Senior Director Bioinformatics

Company Overview

Sampled is a fully integrated laboratory and biorepository with industry-leading storage, sample management, multiomics, cellular services, and custom clinical kitting. Founded in 1999 as RUCDR at Rutgers University, Sampled operates facilities in the US and UK and is CAP accredited and CLIA licensed. Sampled is committed to providing the highest quality sample storage, processing, and analysis services that enable researchers to make new discoveries and advance human health. When combined with state-of-the-art biobanking facilities, these capabilities provide comprehensive scientific solutions that speed time to quality data. Sampled is committed to building a sustainable, inclusive, and diverse culture where team members enjoy equal opportunities in a safe, supportive, and empowering environment. Sampled believes that as an organization we have a duty to be actively engaged in supporting not just the clients and industries we serve but the communities where we live and work.

Position Summary

This business critical role leads a multidisciplinary core bioinformatics team focused on building and maintaining world-class computational biology and bioinformatics capabilities. The successful candidate will report directly to the CIO and collaborate with a diverse and interdisciplinary team of scientists and engineers to generate and implement impactful products and services which meet client needs. As leader of bioinformatics development, the Sr Director of Bioinformatics will design and implement NGS sequencing data analysis pipelines and other bioinformatics and AI tools. The director will collaborate with research and development teams to provide support for assay development, validation, and commercialization for genomics, proteomics, and precision medicine research. There will be a focus on providing support for data analysis and data delivery by automating manual processes and building reliable computing infrastructure in the cloud and on-premises. The director will evaluate new bioinformatics and deep learning technologies and provide adoption strategy for company growth. Additionally, this leader will research and develop Bioinformatics and Data as a Service to enhance Sampled's product portfolio offering. This position will be based onsite at Sampled's Headquarters in Piscataway, New Jersey, minimum 3 days per week.

Responsibilities

Lead and develop the core bioinformatics team(s) and serve as a mentor for other bioinformatics and / or software developer staff members on analysis approaches and best practices. Leverage leadership skills and experiences to continuously improve the function, including talent, structure, processes, tools, and techniques.

Lead and execute product strategy and service roadmap.

Lead and manage internal challenges / conflicts at enterprise scale and complexity, working in partnership and collaborating with lab services.

Successfully and closely collaborate with clients and program managers in leading the design, implementation and refinement of the tools, methods and pipelines.

Work with research and development teams to participate in project planning and design plan for bioinformatics development, execution, and test / validation.

Ensure products meet regulated and / or clinical validated product requirements; for example, GxP, CLIA or CAP environments.

Ensure all change controls follow quality control software development best practice, SOPs and regulatory requirements.

Daily focus on bioinformatics tool development needs of NGS pipeline, microarray data analysis and process automation.

Analyze R&D data for assay development and other research needs.

Perform tool validation and generate validation reports.

Troubleshoot bioinformatics tool issues.

Provide support for daily data analysis and data delivery.

Evaluate third party bioinformatic tools, perform proof-of-concept test, and provide adoption and integration strategy.

Develop new solutions including data analysis pipeline using Python, Nextflow and WDL.

Working with IT, develop and implement data storage and backup plan and support company growth.

Be a proactive member of Sampled's Global Senior Leadership Team (SLT), maximizing internal communication and teamwork opportunities, and ensuring personal accountability and ownership to deliver on commitments.

Build a positive culture, and be an active champion and role model of Sampled Core Values : Strive to delight our clients, Move innovation forward, Accelerate your business, Rise together as a team, Transcend what is possible.

Position Requirements

Ph.D. degree in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Engineering, Computer Science, or other related fields with minimal five years biotech and / or pharmaceutical experience; or Master's degree with minimal eight years biotech and / or pharmaceutical experience.

7+ years experience leading Bioinformatics teams at Director level or above, including managing remote-based team members.

Excellent leadership skills and the ability to set direction and develop the team.

Strategic mindset and high business acumen.

High level of project management and cross-functional collaboration skills, with the ability to build relationships and trust across the organization.

Ability to drive change and engagement.

Demonstrates consistently good communication and interpersonal skills with colleagues, management and clients. Strong stakeholder management skills internally and externally, with ability to build relationships, resolve conflict, navigate through challenges and influence outcomes.

A minimum of 3 years CLIA lab experience for genetic testing.

Scientific experience in genomics, proteomics, and precision medicine with proof of publications.

Expert experience in NGS pipelines design and development for germline and cancer variant detections with DNA and RNA panels, WES and WGS.

Liquid biopsy and metagenomic bioinformatics pipeline development experiences.

Applied machine learning and other AI technology in large scale biological data analysis.

Ideally, Candidates Will Have The Following Technical Experience

AWS Engineering : 4 years

HPC and Linux : 8 years

Python Programming : 8+ years

Web Development : 3+ years

Strong Python programming skills including experiences with Pandas, Numpy, and machine learning functions.

PostgreSQL and MySQL databases, data modeling and database design, data ETL (Extraction, Transformation, and Loading) skills, SQL, and other data and database skills.

Good software development practices, including code management using Git, JIRA, Confluence.

Experiences with workflow management tools such as Snakemake, Nextflow and WDL (Workflow Description Language).

Strong organization skills, with attention to priorities, effectively meeting deadlines and responding in a timely manner. Ability to prioritize tasks and to delegate them when appropriate.

Salary Range

$180,000 to $230,000 plus bonus plan. Salary level will be reflective of qualifications, skills and experience.

Sampled is an Equal Opportunity / Aff… (M / F / Disabled / Veteran)

J-18808-Ljbffr