CNAG – The Institute

The Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico (CNAG) is one of the largest Genome Sequencing Centers in Europe.

The CNAG Consortium aims to carry out large-scale projects in DNA/RNA analysis for the improvement of quality of life in collaboration with the Spanish, European and International Research Community. CNAG researchers participate in major International Genome Initiatives such as the Human Cell Atlas (HCA), the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC), the International Human Epigenome Consortium (IHEC), the International Rare Diseases Research Consortium (IRDiRC), the European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA) and the European Infrastructure for life-science information (ELIXIR), as well as in several EU-funded projects.

CNAG occupies approximately 1,400 square meters of laboratory and office space and operates 4 Illumina instruments (3 NovaSeq6000 and 1 MiSeq) and 2 large Oxford Nanopore Technologies sequencers (1 PromethION 24 and 1 GridION Mk1) that produce more than 7 Tbases of sequencing data per day. The sequencing operation is supported by an extensive informatics infrastructure: 15 petabyte of data storage, 10.000 computing cores and an internal 56 Gb/s network. The operation is certified ISO 9001 and accredited ISO 17025 and serves to deliver standardized, high-quality data for research and clinics. CNAG has highly developed single-cell operation equipped with a 10x Chromium X, 10x Chromium Connect, MissionBio Tapetri for individual cell analyses and for tissue analysis a Nanostring CosMx, 10x Visium and Stereo-seq.

The CNAG has more than 100 professionals, structured in different units such Bioinformatics, Sequencing, Single-cell, Research and Corporate Management.

The Role

We have an opening for a Bioinformatician to play a key role in a cancer related project, Instand-NGS4P (https://www.instandngs4p.eu/). The aim of this project is to develop a standardised Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) workflow from NGS data analysis to medical-decision making for common and rare adult and paediatric cancer. The workflow will leverage, among other, the current RD-Connect Genome Phenome Analysis Platform (https://platform.rd-connect.eu/), with the objective to cover data management, clinical and genome data integration, genome analysis pipelines, variant annotation, interpretation and reporting. With the supervision of the lead of the Variant Calling and Analysis team and in collaboration with cancer specialists, other bioinformaticians and software engineers, the successful candidate will design, develop and test bioinformatics workflows with state-of-the-art programs.

The successful candidate will join the Variant Calling and Analysis team, coordinated by Dr. Raul Tonda (https://www.cnag.eu/teams/bioinformatics-unit/variant-calling-and-analysis). The team is part of the CNAG Bioinformatics Unit (led by Dr. Sergi Beltran), which has over 30 members and offers continuous growth and support on a professional level.

The team works in a stimulating scientific environment, applying state-of-the-art technologies to breakthrough research projects in Genomics that have an impact on people’s health.

His/Her responsibilities include:

1- Benchmarking of genomics data analysis pipelines

2- Identification and establishment of relevant thresholds for pipeline automation

3- Contribute to the implementation of analysis pipelines

4- Testing workflows and procedures

5- Contribute to the integration of the pipelines and workflows within a larger product, in close interaction with software engineers, bioinformaticians and biologists.

Whom would we like to hire?

• MSc in Bioinformatics or related discipline.

• A minimum experience of 1 year in the analysis of Next Generation Sequencing whole exome or genome data.

• Experience with Unix operating systems, including shell scripts.

• Working experience in languages such as Python, R or Perl

• Familiarity with High-Performance Computing (HPC) systems and parallel computing

• Proficiency in using version control systems like Git

• Excellent organisational, prioritising, communication and interpersonal skills.

• Strong problem-solving and critical thinking abilities

• Good spoken and written English.

Nice to have:

• Understanding of cancer genomics.

• Experience within diagnostic settings and the analysis and interpretation of genomic data linked to personal clinical information.

• Experience with Nextflow, CWL and/or WDL.

• Basic knowledge of software containers

The Offer

• Contract duration: Initially 1 years

• Estimated annual gross salary: Salary is commensurate with qualifications and consistent with our pay scales.

• Target start date: as soon as possible

We provide a highly stimulating environment with state-of-the-art infrastructures, and unique professional career development opportunities.

We offer and promote a diverse and inclusive environment and welcomes applicants regardless of age, disability, gender, nationality, race, religion or sexual orientation.

We are committed to reconcile a work and family life for our employees and are offering the opportunity to benefit from annual leave and flexible working hours.

Application Procedure

All applications must include:

• A complete CV including contact details.

• Contact details of two referees.

All applications must be addressed to Mireya Fernández – mireya.fernandez@cnag.eu

Deadline: Please submit your application by 30/04/2024

Interview: Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview at CNAG on 02/05/2024

Please, see all of our job opportunities in the Career site of CNAG website: https://www.cnag.eu/jobs