Faculty Assistant

University of Maryland•College Park, MD

4d•$62,000 - $70,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Tiwari Lab at the University of Maryland, College Park is seeking a motivated, sharp, and hardworking Faculty Assistant (Bioinformatician) to support the lab's bioinformatics and computational needs and to help develop new tools that accelerate discovery. This role offers opportunities for co-authorship on collaborative projects while leaving room to lead independent research. Our laboratory focuses on the genomics of small grains — wheat, barley, and triticale — leveraging genomic data in the post-reference-genome era to increase resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses, improve grain quality, and reduce ecological footprint. We are passionate about advancing wheat quality and productivity, and about making our resources publicly available. If you're excited about bioinformatics, data analysis, and joining a collaborative team working on wheat genomics and crop improvement, we'd love to hear from you.

Requirements

Ph.D. in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, or a related field
Strong background in NGS data analysis and genome assembly
Demonstrated experience with GWAS, QTL-seq, and MutMap pipelines
Proficiency in Python, R, and Linux/HPC environments
Proficiency in HTML and JavaScript for database development
Demonstrated ability to lead projects independently and ensure the quality and reproducibility of results
A proven publication record in computational genomics or a related field
Excellent communication and collaboration skills for multidisciplinary research

Responsibilities

Analyze NGS datasets (genomic, RNA-seq, Iso-Seq) for gene expression, structural variation, and functional genomics studies
Perform high-quality polyploid genome assembly and annotation using state-of-the-art methods
Conduct GWAS, QTL-seq, and MutMap analyses to identify genetic loci associated with important traits
Develop, implement, and maintain databases for managing genomic and transcriptomic datasets
Program in Python and R to build custom workflows for advanced data analysis and visualization
Run computational pipelines on Linux-based HPC systems, ensuring reproducibility of workflows
Lead individual projects from design through completion, taking ownership of timelines, methodological rigor, and the overall quality of results
Collaborate with experimental biologists to integrate bioinformatics insights into publications and grant proposals
Mentor graduate and undergraduate students in the lab as needed