Senior Computer Biologist (Genome Curation)

The Opportunity:

We are seeking a talented Computer Biologist to manually curate high throughput genome assemblies to chromosome-scale reference quality, using existing software tools that visualise data. Our project is generating genome assemblies for thousands of species. We need you to assess, analyse and improve the resulting assemblies to generate the best possible curated assemblies for use by the scientific community to further knowledge and understanding.

About you:

You will have a sound knowledge of genomic data and sequence assembly methods and possess excellent problem-solving skills to enable you to improve upon automated genome assemblies through genome curation using bespoke software and tools for which full training will be given.

You will be an excellent communicator and have experience of working collaboratively in a professional, international environment. You will be organised with the ability to work flexibly to support a number of projects and changing priorities whilst keeping to tight schedules. You will be focused on driving efficiency, working at scale and feeding back lessons learned from the curation process to assembly generation, influencing software development and overall assembly strategy.

About the Programme:

The Tree of Life Programme investigates the diversity of complex organisms through sequencing and cellular technologies to explore the evolution of life, provide the raw materials for new biotechnology and deliver tools and understanding for biodiversity conservation

The Darwin Tree of Life Project is a major national initiative, led by the Wellcome Sanger Institute, to provide high-quality ‘reference’ genome sequences for all eukaryotic species in the British Isles (Britain and Ireland). The project includes a wide range of partners across the UK such as the National History Museum (NHM), Kew Gardens, The Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, The Earlham Institute, Wytham Woods and the Marine Biological Association (MBA).

There are further collaborations and partnerships with other large genome initiatives the Vertebrate Genomes Project, European Reference Genomes Atlas and Earth BioGenome Project.

Essential Skills
Technical Skills:

Degree in a Biological or Computational discipline, or equivalent experience.
Knowledge of genomics, genome assembly and analysis.
Excellent critical and problem-solving skills, attention to detail.
Able to quickly learn, evaluate and improve workflows.
Able to organise, plan and prioritise a diverse range of work to meet deadlines.
Knowledge of the Unix computing environment, ability to modify files and run command line scripts.
Experience with running software on a compute farm, cluster, or cloud environment.
Competencies and Behaviours:

Excellent critical and problem-solving skills
Ability to quickly adapt to new problems and ideas
Ability to organise, plan and prioritise a diverse range of work to meet deadlines
A high level of communication skills to be able to document and convey complex information to groups with different levels of technical knowledge

Other information
For further information or questions about this post please contact Jonathan Wood.

Application Process:

Please apply with your CV and a Cover Letter outlining how you meet the criteria set out above and in the job description