Computational Biologist

About the role

The Beckman Center seeks a PhD-level Computational Specialist to serve as a technical liaison and innovator in bioinformatics, data analytics, machine learning, and AI, with a focus on cell, molecular, and developmental biology and biochemistry. This role will drive researcher productivity by leading cross-functional collaborations, developing cutting-edge solutions, delivering training, and fostering partnerships to accelerate discovery in basic and translational biomedical research.

Responsibilities

• Researcher Engagement
  • Consult and collaborate with faculty and researchers to understand their research goals and identify technical obstacles and solutions.
  • Attend research groups’ meetings and presentations to assist with identifying promising tools and systems and to discuss their computational challenges and requirements.
  • Engage with researchers on the use of a broad set of cyberinfrastructure systems, tools, and software.
  • Provide support for Stanford research computing clusters and storage services, cloud computing, and national resources.
• Solutions Development
  • Formulate innovative technical strategies and engineer them to completion to achieve unique research objectives, using external vendors as needed.
  • Provide novel technical solutions and consultation on complex technical topics requiring solutions that combine multiple computational tools, approaches and techniques.
  • Consult to develop frameworks that assist researchers in analyzing and visualizing data to uncover insights and support research findings.
  • Consult on the creation and management of large, variable datasets in order to enable their preparation and use in research for modeling and analysis.
  • Help facilitate the design and debugging of research workflows with researchers.
  • Research and assist in the development and implementation of innovative technical solutions to meet research needs, including machine learning algorithms, text and image processing techniques, API programming, custom full-stack applications, automated web scraping, and crowdsourcing pipelines.
  • Identify appropriate computational platforms (locally and externally) and facilitate researchers' use and mastery of same.
  • Continuously adapt to evolving technologies and methodologies to accelerate research development and enable new research frontiers.
  • Leverage technical knowledge and interpersonal skills to support and enhance academic research.
• Documentation/Training
  • Contribute to research and development efforts to enhance the team's capabilities in research support, including creating tutorials, testing new data collection methods, and staying abreast of relevant literature.
  • Develop and deliver documentation and training for faculty and research staff.
  • Enhance learning with full awareness of the local research computing and data landscape; continuously optimize the offerings.
  • Help develop and deliver research community learning opportunities, including the delivery of workshops, bootcamps, the creation of videos and other learning collateral, and technical documentation.
  • Partner with others to create training schedules, collaboratively develop materials, and lead training sessions focused on the use of Stanford cyberinfrastructure services for researchers.
• Partnership/Collaboration
  • Assist colleagues and more junior team members by providing guidance and direction on project activities.
  • Connect and coordinate interactions between researchers and technology providers.
  • Provide regular communications to the systems and software/data professionals.
  • Partner with researchers to co-create and co-learn relevant computing and data capabilities.

Qualifications

• Desired Qualifications:
  • Holds a PhD in computational biology, bioinformatics, computer science, or a related quantitative field (PhD preferred), with 3+ years of postdoctoral or professional experience applying computational tools to biomedical research projects.
  • Demonstrated proficiency in programming languages commonly used in bioinformatics (Python, R, Bash) and experience with data analysis libraries and frameworks, along with demonstrated expertise in the application of computational approaches to biological data.
  • Experience designing and delivering technical training, workshops, or educational content to diverse audiences, with strong communication skills and the ability to translate complex computational concepts for researchers with varying technical backgrounds.
  • Collaborating with interdisciplinary research teams and stakeholders across institutional or departmental boundaries, identifying user needs, gathering feedback, and iterating on solutions to improve research workflows.
  • Familiarity with research data management, workflow automation, or developing reproducible computational pipelines is preferred.
• Education & Experience (required):
  • Bachelor's degree and three or more years of relevant experience or combination of education, training, and relevant experience.
  • Advanced degree may be required for some programs.
  • For jobs with financial responsibilities, experience managing a budget and developing financial plans.
• Knowledge, Skills And Abilities (required):
  • Ability to develop program partnerships and funding sources.
  • Excellent oral, written, and analytical skills, exhibiting fluency in area of specialization.
  • Ability to oversee and direct staff.
  • Basic knowledge of managing budgets and developing financial plans.

Pay Range

$116,966 to $150,114 per annum.