Senior Scientist (Next-generation Sequencing)

Senior Scientist (Next-generation Sequencing)

EIT - Ellison Institute of Technology

Oxford, United Kingdom

Job Summary

We are seeking a highly motivated scientist to join as a foundingmember of our next-generation sequencing team within a dynamic research environment. Overall, this team will empower fellow scientists to confidently take full advantage of next-generation sequencing technology in their research.

This team will manage the walk-up and supervised usage of Illumina, Nanopore, PacBio & Elements sequencing machines, be assisted by a state-of-the-art automation platform, and have access to a high-performance cluster for bioinformatic analysis.

The successful candidate will play a key role in supporting research across multiple groups and themes by providing expertise in delivering high-quality sequencing data and developing innovative workflows that support a diversity of experimental applications. You will collaborate closely with research groups to design and execute sequencing strategies tailored to novel and emerging scientific questions, and such contributions will be equitably acknowledged through authorship on relevant outputs.

Key Responsibilities

• To design and perform sequencing workflows using a range of platforms (Illumina, Oxford Nanopore, PacBio and Elements) or other high-throughput platforms, adapting protocols as needed to meet experimental requirements;
• To design and execute bespoke sequencing experiments, collaborating with research teams working across niche and novel synthetic, molecular & cell biology applications;
• To train, assist and feedback to other scientists who can or wish to utilise next-generation sequencing in a walk-up fashion;
• To analyse sequencing data using existing bioinformatics tools and pipelines, and bespoke solutions if necessary, delivering actionable insights to collaborating scientists;
• To continuously curate an expert understanding on the underlying technologies in the full sequencing workflow (Experiment – DNA extraction – library preparation – sequencing – analysis, and associated QC steps);
• To have a close working relationship with scientists from automation and bioinformatics teams;
• To contribute to the maintenance, calibration, and troubleshooting of sequencing instruments, ensuring maximal performance and data quality;
• To stay abreast of new sequencing technologies and methodologies, integrating improvements to enhance performance, throughput and cost-efficiency.

Requirements

Essential Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• A PhD (or equivalent industry experience) in a relevant field, such as genomics, molecular biology, synthetic biology, cell biology, or computational biology;
• Hands-on experience with next-generation sequencing technologies (e.g., Illumina, Oxford Nanopore);
• Proven ability to develop, adapt, and troubleshoot sequencing workflows;
• Familiarity with basic bioinformatics tools for sequencing analysis and interpretation OR confident in multiple programming languages and coding/simple software development;
• A track record of working effectively in a collaborative, multi-disciplinary research environment;
• Exceptional communication skills: possess a desire to understand the scientific requests of collaborators in depth, manage multiple continuous collaborations, and translate complex concepts and data interpretation into clear, actionable outputs for non-specialists.

Desirable:

• Experience with LIMS, ELNs and data management;
• Experience in biological library screening, e.g. directed evolution, CRISPR screening, display technologies, deep mutational scanning;
• Experience with advanced sequencing techniques such as Hi-C, ChIP-Seq, SHAPE, nascent RNASeq;
• Experience in bioinformatics packages such as Nextflow, GATK, hifiasm;
• Experience with common programming languages such as Python, R, Unix;
• Experience with laboratory automation (e.g. Biomek i7).