Genomics Data Analyst and Developer

University of Washington•Seattle, WA

About The Position

Position Purpose The Fowler lab currently has an outstanding opportunity for a Senior Computer Specialist. We are a diverse, driven group developing cutting-edge genomic technologies to quantify the effects of genetic variation at scale, engineer genomes, and understand cellular function. Position Complexities The successful candidate will become an integral part of the team. Working with Dr. Fowler, collaborators, and other members of the lab, they will support ongoing projects by developing software tools, databases and pipelines for analyzing diverse data. Current projects involve high-throughput DNA sequencing data and cell images. We are strongly committed to equity and diversity, and strive to empower all lab members to realize their potential by learning, acquiring skills and taking on new challenges. Background on the Department of Genome Sciences The Department of Genome Sciences (GS) is part of the University of Washington School of Medicine (UW SOM) and is comprised of 33 labs addressing leading edge questions in biology and medicine by developing and applying genetic, genomic and computational approaches taking advantage of genomic information now available for a host of species. GS is making major contributions in the application of genome science to understand the fundamentals of biology and to improve human health and wellbeing. Genome Sciences is a collaborative department supported by very different academic disciplines. We work with a multitude of Program Investigators (PIs) in departments both on the UW campus as well as worldwide. The department has gone through significant expansion since its beginning in 2001 with annual grant awards of $39M in FY25. The department has 63 training, teaching, and research faculty.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, bioinformatics, genetics, biology, chemistry, or related field. Equivalent experience may substitute for educational requirement
Two years of experience in software development, bioinformatics, computational biology, or genomic research
Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.
Additional Requirements.
Demonstrated ability with Python, and ability to learn new languages and programming paradigms
Demonstrated ability to develop new code and analyses in the context of a research project
Demonstrated ability to conduct independent, goal-driven work
Demonstrated commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment
Excellent written and communication skills
Ability to interact with staff, faculty, and students at all levels

Nice To Haves

Working knowledge of biology, genetics, genomics, or DNA sequencing
Familiarity with algorithms for analyzing high-throughput DNA sequencing data
Familiarity with algorithms for analyzing cell image data
Experience working with large imaging datasets
Familiarity with versioning tools such as GitHub and SVN
Experience with management of high-throughput data

Responsibilities

Bioinformatics software maintenance and development - Responsible for contributing to new and existing software tools based on the requirements of users in Fowler lab and the broader scientific community. Develop and maintain high-throughput data analysis pipelines for DNA sequencing and imaging data. Develop and maintain databases, associated APIs, vue.js-based websites, and web applications for sharing data (60%)
Requirements gathering - Support management, researchers, and technical staff in gathering requirements for software improvements in terms of overall function, fit with laboratory processes, and data reporting and analysis needs. Collaborate with other developers and a diverse interdisciplinary team including faculty, staff, and outside project collaborators based in different home institutions to define the informatics needs of the Fowler lab and the external community. (15%)
Troubleshooting and analysis - Responsible for general troubleshooting alongside other researchers to solve new data analysis problems (15%)
Software documentation - Write specifications and code documentation to ensure that others understand what each specific piece of code is doing to provide transparency in case another developer ends up being responsible for maintaining this developer's code or in the case of bug fixes that need to occur in the future (5%)
Software testing - Test all new software modules prior to release to check for bugs or potentially undesirable side-effects of code interaction (5%)