Bioinformatician

Goldbelt Professional Services specializes in providing expert resources for Public Health missions including scientific, technical, and administrative support from junior staff to high-level subject matter experts. Research and data driven, Goldbelt Professional Services’ experts create solutions customized to the client’s needs. 

SUMMARY

Goldbelt Professional Services, LLC is seeking a responsible and professional Bioinformatician with wastewater science experience to focus on managing data flows and enhancing the data infrastructure and management of the National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) genomics data as well as diverse data science needs. This role is instrumental in developing and maintaining a robust, scalable, and efficient infrastructure to manage significant volumes of wastewater sequencing data. The work entails refining data processing and quality assurance processes, enhancing data infrastructure, optimizing analysis performance, and analyzing data to provide actionable public health insights.

Bioinformaticians provide technical and intellectual support for whole genome sequencing analysis, metagenomic analysis, and genome-based typing systems to improve molecular detection of infectious diseases in wastewater.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Implements bioinformatics workflows/pipelines to perform wastewater metagenomic analytics for NWSS program.
• Develop statistical methods to identify variants and potential abundance based on mutations in wastewater sequencing data sets.
• Design visual analytics or reporting tools to interpret metagenomics analyses results.
• Develop standardized bioinformatics outputs for integration into the platform.
• Performs quality control, assembly and analysis of environmental metagenomic sequencing samples
• Manages high-throughput sequencing raw and analytic data files, databases, including uploads to NCBI or other similar sequencing repositories.
• Prepares and delivers clear, concise and accurate reports, presentations, and scientific manuscripts.
• Assists with outbreak response.

NECESSARY SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

• Knowledge in utilization of high-performance computing environments, cloud computing, software and programming applications like, Python, R, Perl, open-source bioinformatics tools such as - Bowtie2, Velvet, Spades, Prodigal; Software/Code versioning such as - GitLab, GitHub, Workflow Managers/ Containerization tools such as - Docker, SnakeMake, Singularity.
• Strong Python programming skills with proficiency in data handling and analysis.
• Palantir Foundry experience is desired but not necessary.
• Familiarity with database design principles and the ability to create scalable database solutions.
• Data visualization skills using Python or R (ggplot2) to communicate insights effectively.
• Version control systems experience, particularly with Git, for effective code management and collaboration.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Strong communication skills, capable of effectively interacting with both technical teams and non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a team-oriented environment.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (education, experience, skills)

• Previous work experience, ideally in a related field.
• Experience designing and implementing robust data pipelines.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS (education, experience, skills)

• Master’s or Ph.D. in Public Health or a related field from an accredited college or university.
• Experience with PySpark preferred.
• At least seven (3) years of experience in relevant work or related areas.
• Previous experience with federal government agencies; preferably with CDC.
• Experience with distributed systems and parallel computing desired.

Pay and Benefits

The salary range for this position $110,00.00 to $125,000.00 annually. 

At Goldbelt, we value and reward our team's dedication and hard work. We provide a competitive base salary commensurate with your qualifications and experience. As an employee, you'll enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with company matching, tax-deferred savings options, supplementary benefits, paid time off, and professional development opportunities.