"CFI Bioinformatics Researcher"

About the Job

Work Arrangement:

• The position is expected to work primarily on-site. Your work location will be WMBB.
• The Department retains the right to modify flexible work arrangement agreements on a temporary or permanent basis for any reason at any time.

Job description:
Lead and coordinate bioinformatics research efforts supporting studies on decoding the responses to cell death, integrating computational analysis with experimental design and fostering collaborative research within the Center for Immunology (CFI).

Responsibilities:

• (60%) Lead research projects in bioinformatics and data-driven discovery.
  • Design and execute bioinformatics workflows for multi-omic datasets, including RNA-seq, scRNA-seq, ATAC-seq, and spatial transcriptomics derived from rodent models or human samples.
  • Oversee data processing, quality control, and computational analysis to ensure high accuracy, reproducibility, and adherence to best practices in data management.
  • Collaborate closely with investigators to integrate analytical findings into experimental design, interpretation, and hypothesis generation.
  • Prepare manuscripts, figures, and written/oral reports for internal and external dissemination, including journal publications and conference presentations.
  • Lead bioinformatics efforts on collaborative projects within the CFI, serving as a liaison across laboratories and providing strategic and technical guidance to enhance the impact of shared research goals.
• (20%) Supervise and mentor laboratory and research staff in bioinformatics and data analysis.
  • Train and guide laboratory members including junior scientists, graduate and undergraduate students, and postdoctoral fellows in computational methods, data management, and biological interpretation.
  • Provide oversight and troubleshooting for bioinformatics workflows, ensuring seamless coordination between experimental and computational components of ongoing studies.
  • Support the design, execution, and evaluation of data-driven experiments, maintaining high standards of methodological rigor and reproducibility.
• (15%) Oversight of analysis, interpretation, and reporting of scientific data.
  • Direct and co-lead data interpretation sessions with collaborating teams and faculty investigators at CFI.
  • Compile and present bioinformatics findings in internal seminars, collaborative meetings, and national conferences.
  • Maintain detailed documentation of analytical pipelines and data management procedures to ensure transparency, traceability, and reproducibility.
• (5%) Contribute to grant preparation and strategic planning of new research initiatives.
  • Assist in the conception, design, and drafting of research proposals by providing analytical frameworks, pilot data, and figures.
  • Contribute to the preparation of large collaborative grants with CFI faculty, including the integration of bioinformatics aims and preliminary results.
  • Participate in collaborative editing, submission, and revision of grant applications and progress reports.
• Other duties as assigned, including coordination of cross-laboratory computational collaborations and the continued development of institutional bioinformatics capacity

Qualifications

All required qualifications must be documented on application materials.

Required Qualifications:

• Doctorate in the life sciences, computer science, or engineering, or related field with substantial research and publication record.
• Experience analyzing transcriptome and single-cell sequencing datasets such as scRNA-Seq, CITE-Seq, TCR/BCR-Seq.
• Proficiency in programming in R, Python, SLURM scheduler, workflow management systems such as Snakemake and RMSAbility to understand and translate researchers' scientific goals into analytical strategies and process requirements.
• Experience in experimental design, statistical analysis and data visualization.
• Experience working with a diverse team of scientists to achieve common goals while demonstrating self-initiative.
• Critical and independent thinking.
• Excellent communication skills – verbal and written, and interpersonal skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Extensive experience epigenomics data analysis, including whole genome Methl-seq sequencing, phylogenomics, ATAC-seq, ChIP-seq, HiC
• Experience in the development of bioinformatics pipelines for high-performance computing cluster
• Experience in developing and maintaining clinical genomics analysis pipelines for somatic and germline sequencing projects
• Expert level knowledge in analysis of short and long read sequencing platforms like Illumina, PacBio and nanopore sequencers

Pay and Benefits

Pay Range: $94,400 - $118,000; depending on education/qualifications/experience

Time Appointment: 100% Appointment

Position Type: P&A Staff

Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding benefit eligibility.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program
• Low-cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and employer-paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost
• Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metro area

How To Apply

Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will be given the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter and resume.

Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Job Applications" page and uploading documents in the "My Cover Letters and Attachments" section.

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail employ@umn.edu or call (612) 624-8647.