Do you want to help us improve human health and understand life on Earth? Make your mark by shaping the future to enable or deliver life-changing science to solve some of humanity’s greatest challenges.
We are recruiting a Staff Scientist specialising in Computational Biology or Bioinformatics to join the Host-Microbiota Interactions Lab within the Parasites and Microbes Programme at the Wellcome Sanger Institute.
About the Role:
This position will lead the development of innovative computational workflows for multi-omics analysis of the human gut microbiota. You will collaborate with experimental and computational scientists, contributing to biological data interpretation, pipeline development, and high-impact microbiome research.
This is an exciting opportunity to work at the cutting edge of microbiome science, using advanced computational methods to uncover novel microbial functions with translational potential.
You will be responsible for:
- Developing and maintaining computational pipelines for processing and analysing microbiome multi-omics data.
- Collaborating with wet-lab team members to facilitate data interpretation and integrate findings into biological experiments.
- Supervising and training scientists and trainees in bioinformatics and microbiome analysis.
- Leading or contributing to the writing of research manuscripts for peer-reviewed publications.
- Supporting the development of grant proposals for internal and external funding.
- Building and maintaining collaborations with external stakeholders, contributing to joint research projects.
- Driving scientific outputs, including contributions to the group’s research strategy
About You:
We are looking for a highly motivated computational scientist with expertise in microbial genomics and bioinformatics. You should be passionate about microbiome data analysis, have experience working with large-scale datasets, and be comfortable in a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment
Essential Technical Skills:
- PhD in microbial genomics, bioinformatics, or a related field, or equivalent working experience in a related discipline
- Skills and experience in processing and analysing large omics datasets, including at least two or three of the following: metagenomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, proteomics, spatial imaging, or long-read sequencing data
- Expertise in bacterial and microbiome functional analysis, including integrative analyses with multi-omics data
- Strong UNIX/Linux system skills
- Proficiency in Python and/or R for scripting and pipeline development, ensuring reproducible data analysis
- Ability to develop, implement and run computational pipelines on high-performance computing clusters
Essential Competencies and Behaviours:
- Proven ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders of differing background, abilities and knowledge
- Ability to communicate effectively with scientists from multiple disciplines, including experimental, computational and clinical
- Attention to detail and ability to work to tight timelines
- Ability to innovate and work independently
- Experience in teaching and training bioinformatics and analytics skills
- Willingness to share data, resources and code in an open and reproducible manner
- Proven ability to deliver research projects to completion
- Strong publication record with a demonstrated ability to draft scientific papers
About Us:
This position is based in Dr Trevor Lawley’s team at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, a world-leading research group investigating the human gut microbiota. Our team applies cutting-edge computational and experimental approaches to understand microbial functions, host-microbe interactions, and translational applications. We collaborate with international research groups, combining metagenomics, functional genomics, and synthetic biology to advance microbiome-based therapeutics.
This role provides an exciting opportunity to work in a world-class genomics institute, engaging in high-impact microbiome research that contributes to human health and disease prevention.
Other Information:
For informal queries, please contact Dr Yan Shao (Senior Staff Scientist)
Application Process:
Please apply with your CV and a cover letter explaining your motivation for applying and how your skills and experience meet the application criteria.
Salary per annum: £44,890 to £52,000 dependent upon skills and experience
Staff Scientist job family: Grade 2 Role Profile
Closing Date: 27th April 2025
Recruitment Process: Shortlisting w/c 28th April, Interviews w/c 6th May
Contract Type: 3 years Core Funding
Hybrid Working at Wellcome Sanger:
We recognise that there are many benefits to Hybrid Working; including an improved work-life balance, with more focused time, as well as the ability to organise working time so that collaborative opportunities and team discussions are facilitated on campus. The hybrid working arrangement will vary for different roles and teams. The nature of your role and the type of work you do will determine if a hybrid working arrangement is possible.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:
We aim to attract, recruit, retain and develop talent from the widest possible talent pool, thereby gaining insight and access to different markets to generate a greater impact on the world. We have a supportive culture with the following staff networks, LGBTQ+, Parents and Carers, Disability and Race Equity to bring people together to share experiences, offer specific support and development opportunities and raise awareness. The networks are also a place for allies to provide support to others.
We want our people to be whoever they want to be because we believe people who bring their best selves to work, do their best work. That’s why we’re committed to creating a truly inclusive culture at Sanger Institute. We will consider all individuals without discrimination and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees, where everyone can thrive.
Our Benefits:
We are proud to deliver an awarding campus-wide employee wellbeing strategy and programme. The importance of good health and adopting a healthier lifestyle and the commitment to reduce work-related stress is strongly acknowledged and recognised at Sanger Institute.
Sanger Institute became a signatory of the International Technician Commitment initiative In March 2018. The Technician Commitment aims to empower and ensure visibility, recognition, career development and sustainability for technicians working in higher education and research, across all disciplines.
Every year the Wellcome Sanger Institute supports the visits of dozens of overseas researchers from across the globe to the Genome campus to collaborate, share insights and to undertake ground-breaking scientific research. Our reliable in-house service provides expert advice and guidance to support current and prospective staff, and visitors at various points of their journey. We are able to provide guidance through your entire journey, from initial visa application through to extensions and applications of Indefinite Leave to Remain, the service is proud to support your personal applications and those of your dependants and family members.
For more information about our immigration service visit: https://www.sanger.ac.uk/about/careers/global-mobility-and-immigration-service/
