Computational Genomics Specialist – Human Transcriptomics

Job Family:

Scientific Research & Analysis (Digital)

Travel Required:

Up to 10%

Clearance Required:

None

We are currently searching for a computational biologist with expertise in Human Transcriptomics to provide support to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This opportunity is a full-time position with Guidehouse that can be performed remotely while supporting on-site researchers in Rockville, MD.

Our Genomics Specialists are part of a multi-disciplinary group of scientists who provide support, training, and consultation services to the NIH research community in the areas of bioinformatics and computational biosciences. The transcriptomics specialist focuses on analyzing human genomic data in hopes to characterize rare changes in the transcriptome that cause disease, especially those that affect the immune response.   The successful candidate must be self-directed, creative, able to provide leadership as a genomics expert and must have excellent written and verbal communication skills to interact with the research community and find the right solution for their diverse scientific computing needs.  

What You Will Do:

• Implement, design, develop, and innovate current and emerging computational biology and bioinformatics algorithms to analyze, manage, interpret, visualize, and illustrate original scientific data
• Enter into scientific collaborations with physicians and scientists that include the potential for authorships and acknowledgements in publications
• Perform various types of data analysis, including mapping RNA-seq data, differential expression and splicing analysis, single-cell RNA-seq analysis, identifying candidate outlier genes for rare disease diagnosis, pathway and/or network analysis of gene expression including gene set enrichment analysis
• Gather detailed requirements from stakeholders, identify and evaluate existing tools to perform the novel analyses or develop algorithms/tools to perform the analysis
• Document and manage collaborative and consultant assistance and training provided to researchers
• Provide on-demand support and troubleshooting to researchers in the use of computational biology software
• Research, design, and deliver training materials to effectively communicate, promote, and advance computational biology techniques and software usage by NIH researchers
• Remain abreast on current and emerging computational biology technologies and tools
• Partner with software developers to integrate genomic software solutions within our in-house genomic research enterprise platforms
• Ensure workflow reproducibility and version tracking by maintaining code in github

What You Will Need:

• Bachelors degree with five (5) years of relevant experience or Masters degree with three (3) years of relevant experience
• Good understanding of genomics, molecular biology, and technologies such as qPCR and next-generation sequencing
• Demonstrated proficiency in the analysis of large-scale transcriptomics data (especially RNA-seq and scRNA-seq) and experience with a broad spectrum of relevant open-source software or pipelines (e.g., STAR, HISAT2, StringTie2, RSEM, DESeq2, Salmon, Kallisto, OUTRIDER, MISO, rMATS, Seurat, SCANPY, Monocle, etc.).
• Experience identifying outliers for gene expression and splicing from RNA-seq data
• Experience working with relevant genomic databases and browsers and their annotations (Refseq, Ensembl, GEO, IGV, UCSC Genome Browser, NCBI)
• Proficiency in the use of UNIX/Linux and its command-line environment, including scripting (Python, R, Perl, shell or Ruby)
• Experience with a high-performance parallel computing environment (e.g., SGE, slurm)
• Strong interpersonal, presentation, written, and oral communication skills to convey computational biology principles and concepts to non-specialists in a clear and precise manner and advise on relevant software and tools with a dedication to customer satisfaction
• Ability to work independently or as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Excellent troubleshooting and problem-solving skills, including the ability to learn new software quickly
• Ability to concurrently work on multiple complex projects with effective time management skills, a high level of personal and professional drive and initiative, and attention to detail
• Proficiency with the use of open-source bioinformatics applications employing pathways, networks, and/or ontologies at both the individual gene and genomic scales.

What Would Be Nice To Have:

• Ph.D. (or MS with 3+ years of relevant experience, or BS with 5+ years of relevant experience) in computational biology, bioinformatics, genetics or related life, physical, or computational sciences with at least one publication demonstrating the use or development of computational biology applications
• Experience constructing pipelines in open architecture platforms (e.g. Snakemake), including end-to-end tasks for NGS analysis tools
• Proficiency in the analysis of a variety of large-scale genomic sequencing data including ChIP-Seq, ATAC-seq, and Methyl-Seq and performing multi-omics analysis
• Experience with analysis of long read sequencing data (PacBio, ONT)
• Familiarity with common methods of statistical analysis using R, Python or related software
• Familiarity with analysis of variants from whole genome, exome, and/or RNA-seq data and experience with a broad spectrum of relevant open-source software or pipelines (BWA, GATK, VEP, SnpEff, Cytoscape, etc.).
• Experience with genomic diagnosis of rare diseases and filtering variants using family-based genetic models (e.g., autosomal recessive/dominant, compound heterozygous, etc.), including experience with relevant related tools for finding disease-causing variants (e.g. VAAST/pVAAST, GEMINI)
• Familiarity with methods of combining RNA-seq with exome or genome analysis to identify causal variants (e.g., DROP)
• Familiarity with denovo genome assembly and annotation and tools (e.g. Canu, SPAdes, RAST)
• Familiarity with problems and bottlenecks associated with storage and management of genomic-scale data.
• Strong background in molecular/cellular biology, immunology, and/or virology, including “bench” experience.
• Ability to propose and develop new methodologies for analyzing biomedical data
• Willingness for up to 10% travel for onsite work

The annual salary range for this position is $100,200.00-$150,200.00. Compensation decisions depend on a wide range of factors, including but not limited to skill sets, experience and training, security clearances, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs.

What We Offer:

Guidehouse offers a comprehensive, total rewards package that includes competitive compensation and a flexible benefits package that reflects our commitment to creating a diverse and supportive workplace.

Benefits include:

• Medical, Rx, Dental & Vision Insurance

• Personal and Family Sick Time & Company Paid Holidays

• Parental Leave

• 401(k) Retirement Plan

• Group Term Life and Travel Assistance

• Voluntary Life and AD&D Insurance

• Health Savings Account, Health Care & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts

• Transit and Parking Commuter Benefits

• Short-Term & Long-Term Disability

• Tuition Reimbursement, Personal Development, Certifications & Learning Opportunities

• Employee Referral Program

• Corporate Sponsored Events & Community Outreach

• Care.com annual membership

• Employee Assistance Program

• Supplemental Benefits via Corestream (Critical Care, Hospital Indemnity, Accident Insurance, Legal Assistance and ID theft protection, etc.)

• Position may be eligible for a discretionary variable incentive bonus

About Guidehouse
Guidehouse is an Equal Employment Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, military status, protected veteran status, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, age, genetic information, or any other basis protected by law, ordinance, or regulation.

Guidehouse will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable law or ordinance including the Fair Chance Ordinance of Los Angeles and San Francisco.

If you have visited our website for information about employment opportunities, or to apply for a position, and you require an accommodation, please contact Guidehouse Recruiting at 1-571-633-1711 or via email at RecruitingAccommodation@guidehouse.com. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodation.

Guidehouse does not accept unsolicited resumes through or from search firms or staffing agencies. All unsolicited resumes will be considered the property of Guidehouse and Guidehouse will not be obligated to pay a placement fee.