Bioinformatics Programmer / specialist

Staff - Non Union

Job Category

M&P - AAPS

Job Profile

AAPS Salaried - Information Systems and Technology, Level B

Job Title

Bioinformatics Programmer / Specialist

Department

Wasserman Laboratory | Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics | Faculty of Medicine

Compensation Range

5,468.83 - $7,878.17 CAD Monthly

The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range for a job.

Posting End Date

October 6, 2023

Note : Applications will be accepted until 11 : 59 PM on the day prior to the Posting End Date above.

Job End Date

Oct 22, 2024

This position is located within a health-care facility, therefore, the successful candidate will be required to provide verification of full vaccination against Covid-19 provided prior to the start date, as required by a provincial health mandate.

This is a 1 year maternity leave replacement position.

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary

The Wasserman Lab at the CMMT at UBC is seeking a 1 year maternity leave replacement position.

A software developer is required to assist in the implementation and maintenance of two software systems related to pediatric health research. The Silent Genomes Indigenous Background Variant Library is a resource of genetic information with restricted use for improving the diagnosis of rare genetic conditions in Indigenous individuals. IEMbase is a knowledge repository about rare genetic conditions impacting metabolic processes. Software development for both systems require skills with SQL, React and Django (i.e. "Full-Stack" development), and a commitment to documentation. Each project requires strong communication skills to work effectively with partners of diverse professional and cultural backgrounds. Future development of IEMbase is expected to incorporate enhanced artificial intelligence methods to improve diagnosis of conditions, which may require development fo skills in prompt engineering. A limited portion of working days may be performed remotely, following the UBC employee guidelines. The individual may oversee the work of co-op and work-study students, assigning tasks to assist in the software implementation.

Organizational Status

The Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics (CMMT) is a world leader in genetic, epigenetic, and genomic medical research with a strong focus on childhood health and development. The Wasserman laboratory focuses on the creation, evaluation and application of computational methods for the analysis of genome sequences, with international strength in the study of cis-regulatory elements regulating gene expression and the study of rare genetic conditions. The CMMT is situated within the BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, based on the campus of BC Children's Hospital.

The programmer reports to the Principal Investigator (Dr. Wasserman), but will work closely with a Research Associate on refining the software.

Work Performed

• Programs improvements to an existing full-stack software implementation using Django and React, and an underlying SQL database (postgress and mySQL)
• Python programming
• Prompt engineering for artificial intelligence incorporation into a research platform for improved diagnosis of rare genetic conditions
• Confers with partners, including clinicians and an Indigenous governance committee, to determine details of system design
• Defines documentation procedures and prepares programmatic documentation in accordance with standards agreed upon with supervisor
• Improves performance efficiency

Consequence of Error / Judgement

Failure to fulfill commitments to protect data and limit the use of data to approved individuals for approved purposes could result in the cancellation of a project, negative reputational damage and blocking of future research projects. The decisions and actions taken by the software developer have a direct impact on the progress of the project and the ability of the team to deliver outputs on time and to meet funding deadlines. Errors in judgment, poor analysis or ineffective solution implementation will adversely impact the ability of the lab to meet targets and expectations of businesses and funding partners involved in the project. Further, insecure systems risk exposing highly sensitive data could cost the organization and participants significant reputational damage and could lead to substantial delays or cancellation of projects.

Supervision Received

Work is carried out under the supervision of the Principal Investigator, working closely with a senior Graduate Student on the detailed activity.

Supervision Given

Potentially will oversee the work of undergraduate / work-learn students.

Minimum Qualifications

Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of two years of related experience, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred Qualifications

An undergraduate degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering or other relevant discipline. Efficient programming skills using python. Experience in full-stack software development, with preference towards experience with React and Django. Experience with Oracle Apex would be helpful but is not required. Experience working with services in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) environments is a positive. Experience with SQL databases such as Postgres or MySQL. Willingness to learn about genetics. Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing. Ability to work effectively independently and in a team environment. Strong organizational skills. Meticulous attention to detail. Demonstrate skills and capacity work effectively with Indigenous partners is a strong positive.