Senior Computer Programmer (Pipelines)

Salary range: £31033 to £39142 per annum plus excellent benefits.

Fixed-term for 3 years

We have an exciting opportunity for a talented Senior Computer Programmer to join our high-throughput sequencing team in the Sanger Malaria Programme. As one of the world's leading malaria genetic research groups we are pioneering the use of next-generation sequencing technology to study genome variation in humans, mosquitoes (Anopheles) and parasite (Plasmodium), across large cohorts of thousands of samples. The goal of our work is to directly support global efforts to control malaria, by discovering novel drug and vaccine targets, by identifying emerging drug and insecticide mutations, and by monitoring genetics changes in global parasite and mosquito populations.

We have generated some of the largest whole genome sequencing datasets available for any species, and the data we produce continues to grow exponentially. The bottleneck is now our ability to process and analyse data at this unprecedented scale. This role will design, develop, evaluate and run analytical pipelines to process high throughput sequence data and produce high quality data on genome variation. A key component will be engineering pipelines to be scalable and make the best possible use of the Sanger Institute's high performance compute facilities.

The ideal candidate will have extremely strong skills in software engineering and will have first-hand experience of processing very large datasets in a scientific or commercial domain. Exceptional analytical skills are also required, and a strong interest in genome biology and the scientific aspects of whole genome sequencing is desirable. We are a multi-disciplinary team, and the successful application will work collaboratively with a range of other specialists including wet lab scientists, data analysts and statisticians, and malaria biologists and geneticists, so teamwork and a collaborative ethos are required.

Essential Skills

- Postgraduate qualification in bioinformatics or computer science or a related subject * Exceptional software engineering skills with fluency in Perl * Experience of processing extremely large datasets on parallel computing clusters * Strong database development skills * Ability to work as part of a team or unsupervised to a very high standard * Strong analytical and problem solving * Strong written and oral communication

Ideal Skills

- Experience of MySQL, Python, C/C++ * Knowledge of bioinformatic methods for processing next-generation sequencing data or similar * Experience of delivering high quality data products to scientists or other end users * Experience developing web-based data visualisation/reporting tools

Other information

The Sanger Institute is a charitably funded research centre focused on understanding the role of genetics in health and disease. We use state of the art large-scale genomic approaches to drive world-leading projects to uncover the basis of genetic and infectious disease. Our goal is to provide results that can be translated into diagnostics, treatments or therapies that reduce global health burdens.

The Institute is located near Cambridge, UK on the stunning Wellcome Trust Genome Campus. This growing and dynamic site is the British hub of genomic science. It hosts the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI), the Centre for Therapeutic Target Validation, a Biodata Innovation Centre and will soon host Genomics England Limited's 100,000 Genomes Sequencing Centre. It is an excellent environment in which to work and collaborate with researchers on campus and around the world and benefit from cross-fertilisation of ideas.

Our Benefits include: Defined Benefit Pension Scheme, Group Income Protection, Healthcare scheme, Childcare Vouchers, Nursery and 25 days Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays. We also have a gym, two cafes, a nursery, dining facilities, and a free campus bus service. Our thriving Sports and Social Club provides many opportunities to meet with people working across the campus.

Please include a covering letter and CV with your application.

Closing date for applications: 24th November 2015