Bioinformatician (m/f/div)

The Max Planck Society is one of the leading research organizations in Europe. We offer challenging tasks with a high degree of personal responsibility and creative freedom in research laboratories, workshops, libraries, and administration.

The Max Planck Society strives to increase employment of severely disabled people. Applications from severely disabled people are expressly encouraged.

Furthermore, the Max Planck Society wants to increase the proportion of women in areas where they are underrepresented. Women are therefore expressly encouraged to apply.

The Department of Comparative Development and Genetics at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research (MPIPZ) in Cologne is seeking a

Bioinformatician (m/f/div)

to contribute to high throughput sequence data analyses for the purpose of understanding trait development and the diversification of plants. The candidate will interact closely with Director Prof. Dr. Miltos Tsiantis and members of his group and be involved in the design of experiments and building data analysis pipelines. One major current project involves the analysis of Cardamine hirsuta natural variation, including the study of structural variation.

She/He/They will contribute to a community of bioinformaticians at MPIPZ and interact with the Max Planck-Genome Centre Cologne. Tasks will involve analysis and interpretation of high throughput sequencing data including RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, and DNA-seq. Both Illumina short-read and long-read platforms are in use, as are single cell analyses. Outstanding teamwork and communication skills as well as a willingness and ability to work collaboratively towards common goals are essential. This position would suit creative, highly motivated individuals who can interact productively with biologists and who are interested in the genetic basis for natural variation and evolutionary change and plant biology.

Your profile

The basic qualifications for the outlined position are:

• PhD degree in bioinformatics, computer science, molecular or evolutionary biology, or equivalent background
• Strong expertise in next-generation sequencing data analysis
• Strong skills in the statistical analysis of genomic data
• Proficiency in at least one mainstream programming language (Python / R) and familiarity with Linux, shell-scripting, and general use of genomic tools and datasets
• Strong interest in and understanding of evolution of gene function / population genomics
• Excellent communication skills in English (spoken and written)
• Ability to work in a structured way and a strong commitment to reproducibility in research
• Ability to assimilate, apply, and improve on the latest and relevant developments in the state of the art
• High quality publications that provide evidence for the skill set outlined above
• Expertise / Good awareness of population genetics / molecular evolution
• Expertise in structural variant analyses
• An ability to multitask
• Ability to work harmoniously as part of a group and engage in collaboration

The position will be initially for two years, with excellent possibilities of extension and it is subject to the German regulations for the duration of scientific training.

Applications in English can be sent through the online system, by latest December 7, 2024, as a single PDF file and should include a short letter of motivation explaining how the applicant’s profile and aspirations fit with the job requirements, a list of publications, and the names and contact details of two academic referees. The first evaluation of applications will take place after December 7, 2024. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.