CeMM - Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences

Vienna, Austria

The Biomedical Sequencing Facility is Austria’s leading technology platform and research service provider dedicated to genome sequencing in biomedicine and one of the largest producers of scientific “Big Data” in Austria. It is jointly run by the Medical University of Vienna and the CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. To keep up with rapid growth, we are now hiring a Scientific Programmer who will develop and operate state-of-the-art software for processing and analyzing massive-scale datasets in the context of biomedical research and precision medicine.

The Candidate

We are looking for highly motivated, well-organized, and hard-working candidates who feel comfortable in a highly dynamic and ambitious research environment. We expect strong programming skills and an academic background (Bachelor, Master and/or PhD) in one of the quantitative sciences, for example computer science, physics, engineering, statistics, or biology/bioinformatics. A formal education in software engineering and/or work experience as a software developer in the commercial sector is a plus. A good understanding of biology and/or experience with biomedical data is also a plus, but is something that can also be learnt on the job. The work involves interdisciplinary collaborations and customer contact, thus requiring the ability to effectively multi-task as well as stress resistance, friendliness, and a collaborative mindset. Tasks and pay are commensurable with experience and skills. We take career development of our staff seriously at CeMM. For example, we will train the successful candidate in various state-of-the-art technologies that are in high demand in both academia and industry, and we encourage substantial contribution and co-authorship for publications in top journals. It is expected that genomic medicine will be an area of major growth in Austria and internationally (cf. Obama’s recent announcement of a massive precision medicine initiative), thus creating a highly promising area for career development.

Typical Tasks

• Software development. Developing cutting-edge software and analysis pipelines for genome data analysis;
• Data processing. Maintaining a constant flow of sequencing data (terabytes per week) being transformed into information;
• Data analysis. Collaborative work with researchers whose projects profit from state-of-the-art computational methods;
• Data management. Developing databases and web infrastructure to keep track of data, analyses, and projects;
• Training and outreach. Contributing to workshops and teaching collaborating scientists how to analyze their data;
• Genom Austria. Depending on interest, work with CeMM’s citizen science project on personal genomes could be part of the job.

The Biomedical Sequencing Facility (http://biomedical-sequencing.at)

The successful candidate will be based at the Biomedical Sequencing Facility (BSF) at CeMM. The BSF is Austria’s first and leading center of expertise for next generation sequencing in biomedicine. Under the leadership of Christoph Bock (http://christoph-bock.org/), who has a background in computer science, and with a dedicated team of staff scientists, the BSF contributes to biomedical research and whole genome medicine in Vienna, Austria, and internationally. The BSF also performs the genome sequencing and analysis for Genom Austria (http://genomaustria.at/), which is the Austrian Personal Genome Project (http://www.personalgenomes.org/austria). The BSF is equipped with the latest technology for large-scale genome research, including: (i) three Illumina HiSeq sequencers for production sequencing; (ii) an Illumina MiSeq sequencer for technology development and gene panels; (iii) a PerkinElmer Sciclone NGS (pre-PCR) and Zephyr (post-PCR) robotics system supporting 96-well automated library preparation for RNA-seq (PolyA+, RiboZero, and QuantSeq 3’mRNA fingerprinting), RRBS, and ChIP-seq; (iv) a Silicon Biosystems DE-PArray and a Fluidigm C1 for single-cell RNA and DNA methylation sequencing. The BSF is also part of the Oxford Nanopore early access program. It is supported by a powerful scientific computing cluster that is upgraded annually to keep pace with steeply increasing amounts of data generation (current status: >100 CPUs, >1,000 cores, >10 TB memory, >1,000 TB storage). The BSF’s mandate includes a strong focus on technology development, contribution to study design and bioinformatic data analysis, as well as training and teaching best practices in sequencing technology and genomic medicine.

The Institute (http://www.cemm.at)

The CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine is an international and interdisciplinary research institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Driven by medical needs, CeMM integrates basic research and biomedical expertise to pursue innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches focused on cancer, inflammation, and immune disorders. CeMM is located in a new building at the center of Vienna’s Medical University campus, within walking distance of Vienna’s historical city center. According to a recent study by “The Scientist”, CeMM is among the top-5 best places to work in academia worldwide (http://the-scientist.com/2012/08/01/best-places-to-work-academia-2012). Vienna is frequently ranked the world’s best city to live. It is a United Nations city with a large English-speaking community. The official language at CeMM is English, and more than 30 different nationalities are represented at the institute.

Please submit cover letter, curriculum vitae, academic transcripts and contact details of three referees toapplication@cemm.at. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis starting immediately until the position is filled. Applications received after April 15th are unlikely to be considered. The start date is relatively flexible.