Senior Computational Genomics Scientist – Pathogen

Ellison Institute of Technology Oxford

. **Your Role:** . At EIT we are seeking an experienced and detail orientated **(Senior or Non Senior) Scientist **with recognised expertise in developing computational methods and algorithms for genomic sequencing data

Posted 6/25/2026full-timeOxford • 🇬🇧 United KingdomSeniorWebsite

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

AssemblyAWSCloudGoogle Cloud PlatformPythonRust

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

**Your Role:**
At EIT we are seeking an experienced and detail orientated **(Senior or Non Senior) Scientist **with recognised expertise in developing computational methods and algorithms for genomic sequencing data analysis. This is an exciting opportunity to develop novel computational approaches for microbial data that will become part of our diagnostic products and thus help shape the future of infectious disease diagnostics. Reporting to the Lead Scientist in Computational Genomics, you will work closely with computational scientists, bioinformaticians, software engineers, and our database and data platform teams to deliver scientifically rigorous, scalable, and clinically relevant innovation in the microbial genomics space.
**Key Responsibilities:**
- Design, develop and evaluate novel computational methods in areas such as genome assembly, binning, and functional characterisation of genomes from metagenomic sequencing data
- Collaborate with scientists across EIT to apply the latest developments in AI/ML to real-world challenges in the pathogen space
- Work with bioinformaticians and software engineers to implement methods in scalable, reproducible, and modular workflows
- Perform rigorous benchmarking using public and internal datasets, and guide experimental validation efforts in collaboration with our wet-lab teams
- Communicate technical concepts to broad audiences and collaborate with interdisciplinary colleagues across the organization

Requirements

What you’ll need

**Requirements**
The three core technical skillsets for this role are bioinformatics algorithm development, machine learning methods, and microbial genomics.
Strong candidates will have significant experience in at least two of these three areas, and experience in all three is a plus.
For Senior: At least three years of postdoctoral or industry experience developing computational methods for next-generation sequencing data, with the ability to plan and execute research projects independently.
For Non-Senior: Hands-on experience developing computational methods for next-generation sequencing data.
**Essential Knowledge, Skills and Experience:**
- PhD or equivalent experience in bioinformatics, computational biology, computer science, mathematics, physics, or another quantitative field
- Significant experience developing bioinformatics methods for efficient search and storage of DNA sequences, genome assembly, genome annotation, pangenomes, phylogenetics, and/or comparative genomics
- Solid understanding of data structures, algorithms, and statistical methods (e.g. De Bruijn graphs, hashing, Burrows-Wheeler transform, Bayesian methods, mixed models, dimensionality reduction, embeddings)
- Experience with innovative machine learning applications in the context of biological data, particularly sequencing data
- Proficient in the use of command-line interfaces, low and high-level programming languages (e.g. Python, C, C++, Rust) and modern software development techniques (version control, CI/CD)
- Track record of scientific output and engagement with the computational genomics community
**Desirable Knowledge, Skills and Experience:**
- Experience working with microbial genomes and shotgun metagenomics data
- Experience working with long-read sequencing data (ONT)
- Experience with bioinformatics workflow management (e.g. Nextflow) and cloud computing (e.g. OCI, AWS, GCP)
- Contributions to open-source bioinformatics software
- Previous experience mentoring or line-managing scientists (**For Senior**)

Benefits

Comp & perks

**Our Benefits:**
- Salary: Competitive + travel allowance + bonus
- Enhanced holiday + options to buy additional days
- Pension
- Life Assurance
- Income Protection
- Private Medical Insurance
- Hospital Cash Plan
- Therapy Services
- Perk Box
- Electric Car Scheme
- Childcare benefit
**Working Together – What It Involves:**
- You must have the permanent right to work in the UK and be willing to travel when required. Given the specialised nature of this role, we can consider sponsorship for candidates who meet the expectations outlined in the job description.
- Hybrid working; min 3 days on site a week
- You will live in, or within easy commuting distance of, Oxford (or be willing to relocate).

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Hard Skills & Tools

bioinformatics algorithm developmentmachine learning methodsmicrobial genomicsgenome assemblygenome annotationpangenomesphylogeneticscomparative genomicsdata structuresstatistical methods

Soft Skills

collaborationcommunicationindependent research planninginterdisciplinary teamworktechnical concept communication

Certifications

PhD in bioinformaticsPhD in computational biologyPhD in computer sciencePhD in mathematicsPhD in physics