Bioinformatics III - Goldbelt, Inc.

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:

The Bioinformatics III is a mid-senior level position responsible for analyzing complex biological datasets, developing bioinformatics tools, and supporting research and development projects. This role involves designing and implementing computational methods to solve biological problems, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and contributing to data-driven insights that inform research and clinical decision-making. The Bioinformatics III plays a key role in mentoring junior team members and guiding the technical direction of projects.

Essential Job Functions:

• Manage incoming sequence data for processing, documentation, tracking, and inventory as needed.
• Lead and coordinate return of sequence data, bioinformatic results back to international, public health and academic partners.
• Collaborate and coordinate with CEMB, international and academic partners for logistics of receiving shipments of nucleic acids or bacterial isolates for sequencing at CDC (including import permits).
• Review and provide feedback on protocols, computational resource needs, and analytical plans related to next-generation sequencing of HAI/AR organisms or samples.
• Coordinate with SMEs/project leads, senior bioinformaticians, team leads in CEMB as well as medical officers and epidemiologist in the International Infection Control Branch (IICB) on required products and endpoints for ongoing international HAI/AR projects.
• Attend calls with international partners to provide SME support for ongoing projects utilizing NGS.
• Support activities involving capacity building for next-generation sequencing activities, particularly those that assist global partners in becoming independent in implementing bioinformatic workflows.
• Provide tutorials for international partners on how to analyze and interpret HAI/AR WGS data.
• Develop sequencing and analytic guidance for HAI/AR pathogens in low and middle-income countries (LMICs).
• Provide analytical support for projects (investigating global phylogenies for HAI/AR pathogens of interest across all sites, phenotypic/genotypic concordance from WGS and AST data, differential frequencies of genetic features of interest across regions, low-frequency HAI/AR species found across study sites, etc.), and provide data visualization support as needed (R, Python, Tableau, etc.).
• Create and/or contribute to portable, containerized bioinformatic pipelines using workflow languages (eg, Nextflow) that help public health labs in low resource settings analyze and interpret data from AMR bacterial pathogens.
• Combine molecular (i.e., molecular biology, antimicrobial resistance), bioinformatic, public health, epidemiology, and infection control technical expertise to analyze outbreak investigations, surveillance data, large projects, etc. for public health action.
• Perform bioinformatics analyses for the identification, and subtyping of healthcare-associated and emerging pathogens.
• Perform protocols and analyze combined datasets, comprising epidemiologic data, and data generated from conventional and real-time PCR, and next-generation sequencing of samples related to healthcare-associated infection and other emerging pathogen studies.
• Combine epidemiologic data, and data generated from conventional and real-time PCR, and next-generation sequencing datasets.
• Develop, validate, and implement methods and procedures to analyze laboratory data, including methods for characterization and phylogenetic analyses of next-generation sequencing data, making adjustments in methods and procedures as appropriate.
• Perform bioinformatics analysis of complex samples, including identifying antimicrobial resistance genes, virulence factors, and other functions using appropriate bioinformatics tools and databases.
• Upload sequence data (raw reads and/or assemblies as appropriate) to public databases (e.g., NCBI) under timelines established by the SMEs/project leads or Team Leads.
• Site visit travel as required by CEMB to educate international partners as part of GAIHN and GARLRN or personnel at regional lab, state public health labs or on bioinformatics analyses related to antibiotic resistance and healthcare associated pathogens.

Necessary Skills and Knowledge:

• Strong knowledge of statistical methods and machine learning techniques used in bioinformatics.
• Demonstrated ability to lead scientific projects and work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a strong record of publications in peer-reviewed journals.
• Strong problem-solving abilities and attention to detail.

Minimum Qualifications:

• PhD degree from an accredited college/university in Bioinformatics, OR Molecular Epidemiology OR Biological science (Biology, Microbiology, Immunology).
• Experience in applying bioinformatics to infectious diseases/microbial pathogens, ideally for public health projects.
• Experience working in international settings – specifically low- and middle- income countries/resource limited setting.
• Experience/skills in R, python, Tableau. Teaching or training experience is a plus.
• Should be proficient in all Microsoft products including PowerPoint, and comfortable with developing and leading bioinformatics trainings.
• Position will involve development and modification of bioinformatics pipelines/protocols, analysis of genomic data using bioinformatics tools/pipelines and in-person or remote training on said pipeline/protocols, partner management, laboratory assessments, and strategic thinking around appropriate next generation sequencing and bioinformatic methods and testing algorithms for use in resource-limited settings.
• Requirements may include prolonged walking, standing, sitting, or bending.
• May include international travel to low- and middle-income countries.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of cloud-based computing environments and data management systems.
• Familiarity with regulatory requirements for genomic data in clinical applications.

The salary range for this position is $112,000.00 - $117,000.00 annually.

Pay and Benefits
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.