Two specialist positions as researchers in Bioinformatics or Data ...

About the workplace

Do you want to join us and contribute to developing an organization that, after more than 250 years, remains full of curiosity, and maintains a spirit of discovery and tremendous creativity? 

The vision statement for the Swedish Museum of Natural History (NRM), is to be the research museum that leads the way as a platform and forum of exchange among researchers, science, and the public. We offer a dynamic environment where professionals from many disciplines and backgrounds work together and are committed to our responsibility to collect data, produce innovative methods, and provide results, all founded in collections-based research. Our scientific research and environmental monitoring cover different aspects of biodiversity, ranging from individual species to ecosystems, as well as diverse evolutionary patterns and processes, both in Sweden and abroad. At the NRM, the Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics (BIO) consists of 30 employees who conduct research, develop systems and applications, and manage national and international infrastructures. BIO is the home unit for innovative, interdisciplinary research on biodiversity and ecosystems and functions as a critical interface at the NRM for computational, biological, and environmental sciences. 

The Swedish Biodiversity Data Infrastructure (SBDI, https://biodiversitydata.se/)  is an e-infrastructure established in 2021 with its headquarters at the NRM. It provides data and a wide range of tools for mobilization, visualization and analysis. The SBDI consortium includes eleven research institutions across Sweden in support of open data and open science, that is, transparent, accessible knowledge shared and developed within collaborative networks. In practice, the SBDI provides researchers with unified and open access to biodiversity data guided by FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable). The SBDI is a highly collaborative endeavour, hosting the Swedish node of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), the major global infrastructure for biodiversity research, and developing its technical platform with the Living Atlases community (LA). 

SciLifeLab, Science for Life Laboratory, is a national research infrastructure for molecular life sciences and is one of the government’s major investments in research infrastructures in Sweden. SciLifeLab’s overall vision is to enable ground-breaking, multidisciplinary research that would otherwise not be possible in Sweden, and to promote that the research leads to societal utility. SciLifeLab consists of ten technology platforms with activities at eleven different universities across the country. To increase visibility of its role as a national resource, in 2021, the SciLifeLab board established national sites at four universities outside the host universities in the capital region. The SciLifeLab Data Center is responsible for IT issues and research data management for SciLifeLab’s technology platforms and other SciLifeLab-organized programs and activities, such as the National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden (NBIS) and the National Research Program for Data-Driven Life Sciences (DDLS). 

The DDLS national program constitutes a 12-year initiative funded with a total of SEK 3.1 billion with the mission to accelerate data-driven research and capabilities within the life sciences. One of the four focus areas of the DDLS program is Evolution and Biodiversity. As part of the DDLS initiative, we are establishing a Data Science Node in Evolution and Biodiversity (DSN-EB), hosted by Uppsala University with staff in Uppsala (UU) and Stockholm (NRM). These staff members will form a central role in further strengthening the aforementioned infrastructures and to form a contact point between research projects and infrastructure accessibility. 

Work tasks

We are now looking for a bioinformatician with expertise relevant for leading data-driven Swedish research projects in evolution and biodiversity to join the Data Science Node in Evolution and Biodiversity (DSN-EB). This will be one of two WABI (Wallenberg Advanced Bioinformatics Infrastructure) support experts attached to NBIS/SciLifeLab; the other will be placed at Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, UU. 

This opportunity would allow you to contribute your skills and experience towards research on ecosystems and biodiversity, working on exciting projects and cutting-edge research within your areas of expertise. This position is a unique opportunity to be part of the larger DDLS framework and to contribute towards establishing an internationally leading role for Sweden in developing data science excellence in biological research. Eventually this will accelerate the development of biological research capabilities in addressing pressing global issues, such as the global biodiversity crisis. 

We believe in competence development and competence transfer, and here you have the opportunity to enter a key position in data-driven research projects on evolution and biodiversity. Primary areas of research will include biodiversity data from DNA sequencing of natural populations, environmental samples (metagenomics and metabarcoding) and data from automated recording of image, sound, video or sensor data, as well as large-scale analysis using machine learning. 

Responsibilities include planning, initiating and executing bioinformatics analyses, communication with research groups, staying aware of current developments in the field, and writing and communicating results and reports. NBIS/WABI experts will also be regularly involved in advanced bioinformatics training for the Swedish research community. Regular internal meetings and training opportunities will be part of the work. NBIS also provides time for professional development and the opportunity to learn from a diverse team of colleagues. 

Tasks may include travel to other Swedish universities, as knowledge exchange is a key aspect of NBIS operation and development, to maintain cutting-edge expertise for analysis of current and emerging data types. 

Qualifications

We are expanding expertise within the Data Science Node in Evolution and Biodiversity (DSN-EB) and are looking for a bioinformatician that can work closely with the SBDI and NBIS teams. You have a PhD in bioinformatics, molecular biology, computer science or related subjects in biodiversity informatics, or you have equivalent knowledge from relevant experience. You have experience (3+ years) in working with advanced bioinformatics analyses of omics data from high throughput methods. Proficiency in a scripting language like R or Python, as well as ability to work efficiently in a Linux command-line environment and on high performance computer clusters is required for this position. You should be comfortable working in open-source code in distributed environments (e.g., Git and GitHub) and Linux operating systems and familiar with Web Services (REST & SOAP), Spring Boot, Hibernate/ORM, JPA, Groovy, Grails, Maven and Gradle. 

Projects will involve bioinformatic analysis of biodiversity data (e.g. population genomics or metagenomics) in the context of large biodiversity datasets, work with Swedish genomes and environmental samples, automation of data pipelines for publication of intraspecific biodiversity genomics data, integration of these data with analysis and visualization tools, and development of AI- and ML-based tools for biodiversity data extraction from media files. 

This position requires a good written and spoken command of both English and Swedish – communication in English will be particularly important in many of your interactions. 

Personal skills
You are a driven, communicative, and results-oriented person, who can operate as part of a team in order to secure maximum returns on your efforts. This comes, in part, from your ability to respond to challenges in a flexible manner while working independently or within different working groups. 

You take the initiative to suggest new working methods or new activities leading towards the desired results, and you have the ability to argue for and explain how the activities could be carried out. 

You are able to plan, organize and prioritize your work effectively. The framework and organization schemes in which your work is produced will be readily accessible by team members, and you will be expected to follow established time project frames. 

Successful accomplishment of tasks will depend on your ability to respect the perspectives, skills, and work-related objectives of your colleagues, with insight on how to share your knowledge and otherwise support them in ways that benefit the team.

Scope of employment

Form of employment: Permanent employment
Scope: Full-time
Start date: according to mutual agreement. 

The position is a full-time permanent appointment with a six-month probationary period. Please note that the last year of the current funding period for DDLS is 2032.

Application

Last application date: 16/01/2023

Reference number: 2.3.1-725-2022

Employment

Number of positions advertised:  1

Contact

Anders Telenius
08-519 551 29
[email protected]

Union representative

Kevin Holston, Saco-S
08-519 540 92
[email protected]

Mattias Forshage, ST
08-519 540 49
[email protected]

Other

The Swedish Museum of Natural History strives for gender balance and ethnic and cultural diversity among its staff.