Senior Bioinformatician

This post is within the Healthcare Associated Infection (HCAI), Fungal, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), Antimicrobial Utilisation (AMU) & Sepsis Division (Clinical & Public Health group) of UKHSA. The mission of the division is to protect people from healthcare-associated and antimicrobial resistant infections, through world-leading public health microbiology, outbreak response, surveillance, antimicrobial stewardship, modelling, research and interventions.

This role works closely with National Reference Laboratories for investigation of antibiotic resistance in, and characterization of, healthcare associated bacterial pathogens. We seek to define outbreaks and identify transmission pathways. We use established and developmental phenotypic and genotypic methods to type isolates, to identify markers of virulence, fitness and epidemicity, and to determine their susceptibility to relevant antibiotics.

The appointee will be required to develop bioinformatics and public health informatics for the Division:

• Provide informatic and bioinformatic support and undertake analyses on data arising from whole-genome sequencing (WGS) for reference service delivery, outbreak investigations, and for research projects, and to be responsible for timely data mining and generation of meaningful reports to customers
• Support, monitor and quality ensure the WGS bioinformatics analysis from sample receipt to report
• Develop / assemble, validate and implement bioinformatics and AI tools and pipelines suitable for analysis and comparison of the genome sequences generated
• Liaise and advise national, regional and international epidemiology colleagues on the interpretation of phylogenetic analysis in e.g. outbreak investigations
• Lead preparation of reports, posters and publications arising from the data
• Present findings at internal, national and international meetings
• Compile, manage and curate appropriate databases for AMR determinants and the complex data arising from whole-genome sequencing of a range of healthcare associated and antimicrobial-resistant bacterial pathogens

Please review the job description for a full list of roles and responsibilities.

Essential Criteria:

It is important through your application and Statement of Suitability of 500 words (max 750 words) that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the essential criteria (for full details of all essential criteria please refer to the attached job description, you must review this to produce your statement of suitability):

Essential

• Degree in Bioinformatics or a related life science
• Postgraduate training in Bioinformatics
• Familiar with Linux/Unix; proficient on the CLI
• Knowledge of Next Generation Sequencing technologies and associated bioinformatic analytical approaches
• Experience of applying diverse bioinformatics tools, preferably to the analysis of microbial DNA
• Experience of developing, modifying, debugging code used for data analysis, preferably python
• Problem solving skills and ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands
• Must have ability to anticipate and resolve problems before they arise
• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships

Desirable

• Experience of VCS systems (e.g. git) for software versioning and documentation
• Database curation, update and management