Scientist, Bioinformatics

Role Summary

Scientist, Bioinformatics at Moderna focusing on accelerating mRNA medicines through cutting-edge computational analyses and bioinformatics pipeline development. The role involves advancing long- and short-read sequencing analyses, designing algorithms, building pipelines, and delivering actionable insights. Collaboration with wet-lab scientists to co-design experiments and apply methods on sequencing platforms, with emphasis on Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT).

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize ONT methods for DNA and RNA characterization (e.g. cDNA vs. direct RNA sequencing, barcoding, de-multiplexing).
• Build and maintain ONT analysis pipelines covering signal-level analysis, basecalling, alignment, polishing, and data verification.
• Build visualization and reporting tools that communicate findings to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain documentation, SOPs, and best-practice guides; mentor colleagues and promote reproducibility and scientific rigor.
• Provide suggestions to wet lab scientists and contribute to experimental design.
• Work cross-functionally to deliver timely NGS/long-read analyses and feedback that improve experimental design and data quality.
• Contribute to scientific and strategy discussions focused on attributes specific to developing mRNA medicines.
• Communicate findings internally and, as appropriate, externally.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, or related field with 1+ years of relevant industrial experience
• Technical expertise
  • Practical data analysis experience with Oxford Nanopore data types (cDNA, direct RNA, demultiplexing), basecalling, signal-level methods, and downstream interpretation.
  • Expert in Python and R programming, clean and well-tested code, packaging and documentation.
  • Producing visualizations of complex NGS results
  • High performance computing in a distributed/cloud environment, e.g. AWS
  • Software development best practices, including agile, version control, unit and integration testing, documentation, and deployment.
• Strong understanding of the drug development process and fundamentals of mRNA technology
• Ability to draw robust conclusions from complex datasets and present them clearly
• Ability to contribute to multiple concurrent and fast-paced projects
• Strong written and oral communication skills with a track record of publications and/or patent applications

Skills

• Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, NGS analysis, ONT data analysis
• Python, R, data visualization, software development best practices
• Cloud computing (AWS) and high-performance computing
• Experimental design collaboration and cross-functional teamwork

Education

• Ph.D. in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, or related field (required)