Research Associate, Bioinformatics (Contract)

Flagship Pioneering • Cambridge, MA

6d • $34 - $36

About The Position

Founded through Flagship Pioneering’s venture creation engine, Terrana Biosciences is a cutting-edge agricultural biotechnology company developing innovative RNA-based products to address global agricultural challenges. We are committed to advancing sustainable farming solutions through precision technologies that ensure environmental safety and regulatory compliance. THE ROLE We are seeking a Contract Research Associate, Bioinformatics to support our Computational Biology & Data Science (CBDS) team by analyzing and interpreting large-scale biological data in close collaboration with experimental scientists. In this role, you will process next-generation sequencing data (e.g., RNA-seq, small RNA-seq), contribute to the development and automation of bioinformatics pipelines, and help translate experimental results into actionable insights. This 4 month contract (30 hours a week) offers hands-on experience with industry-standard tools, data workflows, and cross-functional research in genomics, molecular biology, and synthetic biology. This is an excellent opportunity for an early-career scientist transitioning from an academic or co-op setting into an industry-focused research environment.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Data Science, Computer Science, Biology, or a related field.
• Hands-on experience in analyzing high-throughput sequencing data.
• Proficiency in Python and/or R for data analysis and scripting.
• Familiarity with tools such as FASTQC, STAR, HISAT2, Bowtie2, samtools, DESeq2, or similar.
• Experience working in a Linux/Unix environment and using version control (e.g., Git).
• Strong communication skills and ability to work effectively in interdisciplinary teams.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with cloud computing environments (AWS, GCP) or containerization tools (Docker, Singularity).
• Interest in or exposure to machine learning and/or large language models (LLMs) in biological contexts.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with CBDS scientists to process, analyze, and interpret next-generation sequencing (NGS) data, including RNA-seq and/or small RNA-seq.
• Assist in the development and automation of bioinformatics pipelines using Python, R, or workflow management systems like Snakemake or Nextflow.
• Perform data quality control, alignment, quantification, and differential expression analysis.
• Help curate internal datasets and contribute to data visualization and reporting to cross-functional teams.
• Participate in regular team meetings, journal clubs, and code reviews to grow technically and scientifically.
• Collaborate with wet lab scientists to translate experimental results into actionable insights.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees