financial responsibilities. For additional information about the credit check criteria, visit the UGA Credit Background Check website.

Background Investigation Policy: Offers of employment are contingent upon completion of a background investigation including, a criminal background check demonstrating your eligibility for employment with the University of Georgia; confirmation of the credentials and employment history reflected in your application materials (including reference checks) as they relate to the job-based requirements of the position applied for; and, if applicable, a satisfactory credit check. You may also be subject to a pre-employment drug test for positions with high-risk responsibilities, if applicable. Please visit the UGA Background Check website.

Duties/Responsibilities:

Data Analysis and Interpretation

• Analyze microbiome, transcriptome, metabolome, and genomic datasets generated through next-generation sequencing (NGS) platforms.
• Perform quality assessment, preprocessing, and statistical analysis of large-scale biological datasets.
• Conduct microbial community profiling using 16S rRNA and ITS amplicon sequencing data.
• Interpret sequencing results and identify novel genes, biomarkers, and biological pathways.
• Generate visualizations, summaries, and analytical reports to support research objectives.
• Evaluate analytical methods and optimize approaches for complex biological data interpretation.
• Perform genome, metagenome, and transcriptome assembly, annotation, and comparative analyses.

Percentage of time: 35

Duties/Responsibilities:

Software and Pipeline Development

• Develop and maintain automated bioinformatics pipelines for NGS data analysis.
• Design and implement computational tools using Python, R, and other programming languages as needed.
• Create and optimize software tools for microbial community profiling using 16S rRNA, ITS, shotgun metagenomics, and metatranscriptomics datasets.
• Develop novel algorithms and analytical approaches for gene discovery, microbial diversity assessment, and functional pathway analysis.
• Manage code repositories using version-control systems such as Git and GitHub/GitLab
• Integrate existing bioinformatics software and algorithms into scalable analytical workflows.
• Develop customized analytical solutions to address project-specific research questions.
• Evaluate, test, and optimize software performance for efficiency, reproducibility, and accuracy.
• Implement workflow documentation, version control, and software quality assurance procedures.
• Troubleshoot and resolve issues related to pipeline execution and data processing.

Percentage of time: 25

Duties/Responsibilities:

Database and Infrastructure Management

• Maintain and manage biological databases and data repositories.
• Organize, store, and archive sequencing datasets and analytical outputs.
• Develop and administer SQL/NoSQL database structures supporting research activities.
• Monitor computational infrastructure and ensure availability of bioinformatics resources.
• Implement data security, backup, and recovery procedures for research data.
• Coordinate data storage and transfer across institutional and external computing environments.
• Optimize computing resources and workflows to support large-scale data analyses.

Percentage of time: 20

Duties/Responsibilities:

Collaborative Research and Reporting

• Coordinate sequence submission with repository centers.
• Discuss research objectives and analytical strategies with principal investigators and collaborators.
• Transfer datasets to or from researchers and collaborating institutions.
• Participate in multidisciplinary research meetings and project planning activities.
• Prepare technical reports, data summaries, and research documentation.
• Present findings and analytical results to research teams and stakeholders.
• Provide bioinformatics expertise and consultation to investigators and students.
• Contribute to manuscript preparation, grant proposals, and scientific publications.
• Communicate complex bioinformatics concepts and results to diverse scientific and non-scientific audiences.

Percentage of time: 20

Contact Details:

For questions concerning this position or recruitment progression, please refer to the Recruitment Contact listed below.

Recruitment Contact Name: Kim Kotkiewicz

Recruitment Contact Email: kimk@uga.edu

Recruitment Contact Phone: 706-542-1351