Bioinformatician

Job Purpose

We have an exciting opportunity for a bioinformatician to work on single cell transcriptomics in the School of Infection and Immunity, University of Glasgow. You will join a team of bioinformaticians and bench biologists, in the research group of Professor Matt Berriman. The group investigates the development of schistosome parasites and creates reference data resources for the broader research community. The post is available either for an experienced bioinformatician (grade 7) or a less experienced bioinformatician (grade 6) that wants to further develop their skills.

The post-holder will take the lead on an exciting project to elucidate fundamental processes in parasite development. Schistosomes are blood flukes that cause diseases in many low- and middle-income countries. These deadly pathogens have complex life cycles involving human hosts and water borne vectors. Basic research is needed to discover vulnerabilities that can be exploited in the search for future interventions to control parasites.

You will analyse single-cell sequencing data to uncover new biology from schistosomes as they develop from juveniles to adults, working closely with lab-based colleagues to iteratively validate findings. You will also collaborate with other bioinformaticians to integrate findings across the life cycle, helping to create a reference temporal cell atlas of development as a community resource for schistosome research.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1.      Plan and conduct research individually and jointly in accordance with project deliverables and research strategy of the team.

2.      Contribute and perform internationally competitive analyses and interpretation of experimental datasets.

3.      Document research output including analysis and interpretation of all data, maintaining records and databases, drafting technical/progress reports and papers as appropriate.

4.      Keep up to date with current knowledge and recent advances in the field/discipline

5.      Survey and understand the research challenges associated with the project and subject area, and develop/implement a suitable research strategy.

6.      Communicate progress and plans effectively, through regular project-planning meetings

7.      Contribute to problem-solving discussions within the team and provide input to strategic decisions to help move the team forward.

8.      Present work at international and national conferences, at internal and external seminars and workshops to enhance your research profile and that of the team

9.      Assist in the development of proposals to secure funding from internal and external bodies to support future research.

10.   Develop and maintain collaborations with colleagues across the School and wider research community.

11.   Pro-actively contribute to team/group meetings/seminars/workshops and School research group activities to enhance the wider knowledge, outputs and culture of the School.

12.   Organise, supervise, mentor and train undergraduate and/or postgraduate students and less experienced members of the project team to ensure their effective development.

13.   Contribute to teaching activities (eg demonstrating etc) and associated administration in consultation with the Line Manager.

14.   Engage in personal, professional and career development, to enhance both specialist and transferable skills in accordance with desired career trajectory.

15.   Contribute to the enhancement of the University’s international profile in line with the University’s Strategic Plan “World Changers Together”

For appointment at grade 7:

16.   Perform the above duties with a higher degree of independence and responsibility, taking a leading role in discussions and project-planning.

17.   Troubleshoot problems independently without regular mentorship.

These key tasks are not intended to be exhaustive, but simply highlight a number of major tasks the staff member may reasonably be expected to perform. Activities may be subject to amendment over time as the role develops and/or priorities evolve.

When making your application you will be asked to detail, point-by-point, how you meet each of the following criteria. This is used to score your application, so please do this as clearly as possible.

Qualifications

Essential:

A1. Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 11 (Masters Degree), in a relevant subject such as computer science, data science, bioinformatics; or equivalent (including professional accreditation with relevant formal training), and experience of personal development in a similar or related role(s).

Or

Ability to demonstrate the competencies required to undertake the duties associated with this level of post having acquired the necessary knowledge and skills in a similar role.

For appointment at Grade 7:

A2 Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 12 (PhD), in a relevant subject such as computer science, data science, bioinformatics; or equivalent (including professional accreditation with relevant formal training), and experience of personal development in a similar or related role(s).

Or

Ability to demonstrate the competencies required to undertake the duties associated with this level of post having acquired the necessary knowledge and skills in a similar role.

Knowledge and Skills

Essential:

C1 Intermediate level scripting in Python

C2 Good knowledge of R

C3 Proficiency in Unix/Linux

C4 Up to date knowledge of bioinformatics and functional genomics, particularly sequencing based approaches.

C5 Excellent interpersonal and presentation skills

C6 Excellent time management skills

C7 Ability to prioritise, manage workload, and deliver agreed activities consistently

C8 Research creativity and cross-discipline collaborative ability.

C9 Excellent interpersonal skills including team working and a collegiate approach.

C10 Excellent communication skills (oral and written), including the ability to communicate complex concepts clearly and concisely.

C11 Attention to detail

For appointment at Grade 7:

C12 In-depth knowledge of R

C13 Up to date knowledge of single-cell RNA sequencing and analysis approaches

C14 Ability to plan multi-stage analyses involving multiple project partners

C15 Ability to troubleshoot complex problems in problems independently

Desirable:

D1 An up-to-date knowledge of major published analysis approaches for single cell RNA-sequencing.

For appointment at Grade 7:

D3 Knowledge of parasitology, preferably helminths

Experience

Essential:

E1 Python experience

E2 R experience

E3 Experience of working in a research environment

E4 Experience performing independent and collaborative analyses

E5 Experience communicating bioinformatics analyses to less technically experienced audiences

E6 Experience using common bioinformatics tools

E7 Experience analysing largescale sequencing data

E8 Experience analysing and interpreting gene sets from high throughput experiments

E9 Track record of delivering and documenting bioinformatics analyses

For appointment at Grade 7:

E10 Extensive experience analysing large scale RNAseq or scRNAseq datasets

E11 Extensive track record of delivering end-to-end bioinformatics analyses

E12 Extensive experience managing workload within collaborations

E13 Experience in writing reports or publications.

Desirable:

F1 Experience using pipeline tools (e.g. Nextflow, Snakemake)

F2 Experience co-developing bioinformatics workflows or pipelines

For appointment at Grade 7:

F4 Teaching/trainer experience

F5 Experience collaborating with other bioinformaticians to develop analysis workflows

F6 Experience using version control software, e.g., git

F7 High performance computing experience

Further Enquiries:

This is a full time position (35 hours per week) funded for 2 years, initially.

Informal enquiries may be directed to Professor Matt Berriman via email: [email protected]

Terms and Conditions

Salary will be 6/7, £32,332 - £36,024/£39,347 - £44,263 per annum

This post is full time, and has funding for up to 2 years

As part of Team UofG you will be a member of a world changing, inclusive community, which values ambition, excellence, integrity and curiosity.

As a valued member of our team, you can expect:

1 A warm welcoming and engaging organisational culture, where your talents are developed and nurtured, and success is celebrated and shared.

2 An excellent employment package with generous terms and conditions including 41 days of leave for full time staff, pension - pensions handbook https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/payandpensions/pensions/, benefits and discount packages.

3 A flexible approach to working.

4 A commitment to support your health and wellbeing, including a free 6-month UofG Sport membership for all new staff joining the University  https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/staff/healthwellbeing/.

We believe that we can only reach our full potential through the talents of all. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values. Applications are particularly welcome from across our communities and in particular people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under-represented within the University. Read more on how the University promotes and embeds all aspects of equality and diversity within our community https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/.

We endorse the principles of Athena Swan https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/athenaswan/ and hold bronze, silver and gold awards across the University.

We are investing in our organisation, and we will invest in you too. Please visit our website https://www.gla.ac.uk/explore/jobs/ for more information.