Bioinformatician Officer (Research & Development)

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew - Richmond, VA

Full-time - Entry Level

Richmond, VA

About the position

The Bioinformatics Officer (Research & Development) at RBG Kew will support a major programme aimed at sequencing 20,000 fungi and lichen specimens. This role involves developing new bioinformatics methodologies to enhance genomic data processing and designing analytical strategies for the Fungarium Sequencing Project. The officer will also be responsible for developing project software systems and participating in training programs, contributing to scientific outputs.

Responsibilities

• Develop new bioinformatics methodologies to accelerate genomic data processing.
• Design the analytical strategy for the Fungarium Sequencing Project.
• Develop project software systems necessary for data processing.
• Participate in training programs related to bioinformatics.
• Contribute to the preparation of scientific outputs.

Requirements

• Experience in bioinformatics, particularly in genome assembly and annotation, ideally of fungal genomes.
• Proficiency in designing genomics pipelines.
• Experience with assembly and analysis of high-throughput sequence data.
• Ability to compile, handle, and analyze large datasets.
• Knowledge in phylogenomics and/or comparative genomics is expected.
• Experience in fungal genomics and processing genomes from old collections is a plus.
• PhD degree or relevant equivalent qualification in a science discipline.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience in training or mentoring junior staff.
• Familiarity with software development for bioinformatics applications.

Benefits

• Opportunities for continuous learning.
• Generous annual leave entitlement.
• Flexible working arrangements.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Wellbeing support including cycle to work scheme and discounted gym membership.
• Competitive pension scheme.
• Employee discount scheme.
• Free entry to national museums and galleries.
• Access to Kew and Wakehurst gardens.