Senior Bioinformatics Scientist - United Kingdom
Hybrid, Cambridge UK
Internal Only Closing Date: Friday 25th September
As Sr Bioinformatics Scientist here at Illumina in Cambridge, you will join a multidisciplinary and multinational team at the intersection of research and clinical practice, focused on transforming human health through next-generation sequencing technologies. In this role, you will contribute to the development and advancement of DRAGEN, Illumina’s industry-leading secondary analysis platform, creating innovative algorithms and biomarkers that help address critical gaps in clinical oncology. Working closely with both internal and external collaborators, you will play a key role in advancing precision medicine through cutting-edge analysis of high-throughput sequencing data, including applications in areas such as minimal residual disease (MRD) and methylation.
Illumina's employee benefits are industry-leading and include, flexible time off, private medical insurance, compassion and care time off, leisure travel insurance, pension, employee stock purchasing program, volunteer time off, and much more!
Why You:
You are passionate about using genomics to transform the practice of medicine and are motivated by the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on patient outcomes. You bring a strong background in bioinformatics, computational biology, statistics, mathematics, or a related discipline, combined with expertise in algorithm development and the analysis of next-generation sequencing data.
To be successful in this role, you will possess deep knowledge in at least two of the following areas: statistics, common bioinformatics methods, NGS analysis, C++ software development, and oncology. You have a proven track record of developing bioinformatics algorithms beyond the use of existing tools and enjoy solving complex scientific challenges through innovative thinking and rigorous analysis. Strong programming skills in Python are essential, and experience with C++ is highly desirable.
You thrive in collaborative, cross-functional environments and are an effective communicator who can translate complex technical concepts to a variety of audiences. You are driven by curiosity, innovation, and a commitment to excellence while embracing Illumina’s value of Win Together through productive partnerships across scientific, engineering, and commercial teams.
Responsibilities:
Assess and improve existing secondary analysis algorithms for somatic variant calling and tumor biomarker detection
Prototype and evaluate novel NGS algorithms for clinical oncology applications, including MRD and emerging biomarker opportunities
Analyze sequencing data at the read level to identify opportunities for algorithmic improvements and innovative solutions
Design, execute, and interpret experiments in partnership with internal and external research and development teams
Support the development and optimization of oncology assays through advanced bioinformatics analysis
Collaborate across multidisciplinary teams to troubleshoot challenges and implement production-ready solutions
Provide technical guidance and subject matter expertise to internal stakeholders and external partners
Communicate project plans, recommendations, and results effectively to diverse audiences
Contribute to cross-functional assay and algorithm research and development initiatives with a high degree of independence
Innovate with purpose by developing impactful technologies that support better clinical decision-making and improved patient outcomes
INDEUR