Translational Informatics Solutions Scientist
DNAnexus combines expertise in cloud computing and bioinformatics to create the global network for genomics. The secure, scalable, and collaborative cloud-based DNAnexus Platform helps thousands of researchers across a spectrum of industries – biopharmaceutical, bioagricultural, sequencing services, clinical diagnostics, government, and research consortia – accelerate their genomics programs globally.
Job Description
As a Solutions Scientist on the Translational Informatics team, you will build on your expertise in software, bioinformatics, and genomics to serve as an expert advisor to DNAnexus clients who are leveraging the power of big data to improve human health. Engaging directly with scientists at the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies and academic medical centers you will have the opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities of the DNAnexus platform, develop solutions leveraging DNAnexus’ Apollo translational informatics suite to address the client's big data needs, develop training curricula to facilitate the on-boarding of clients to the DNAnexus platform, and ensure the client’s success.
The ideal candidate is a solutions architect with a strong background in bioinformatics, computational biology, or translational informatics. She or he will have experience in crafting solutions combining a variety of software frameworks to aid in the analysis of genomics data in combination with various forms of phenotypic, transcriptomic, metabolomic, and other clinical and molecular data. A strong background in statistics and data analysis including techniques for the quality control of NGS data and experience with designing software solutions will further position the candidate for success.
Specific responsibilities include:
● Engage with academic, clinical, and pharmaceutical scientists to understand their datasets, analysis needs, and research/business goals.
● Define and implement solutions that meet customer requirements, working closely with scientists, product management, UX, and engineering to drive those solutions through development, testing, deployment, and customer validation in an agile environment.
● Lead successful proof-of-concept projects to promote confidence in DNAnexus technology and products.
● Provide scientific input into the sales process by qualifying opportunities, responding to requests for proposals, and performing feasibility studies.
● Present customized demonstrations of DNAnexus products to potential clients to illustrate scientific use cases.
● Apply domain expertise to advise clients on how to best leverage DNAnexus technology solutions for their success.
● Provide initial and continued scientific training on DNAnexus’ platform.
● Represent DNAnexus at trade shows and scientific conferences.
● Be the “face” of DNAnexus to our clients - understand and address their needs, work to solve their challenges, and provide “voice of the customer” into continuous product improvement and new product development by discussing customer ideas and needs for new science and technology, performing proof of principle, and participating in R&D and marketing projects.
Qualifications / Experience
● M.S. or Ph.D. in bioinformatics, computational biology, computer science or related biotechnology field.
● Experience in bioinformatics, biostatistics, genomics, statistical genetics, population genetics, systems biology, and/or translational research in either academic or industry settings.
● Previous experience in a client-facing science position working directly with partners in the life sciences industry.
● Active involvement in the scientific/bioinformatics community - peer-reviewed publications, open source software development, conference attendance - considered a strong plus.
Desired knowledge and skills
● Broad understanding of scientific concepts and computational techniques underlying modern genetics and genomics research (including transcriptomic, metabolomic, proteomic, and microbiome data), clinical diagnostics, biomarker discovery, and therapeutic development.
● Experience with large-scale genomics toolsets such as PLINK, Hail, and ADAM as well as large-scale omics datasets such as ENCODE, 1000 Genomes, ExAC/gnomAD, and TCGA.
● Strong computational ability and knowledge of programming languages used for data analysis such as Python, R, and SQL.
● Experience with high-performance computing, relational databases, and scalable analytic tools such as Spark, Hive, and Hadoop.
● Hands-on experience with cloud computing and familiarity with cloud-based services such as Aurora, Athena, and Redshift.
● Knowledge of enterprise data warehouse and data lake environments as well as the challenges of large scale data management and governance, especially as it pertains to biomedical data
● In depth understanding of the market and regulations around translational informatics infrastructure.
● Entrepreneurial “can do” attitude, with the ability to independently identify creative, pragmatic solutions.
● Excellent leadership qualities, interpersonal skills, and verbal and written communication skills.
● Familiarity with software development and project management processes/tools such as agile processes and Jira.
● Basic understanding and competency with sales concepts and processes.
Travel
● This position is based out of the San Francisco Bay Area with the potential to report to either San Francisco or Mountain View based offices.
● DNAnexus Solutions Scientists are excited about working with clients face-to-face, and may spend up to 50-60% of their time on non-local travel. Weekend travel will be limited.
Based in Mountain View, California, with offices in San Francisco, Boston, and Prague, DNAnexus is experiencing rapid growth and is searching for the best talent to join our team. Key investors include GV (formerly Google Ventures), Microsoft, and Foresite Capital.
If you are interested in joining our team, please apply today!