Medical Research Tech III - Bioinformatics Tech

About the Institution

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) enriches the lives of others by educating students, providing excellent patient care, and advancing knowledge through innovative research. TTUHSC graduates more health care professionals than any other health-related institution in Texas, conferring 24.2% of all degrees and certificates awarded from health-related institutions in the state. By providing comprehensive clinical services to over 10 million individuals across 121 counties, TTUHSC is dedicated to advancing the health of people throughout Texas and beyond.

TTUHSC fosters an innovative and supportive community with a values-based culture that prioritizes its people, offering a positive environment where individuals can develop and thrive.

Visa Information

TTUHSC may initiate new H-1B I-129 visa petitions at its sole discretion, subject to approval from the Texas Workforce Commission. On a limited, case-by-case basis, the institution may also sponsor eligible individuals for change-of-status or change-of-employer petitions for qualifying positions. TTUHSC will not cover the $100,000 fee, if applicable.

About the Role

Employees in this classification provide support in an assigned research laboratory, conducting specified phases of research projects and assisting the Principal Investigator (P.I.) in maintaining a supportive and collegial working environment. Responsibilities include developing new procedures and techniques, as well as new applications for standard laboratory practices. Work is performed under usual laboratory conditions, with potential exposure to hazardous substances such as radioactive, carcinogenic, or other harmful materials.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Laboratory Manager and P.I. in managing and promoting laboratory safety.
• Perform bioinformatic analyses of large DNA datasets, including RNA-sequence and 3’-end RNA sequence data from wild-type and mutant mouse samples.
• Use the ‘R’ programming environment to analyze large DNA datasets.
• Collaborate with the P.I., students, and other technical personnel to train new students, postdocs, and investigators in scientific procedures, including preparation of talks, grants, and publications.
• Maintain detailed records of experiments in a laboratory notebook, including methodology, calculations, data graphs, images of protein blots (“Westerns”), interpretations of data, and indications of errors or unexpected outcomes.
• Supervise lab support activities (e.g., dishwashing, ordering, cleaning, autoclaving solutions, and stuffing pipette tip boxes) performed by student assistants, and provide these services when student assistants are absent.
• Maintain essential laboratory equipment (e.g., monitoring -80° and -20° freezer temperatures) and records (e.g., animal use and breeding colony records, material safety data sheets, biohazardous materials, and order invoices).

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in one of the sciences, or an equivalent combination (4 years) of job-related experience and college education. Experience may be substituted for college education on a year-for-year basis.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in biology, mathematics, computer science/engineering, or data science.
• Experience analyzing large-scale genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenomic data, such as RNA-Seq, scRNA-Seq, and ChIP-Seq, including multivariate statistical analysis, bioinformatics, and data visualization.
• Experience with Linux/MacOS command line (file management, automation, system monitoring, and troubleshooting).
• Proficiency in R and Python for data wrangling and visualization.
• Experience with cloud/high-performance computing (cluster management, e.g., Slurm and parallel computing).
• Experience with data analysis and documentation (e.g., Jupyter notebooks and code annotation).
• Knowledge of version control, pipeline development, and testing.
• Experience and/or familiarity with RNA-Seq technologies and advanced scientific instrumentation.

Benefits

TTUHSC is committed to supporting the well-being of its team members with comprehensive benefits and programs, including:

• Health Plans + Supplemental Coverage Options: Individual health insurance provided at no cost for full-time team members.
• Paid Time Off: Includes holidays, vacation, and sick leave.
• Retirement Plans.
• Wellness Programs and a Certified Mother-Friendly Workplace.
• Opportunities for personal and professional growth, including lifelong learning programs, recognition initiatives, and health and wellness resources.
• Additional perks such as special membership rates at local gyms and golf courses, access to state-of-the-art software and facilities, and discounts on travel, technology, and entertainment.

Pay

Pay Basis: Hourly

Pay Grade: Minimum 15, Maximum 21

Compensation is commensurate upon the qualifications of the individual selected and budgetary guidelines of the hiring department, as well as the institutional pay plan.

Schedule

• Job Type: Full Time
• Shift: Day
• Travel Required: None
• Grant Funded: Yes

This position works in a research laboratory. Select agents are not used in this laboratory.