Senior research engineer in bioinformatics/web development

Umeå University is one of Sweden’s largest higher education institutions with over 37,000 students and about 4,700 employees. The University offers a diversity of high-quality education and world-leading research in several fields. Notably, the groundbreaking discovery of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool, which was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, was made here. At Umeå University, everything is close. Our cohesive campuses make it easy to meet, work together and exchange knowledge, which promotes a dynamic and open culture.

The ongoing societal transformation and large green investments in northern Sweden create enormous opportunities and complex challenges. For Umeå University, conducting research about – and in the middle of – a society in transition is key. We also take pride in delivering education to enable regions to expand quickly and sustainably. In fact, the future is made here.

Umeå Plant Science Center (UPSC) is one of Europe's strongest research environments for basic plant research (www.upsc.se). Our common goal is to understand plants' adaptability and acclimatization to a changing environment.

The Department of Plant Physiology (www.umu.se/en/department-of-plant-physiology/), which is part of UPSC, is looking for a senior research engineer who will work with bioinformatics web development. The position is permanent and available for an immediate start date or according to agreement.

You will work in a joint research environment at the Department of Plant Physiology in collaboration with teams at the UPSC bioinformatics facility, National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden (NBIS), the Data Driven Life Science (DDLS) programme and the Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), Ghent, Belgium. A current focus of the position will be on the  Norway spruce and Scots pine genome project and supporting the web resource infrastructure needs of research groups at UPSC. The work includes development of the web resource PlantGenIE.org. There will be a number of milestones in the development, including the integration of DNA sequencing data from whole populations, data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS), gene expression data and gene expression networks, including new analysis and visualization tools. The work will focus on applying principles from human-computer interaction and design philosophy to improve the usability (UX) and user interface (UI) of PlantGenIE and on development of APIs to increase FAIR compliance. In this part of the work, you will use web analysis and user surveys to be able to make informed design decisions.

A doctoral degree in bioinformatics, computer science, human-computer interaction or equivalent is required. The applicant must have work experience in bioinformatics, web design and human-computer interaction. Experience in software development and/or advanced programming in scripting languages (such as Python) as well as extensive and documented experience in web development, including user-driven interface design and application of web analytics tools is also required. Good knowledge of spoken and written English is a requirement, as well as good collaboration skills and the ability to think creatively, collaborate in groups and take own initiative.

Documented experience in web interface development, database design, work in a UNIX environment and with computer clusters is advantageous. Familiarity with any of ReactJS, gosling.js, Neo4j, php and similar web technologies is highly advantageous. Experience in analysis and visualization of next generation sequencing data (e.g. RNA sequencing data and gene networks) is also advantageous as is an understanding of basic molecular biology. We use Git extensively so familiarity with code sharing systems is desireable and will be a required working routine.

The application must contain:

• A personal letter in which you describe yourself and your previous relevant research experience. The letter should include links to your previous work in web development, user interface and web design that can demonstrate why you are qualified for the position (max 2 pages).
• CV
• Certified copies of doctoral degree certificate
• A list of publications including a link to your doctoral thesis.
• Certified copies of grades and diplomas.
• Other documents you wish to refer to.

You apply via our e-recruitment system. Apply via the button at the bottom of the page. The application deadline is 2023-09-13.

For more information, please contact Professor Nathaniel Street, +46-(0)90-786 5473, nathaniel.street@umu.se.

Welcome with your application!