Bioinfo-Comput Biologist Inter

Apply Now

How to Apply

A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.

Mission Statement

Michigan Medicine improves the health of patients, populations and communities through excellence in education, patient care, community service, research and technology development, and through leadership activities in Michigan, nationally and internationally.  Our mission is guided by our Strategic Principles and has three critical components; patient care, education and research that together enhance our contribution to society.

Why Join Michigan Medicine?

Michigan Medicine is one of the largest health care complexes in the world and has been the site of many groundbreaking medical and technological advancements since the opening of the U-M Medical School in 1850. Michigan Medicine is comprised of over 30,000 employees and our vision is to attract, inspire, and develop outstanding people in medicine, sciences, and healthcare to become one of the world’s most distinguished academic health systems.  In some way, great or small, every person here helps to advance this world-class institution. Work at Michigan Medicine and become a victor for the greater good.

What Benefits can you Look Forward to?

  • Excellent medical, dental and vision coverage effective on your very first day
  • 2:1 Match on retirement savings

Responsibilities*

BASIC FUNCTION AND RESPONSIBILITY

Bioinformatics

  • Conducts and coordinates the analysis and implementation of computer-based information systems to meet the division of Diagnostic Genetics and Genomics (DGG) needs.
  • Analyze large and complex biological, clinical, and/or `omics datasets using reproducible analysis approaches (e.g. analysis pipelines). 
  • Implement best practices to build and continually improve the sections computational bioinformatics capabilities and workflows.
  • Prepare data as required for clinical patient reports or publications under the direction of laboratory leadership and contribute advanced data analysis required for clinical trial cohorts.
  • Participate in the operational deployment and maintenance of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) analysis pipelines for the division.
  • Support analysis pipeline implementation analyzers and assays, including writing and editing procedures.
  • Work with HITS and DGG engineering colleagues to ensure NGS bioinformatics pipelines adhere to all pertinent informatics security protocols.
  • Work with DGG informatics leadership to gather requirements for test and pipeline updates with the goal of increasing the efficiency, utility, and warranty of testing.
  • Perform ad-hoc bioinformatics analyses to evaluate performance of various methodological and software updates.
     

Quality Assurance, Quality Control, and Compliance

  • Responsible for monitoring bioinformatics platforms/pipelines to ensure that acceptable levels of analytic performance are maintained.
  • Establish/maintain/extend best practices for reproducible bioinformatics analysis and general-use data pipelines.
  • Assure that all remedial actions are taken, or appropriate escalation is initiated, when test systems deviate from established performance specifications.
  • Participate in monitoring the Quality Assurance Program. 
  • Assists with compliance of regulatory agency (i.e., CLIA, CAP) rules and regulations.

Management

  • Collaborate with division colleagues to identify areas for operational improvement. Work with DGG leadership to recommend and plan future change. 
  • Work with DGG leadership to identify achievable goals and objectives for the section.
  • Take an active part in identifying software tools that may reduce operational friction and/or enhance assay performance.
  • Keep lab manager and division directors informed of problems or changes in procedures that impact the section or shift.

Operational oversight:

  • Personnel
  • New personnel
  • Participate in interviews.

Training, Competency, and Education

  • Fulfill departmental continuing education requirement.
  • May teach bioinformatics skills as appropriate.
  • Involved with Staff engagement activities and surveys to provide an environment which motivates and enriches staff.


Departmental Responsibilities

  • Serve as technical resource person for staff, pathology operations, Mlab clients and other outside institutions.
  • Working knowledge of the departmental document control system, laboratory information systems, and other business systems. 

Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications*

In order to be considered for this position the applicant must have met or will have met all the required qualifications prior to the start date of employment.

  • Master's degree in biology, bioinformatics, engineering, computer science, or other field of study directly related to the duties of the position. 
  • A strong work ethic, a desire to learn, and a positive attitude.
  • Proficiency with at least one scripting language (preferably Python).
  • Experience using software version control tools (e.g., gitlab, github, bitbucket) to manage development and/or production analytical code.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Desired Qualifications*

  • Master's degree with emphasis in cancer biology, cancer genomics, computational biology, bioinformatics, engineering, computer science, or any other discipline integrating biology and computer science domain expertise.
  • Experience working directly with next-generation sequencing (NGS) data (e.g. targeted / WES / WGS DNAseq, RNAseq).
  • Familiarity with standard NGS variant calling tool suites (e.g., GATK), algorithms, and/or workflow management frameworks (e.g., Nextflow, Snakemake).
  • Experience working with Docker.
  • Experience working in cloud compute environments (e.g. AWS, GCP).
  • Familiarity with contemporary datasets of population- and oncology-specific genetic variation (e.g., gnomAD, COSMIC, OncoKB).
  • Experience working in a laboratory testing environment (academia or industry).
  • Experience supporting molecular assay validation analyses.  
  • Experience building high-quality static and/or dynamic data visualization approaches for exploring cancer genomics / molecular pathology test results.

Work Schedule

This full time, 40 hour position is on the day shift, there is a potential for hybrid or fully remote options in the future.

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Additional Information

This position requires frequent standing, walking and sitting for long periods of time.

Background Screening

Michigan Medicine conducts background screening and pre-employment drug testing on job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent job offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background screenings.  Background screenings are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Report Act. Pre-employment drug testing applies to all selected candidates, including new or additional faculty and staff appointments, as well as transfers from other U-M campuses.

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days.  The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

U-M EEO/AA Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.