Senior Bioinformatician, BASE Facility (AIBN)

• BASE Facility at Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN)

• Full-time (100%), fixed-term Academic Research position for up to 12 months

• Base salary will be in the range $110,365.29 - $130,765.78 + 17% Superannuation (Academic Level B)

• Based at our vibrant St Lucia Campus

About This Opportunity 

The BASE facility and Mercer lab at the University of Queensland is seeking an experienced Bioinformatician (Academic Level B) to join a multi-disciplinary team of mRNA scientists. You will lead the development of specialised software for the design of mRNA vaccines and therapeutics, for use at the BASE facility. You will leverage your extensive experience in the analysis of diverse, publicly available sequence data to identify the features of highly expressed, stable mRNAs, for incorporation into the custom software.

You will also lead the design of synthetic mRNAs for the BASE team, according to the specifications of BASE clients and the BASE sales and product development teams. Here, you will be provided with access to world-class facilities and the opportunity to work on a project that has the potential to revolutionise the design of mRNA vaccines. You will be an independent, highly motivated and talented researcher, capable of driving change and implementing novel approaches.

Key responsibilities will include: 

• Research:

  • Develop, optimize, and maintain software tools for the design of custom mRNA vaccines and therapeutics at the BASE facility, incorporating optimal sequence features.

  • Manage the complete development lifecycle for custom mRNA design software, including programming, testing, documentation, versioning, and distribution.

  • Analyse a range of publicly-available and private datasets to identify the mRNA sequence features associated with high expression and stability and low levels of reactogenicity.

  • Use and develop custom mRNA quality analysis pipelines to perform routine testing of BASE mRNAs and batch failure analysis.

  • Ensure the timely and accurate design of mRNA vaccines and therapeutics, in collaboration with junior bioinformatics staff and the BASE laboratory and sales and marketing teams.

  • Contribute significantly to the preparation of manuscripts for publication, technical reports, and other research-related documents.

  • Design and maintain robust data management systems, ensuring secure storage and efficient retrieval of large NGS datasets.

  • Stay informed of advances in computational genomics methods, and maintain biological domain expertise.

  • Present results in internal and external meetings and conferences

• Supervision and Researcher Development: Supervise students, recruit and manage employees, provide performance feedback and training, resolve conflicts, and ensure correct remuneration and benefits.

• Citizenship and Service: Develop partnerships, demonstrate leadership through mentoring, engage in internal service roles and committees, perform administrative functions, provide support to colleagues, and uphold university values.

• Teaching: Where undergraduate and postgraduate teaching is undertaken achieve teaching quality as indicated by approved surveys and outcomes for students and improve or innovate where appropriate in response to feedback.

This is a research focused position. Further information can be found by viewing UQ’s Criteria for Academic Performance.

About UQ

As part of the UQ community, you will have the opportunity to work alongside the brightest minds, who have joined us from all over the world, and within an environment where interdisciplinary collaborations are encouraged.

At the core of our teaching remains our students, and their experience with us sets a foundation for success far beyond graduation. UQ has made a commitment to making education opportunities available for all Queenslanders, regardless of personal, financial, or geographical barriers.

As part of our commitment to excellence in research and professional practice in academic contexts, we are proud to provide our staff with access to world-class facilities and equipment, grant writing support, greater research funding opportunities, and other forms of staff support and development.

The greater benefits of joining the UQ community are broad:  from being part of a Group of Eight university, to recognition of prior service with other Australian universities, up to 26 weeks of paid parental leave, 17.5% annual leave loading, flexible working arrangements including hybrid on site/WFH options and flexible start/finish times, and genuine career progression opportunities via the academic promotions process.

About You 

• An MSc or PhD in Computer Science, Bioinformatics or a related field.

• Experience in software development in a bioinformatics or genomics setting.

• Proficiency in programming languages including bash, and Python or R.

• Familiarity with software versioning tools (e.g., Git) and software lifecycle management.

• Experience in writing software documentation that can be understood by non-specialist users.

• Experience in the analysis of a range of different Next Generation Sequencing datasets, using different bioinformatic tools.

• A history of involvement in the full experimental process, from project inception, and analysis to publication.

• Ability to work collaboratively with laboratory team members to continually refine experimental and analytical approaches.

• Demonstrated ability to produce high quality results and meet strict deadlines, without compromising accuracy and attention to detail.

Desirable:

• Experience in software development using R-shiny.

• Experience or interest in Machine Learning in the context of biological data.

• Knowledge or interest in mRNA vaccine manufacturing.

The successful candidate may be required to complete a number of pre-employment checks, including: right to work in Australia, criminal check, education check, mandatory immunisations etc. 

Work Rights: 

You must maintain unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this appointment to apply.

 
Questions? 

For more information about this opportunity, please contact Dr. Helen Gunter at h.gunter@uq.edu.au

For application queries, please contact talent@uq.edu.au stating the job reference number (below) in the subject line.
 

Want to Apply? 

All applicants must upload the following documents in order for your application to be considered:

• Resume

• Cover letter

• Responses to the ‘About You’ section

Other Information 

UQ is committed to a fair, equitable and inclusive selection process, which recognises that some applicants may face additional barriers and challenges which have impacted and/or continue to impact their career trajectory. Candidates who don’t meet all criteria are encouraged to apply and demonstrate their potential. The selection panel considers both potential and performance relative to opportunities when assessing suitability for the role.

We know one of our strengths as an institution lies in our diverse colleagues. We're dedicated to equity, diversity, and inclusion, fostering an environment that mirrors our wider community. We're committed to attracting, retaining, and promoting diverse talent. Reach out to talent@uq.edu.au for accessibility support or adjustments.

Applications close 1 December 2024 at 11.00pm AEST (R-45476). Please note that interviews have been tentatively scheduled for early December.