Principal Bioinformatics Scientist I
$121,400–$225,400 year
On-siteSanta Clara, California, United States
Job Summary
Design, benchmark, and optimize scalable, reproducible NGS bioinformatics pipelines using Nextflow, Docker/Singularity, and cloud environments. Partner with Assay Development and CLIA lab teams to establish statistical analysis plans and validate novel diagnostic assays. Integrate AI coding tools and automated workflows to accelerate algorithm development, refactoring, and data analysis. Draft clear functional and technical specifications to guide software engineering teams in transitioning research prototypes into robust clinical software. Implement sample- and run-level statistical QC metrics while maintaining thorough QMS-compliant documentation for CAP/CLIA audits. Enforce high-standard software engineering practices, including Git version control, continuous integration, and unit testing. This role sits at the intersection of computational biology, assay development, and software engineering to translate complex genomic data into actionable health insights.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree with 9+ years of related experience
- Master's degree with 7+ years of related experience
- Ph.D. with 4+ years of related experience
- Proven ability to partner seamlessly across multidisciplinary teams—including wet-lab scientists, software engineers, lab directors, and Quality assurance—to align technical specs with clinical goals
- Demonstrated track record supporting or working within a CAP/CLIA-certified laboratory environment with direct experience in diagnostic test development and analytical validation
- Deep understanding of high-throughput sequencing data analysis across various modalities (targeted panels, WGS/WES, transcriptomics, or liquid biopsy/ctDNA)
- Proficient in Python/R/C++ and Linux/Bash
- Hands-on experience using workflow managers (Nextflow)
- Hands-on experience using containerized software deployments
- Proven ability to leverage AI development tools to maximize productivity
- Excellent communication skills suited for navigating complex, cross-functional organizational environments
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