Senior Bioinformatician

Job summary

The Diagnostics and Pathogen Characterisation (DPC) Division, at Porton Down, comprises approximately 150 staff focusing on critical early steps in infection control. Including pathogen identification, characterisation, and diagnostic development. Within DPC, the Virology and Pathogenesis and Pathogen Characterisation (VPPC) group undertakes research on arboviruses, viral haemorrhagic fevers, and other emerging zoonotic viruses that present significant risks to human health. Its work aligns with the institute’s role as a World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centre for virus research and reference. Spanning diagnostics, surveillance, and evaluation of therapeutics and vaccines, supported by strong international collaborations. We are recruiting a bioinformatician to the Pathogen Characterisation group to support genomics programmes targeting rare and emerging pathogens.

The post-holder will work across multidisciplinary teams to enhance molecular workflows and expand genomic capabilities for priority pathogens. Responsibilities include integrating sequencing outputs into analytical pipelines to support surveillance, outbreak response, and research.

A grounding in molecular biology is essential. Experience with Next-generation sequencing (NGS) data is desirable, particularly with Illumina and Oxford Nanopore platforms, alongside familiarity with viral or bacterial genome analysis, including assembly, variant calling, and quality control.

Job description

• Develop, maintain, and deploy whole genome sequencing (WGS) bioinformatics pipelines, including refactoring and improving existing software components.
• Implement, test, validate, and version new analytical tools and integrate them into production-ready WGS workflows.
• Analyse genomic datasets and deliver high-quality reports within agreed timelines to support surveillance, research, and outbreak responses.
• Provide training, guidance, and best-practice advice on the use and interpretation of bioinformatics tools and analyses.
• Lead and contribute to the preparation of reports, presentations, posters, and peer-reviewed publications.
• Represent the organisation at internal, national, and international meetings and contribute to collaborative networks.
• Identify, evaluate, and adopt new technologies and analytical approaches to enhance scientific capability and maintain high technical standards.
• Supervise and mentor junior staff, and provide line or project management support where required.
• Ensure all work complies with organisational safety, quality, and regulatory standards, including maintaining personal health and safety competence.
• Adhere to organisational policies, values, confidentiality requirements, and contribute flexibly to additional duties as required.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

This role supports the delivery of high-quality genomic analysis within a public health and research environment, with a primary focus on the development, optimisation, and application of whole genome sequencing (WGS) bioinformatics pipelines. The post-holder will contribute to advancing pathogen genomics capability through robust software development, data analysis, and collaboration with multidisciplinary teams.

Core Technical Responsibilities

• Lead and contribute to the design, development, deployment, and continuous improvement of WGS bioinformatics pipelines for microbial genomics applications.
• Refactor, optimise, and maintain existing WGS software components to improve performance, reproducibility, and scalability.
• Develop new bioinformatics tools and analytical modules, ensuring they are fully tested, validated, documented, and version-controlled prior to integration into production pipelines.
• Apply best practices in software engineering, including the use of version control systems (e.g. Git), code review, and reproducible workflows.
• Support the identification, development, and dissemination of best practice in bioinformatics methods, ensuring alignment with organisational and sector standards.

Data Analysis and Scientific Delivery

• Undertake comprehensive analysis of next-generation sequencing (NGS) datasets (e.g. Illumina, Oxford Nanopore), including quality control, genome assembly, variant identification, and downstream interpretation.
• Generate accurate, timely, and high-quality reports from data analyses to support research, surveillance, and outbreak investigations.
• Lead and contribute to the preparation of scientific outputs, including technical reports, peer-reviewed publications, posters, and presentations.
• Maintain a high level of scientific rigour, ensuring analyses are reproducible, well-documented, and meet required quality standards.

Collaboration, Training, and Representation

• Work closely with clinical, laboratory, and research colleagues to integrate genomic data into wider public health and research activities.
• Provide training, mentorship, and expert advice on bioinformatics tools, pipelines, and interpretation of genomic data to a range of stakeholders.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships across internal teams and external collaborators, including national and international partners.
• Represent the organisation at internal, national, and international meetings, contributing to scientific discussions and collaborations.

Innovation and Continuous Improvement

• Identify, evaluate, and implement new bioinformatics approaches, sequencing technologies, and analytical methodologies to enhance capability.
• Contribute to strategic development within the team by anticipating future scientific and technical needs and proposing innovative solutions.

Leadership and Management

• Provide project management and, where required, line management responsibilities, ensuring delivery of agreed objectives within timelines and resource constraints.
• Supervise, support, and develop junior staff, fostering a collaborative and high-performing team environment.
• Allocate and prioritise workloads effectively across projects, ensuring flexibility in response to changing demands.

Governance, Quality, and Compliance

• Ensure all work is conducted in accordance with UKHSA safety, quality, and governance frameworks.
• Maintain personal and team compliance with health and safety requirements and promote best practice in laboratory and computational environments.

Additional Responsibilities

• Demonstrate adaptability and flexibility in undertaking additional duties as required by line management, commensurate with the grade of the post.
• Maintain continuous professional development, keeping up to date with advances in bioinformatics, pathogen genomics, and relevant technologies.

This list is not exhaustive.

Person specification

Essential criteria:

• PhD or equivalent experience in bioinformatics or related discipline.
• Proficiency in Linux/Unix environments and command-line tools.
• Strong understanding of next-generation sequencing technologies and associated analytical approaches.
• Experience in developing, modifying and debugging analytical code (preferably Python).
• Familiarity with version control systems (e.g. Git).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex data clearly to varied audiences.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret complex datasets and recommend solutions.