GENERAL SUMMARY/ OVERVIEW STATEMENT:

The Kwon Laboratory at the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston (www.kwonlab.org) is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Bioinformatics Research Technician for a two-year commitment to join our team in studying the vaginal microbiome and vaginal mucosal immunology in the context of HIV acquisition risk, bacterial vaginosis, sexual health, and reproductive outcomes. The ideal candidate will have experience in developing shared bioinformatic pipelines and documentation, analyzing large-scale sequencing data, coaching other researchers through their own analysis, and performing an independent project. The candidate will work closely with our lab Bioinformatician/Data Scientist to implement and develop bioinformatic approaches to analyze complex datasets in a fast-paced and collaborative environment.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop and maintain bioinformatics pipelines for the analysis of microbiome composition and host gene expression data sets.
• Analyze large-scale sequencing data using software tools such as dada2 for 16S analysis, SLURM on a Unix academic cluster, R, python, conda, and Snakemake to manage dependencies and develop pipelines.
• Develop quality control of sequencing data and generate visualizations to aid in data interpretation.
• Coach other researchers and members of the lab in bioinformatic approaches and analysis.
• Conduct an independent project in bioinformatics and present findings at lab meetings and conferences.

SKILLS/ABILITIES/COMPETENCIES REQUIRED:

• Ability to work independently and as a team member
• Good communication skills
• Computer literacy
• Working knowledge of clinical research protocols
• Ability to perform multiple tasks independently

The Research Technician II should also possess:

• Analytical skills and the ability to resolve technical problems
• Ability to interpret acceptability of data results
• Working knowledge of data management programs
• Demonstrated competence in research techniques and methodologies

EDUCATION:

• Bachelor's or master's degree in bioinformatics, biology, or a related field.

EXPERIENCE:

• Minimum of 2 years of computational research experience.
• Experience with programming in R and/or Python.
• Experience with Unix/Linux command line and working on HPC clusters using job submission systems.
• Strong ability to communicate complex concepts effectively to non-technical audiences.
• Experience with the vaginal microbiome and/or mucosal immunology is a plus but not required.

Massachusetts General Hospital is an Affirmative Action Employer. By embracing diverse skills, perspectives and ideas, we choose to lead. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, military service, genetic information, and/or other status protected under law. We will ensure that all individuals with a disability are provided a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.