Bioinformatics Engineer

Purpose of Job

The Bioinformatics Department at CSSIMMW is responsible for providing bioinformatic and analytical support to the daily operations of the institute and conducting translational research in both technological and scientific fields. The Biomedical Informatics Infrastructure Department also supports biomedical informatics research. This cross‑functional position develops, deploys, and integrates experimental data and results into software used for visualization and analysis of large‑scale cancer data sets.

• Evaluate and implement new bioinformatic systems.
  • Evaluate and test both internal and external systems, with emphasis on data visualization and interpretation (ex. cBioPortal).
  • Make recommendations to leadership on the selection of new systems.
  • Collaborate with IT admins and development teams on software installation, upgrade, and deployment.
  • Contribute to QA/QC of the new system and on each upgrade.
• Lead data operations to visualize large complex cancer‑related data sets.
  • Integrate project results data into an open‑source web‑based software framework for visualization and interpretation of large data sets (ex. cBioPortal).
  • Evaluate new data types and formats, create necessary parsers, and configure the system interface for new analyses.
  • Responsible for QA/QC of the data and display before releasing to users.
• Provide user support.
  • Provide application support to users.
  • Provide data query and analysis support to internal and external researchers.
  • Gather user feedback for improvement.
  • Support integration with other databases and software systems.
• Contribute to the improvement of bioinformatics and software systems within the institute.
  • Keep up to date with advancements in bioinformatics and software engineering for continuous improvement of our systems.
  • Participate in requirement gathering, design, and development of new applications and modifications to existing applications.
  • Contribute to QA/QC of the applications in close collaboration with the development team.
• Write reports and abstracts.
  • Provide summary reports to leadership.
  • Present research and development results in peer‑reviewed journals and conferences.
  • Support grant applications.

• Handle confidential and proprietary information in accordance with policies and procedures.
• Assist other staff as needed and assigned.
• Maintain a clean and safe working environment.
• Adhere to safety standards and regulations of the Institute.
• Perform preventative maintenance, troubleshooting, and operation of scientific equipment interfacing with technical support and sales staff as needed.
• Provide training to employees and interns as needed.
• Participate in CSSIMMW’s community involvement activities.
• Attend meetings, training sessions, and presentations as necessary.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Under the supervision of the Director of Bioinformatics. No direct supervision assigned.

The position occasionally requires a general laboratory environment. Standard lab PPE includes lab coat and gloves when in the lab setting.

• Constantly (75‑100%) sit, reach, communicate orally, use both hands and legs, and engage in repetitive finger movement.
• Frequently (25‑75%) stand, walk, and lift light objects (max 10‑15 lbs).
• Occasionally (0‑25%) lift medium items (max 25 lbs) and push/pull lighter items.
• Manage multiple projects, pay close attention to details, work in a constantly changing environment, meet frequent deadlines, and maintain adequate record keeping.

• Master's degree in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Computer Science, Life Sciences/Molecular Biology, or a related field.
• Four years minimum experience working with genomic and experimental data.
• Advanced experience with open‑source web‑based applications for visualizing large data, such as cBioPortal.
• Four years minimum experience developing software tools using programming languages, such as C#, Python, R, JavaScript, and SQL.
• Experience with cloud technologies such as AWS.
• Experience interfacing with both scientific and engineering teams.
• Proficiency working in Windows and Linux environments.
• Pragmatic self‑starter who…