Sequencing and Bioinformatics Specialist

Sequencing and Bioinformatics Specialist

This is a GRANT FUNDED position and subject to available grant funds.

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Who We Are. We protect lives. The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is the lead agency entrusted by the people of Georgia to protect lives and promote healthy lifestyles in communities throughout the state. We are committed to preventing disease, injury, and disability; promoting health and well‑being; and preparing for and responding to disasters.

What We Offer. As a member of the DPH team, you will join a group of passionate individuals dedicated to serving Georgians. Regardless of your role, you will contribute to protecting lives while enjoying a wide range of benefits.

• Make a Professional Impact – Build your career where it matters and protect lives in the community where you live, work, and play.
• Enjoy Workplace Flexibility – Experience flexibility in how you work so you can be your best self for you and the people of Georgia.
• Work with a Dynamic and Diverse Team – Collaborate with employees who share ideas and leverage collective strengths.
• Achieve Career Longevity – Take advantage of opportunities for learning and development that support a long‑term career.
• Take Part in a Hands‑on Working Culture – Work in a unique culture of active engagement and problem‑solving, no matter your role.
• Feel Pride in Where you Work – Be part of making an impact in public health alongside dedicated people just like yourself.

The Georgia Public Health Laboratory (GPHL) seeks a qualified candidate to serve as a Sequencing and Bioinformatics Specialist within the Division of Bioinformatics
, supporting outbreak investigations and surveillance activities for pathogens of public health importance in the State of Georgia. The selected candidate will report to the Director of Bioinformatics and contribute to the state’s genomic and molecular surveillance efforts by performing and optimizing next‑generation sequencing (NGS) workflows and bioinformatics data analysis pipelines. Key responsibilities include tracking, reviewing, and submitting sequencing data to public repositories such as NCBI and GISAID;

collaborating with federal, state, academic, and industry partners; conducting quality analyses; and supporting data visualization for genomic surveillance initiatives. Additionally, the specialist will oversee quality assurance and performance monitoring of sequencing and bioinformatics applications, support core bioinformatics operations, and assist in training GPHL scientists in data management and processing best practices.

• Demonstrated knowledge of molecular biology, pathogen genomics, and bioinformatics applications in public health.
• Prepare and process clinical and environmental samples for sequencing using established protocols and platforms (e.g., Illumina, Oxford Nanopore, Pac Bio); develop and optimize sequencing assays as needed.
• Perform library preparation, quantification, and quality assessment using molecular biology techniques and instrumentation.
• Compile, analyze, and interpret sequencing and bioinformatics data; draw conclusions and prepare reports.
• Contribute to the training of new personnel and promote best practices within the sequencing and bioinformatics teams.
• Proficiency in at least one scripting language (e.g., Python, PERL, Java, Nextflow) and familiarity with Unix/Linux operating systems.
• Develop, test, and implement complex bioinformatics pipelines to analyze large sequencing datasets generated across multiple platforms.
• Troubleshoot and resolve issues related to databases and bioinformatics pipelines in high‑performance computing (HPC) and AWS cloud environments.
• Participate in the development and validation of new laboratory and bioinformatics methods.
• Demonstrate strong project and data management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Exhibit effective oral and written communication skills; fulfill sequencing and bioinformatics responsibilities and other related duties as assigned.
• Design and implement dashboards to visualize and monitor pathogens of public health concern.
• Collaborate effectively with laboratory,…