Director of Bioinformatics

Department
 

BSD PAT - Molecular Pathology

About the Department
 

The University of Chicago Molecular and Genomic Diagnostics Laboratories help support personalized patient care across the hospital via the use of advanced genomics technologies to assist with both diagnosis and determination of optimal therapies. Our clinical genomics operations focus on inherited disease and cancer, and use the latest in large-scale sequencing technologies to interrogate the genetics of our patients. The nature of the work is data-intensive, and the patient care we provide is heavily dependent on skilled bioinformaticians to develop, validate and run complex informatics workflows in a controlled and compliant manner. Beyond clinical service, our work and collection of data provides ample opportunities for participation in a variety of research projects related to clinical genomics, inherited disease, cancer, infectious disease and more.

At the University of Chicago, our academic community boasts a strong research tradition. Faculty, residents, fellows, students, and staff participate in a wide range of scientific endeavors, from basic science to translational and clinical research. In order to foster a rich academic community, we are dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within our department. We are committed to maintaining an egalitarian environment in which all members can fully participate in the life of the University. This commitment to equity and inclusion also extends to the diverse patient populations we serve on the South Side of Chicago.

Educational programs at the University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine, and the Basic Sciences Division focus on clinical residency, fellowships, and graduate training in the biosciences, immunology, and cancer biology. Our faculty is actively involved in cultivating the next generation of clinicians and scholars who will be involved in cutting-edge basic research or in demanding clinical subspecialty practices.

We invite you to browse our website to learn more about our rich offerings of clinical services, education, and research. https://pathology.uchicago.edu/.

Job Summary
 

The Director of Bioinformatics works with faculty and other staff to develop protocols, streamline processes, and manage a staff of bioinformaticians. This role will require collegiality and experience in team building.

Responsibilities

• Managing a team of bioinformatics specialists, including assigning and prioritizing projects.

• Overseeing clinical bioinformatics service.

• Overseeing bioinformatics development and validation to support novel clinical genomics assays.

• Streamlining and harmonizing bioinformatics systems across laboratories as part of laboratory integration.

• Overseeing strategy for clinical genomics computation infrastructure.

• Working with faculty to manage both clinical and research projects and identify bioinformatics needs among the laboratories.

• Establish the direction and work with leaders to direct the work of technicians and information technology staff.

• Lead bioinformatics projects to ensure implementation in a timely and efficient manner with compliant, appropriate documentation.

• Fosters a continuous learning environment supporting training opportunities. Provide direct supervision of bioinformatics staff (i.e. coaching, talent management, etc.).

• Build collaborative relationships across the bioinformatics community, to create novel approaches to optimize upstream and downstream analysis and interpretation of data.

• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications
 

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

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Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

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Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Master’s Degree in bioinformatics or similar field.

Experience:

• Fluency with multiple programming languages including Python, Perl.

• Ability to oversee multiple bioinformatics specialists.

• Experience providing bioinformatics support for CLIA-certified genomic diagnostics.

​Preferred Competencies

• Strong communication and organizational skills.

Working Conditions

• Possibility for hybrid on-site/remote work.

• Office environment with occasional work within the genomics laboratory.

Application Documents

• Resume (required)