Bioinformatician, NGS Pipelines

Averna is seeking an experienced Bioinformatician to fill a 3-6 month temporary role. This role is responsible for maintaining, operating, and supporting next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis pipelines in a production and research environment. The position focuses on reliability, reproducibility, and timely delivery of analysis results. 

Position, duties and responsibilities

• Operate, monitor, and maintain existing NGS analysis pipelines for DNA and RNA sequencing data. 
• Execute routine analyses, quality control, and data validation according to established SOPs. 
• Troubleshoot pipeline failures, data quality issues, and runtime errors. 
• Maintain pipeline documentation, configuration files, and versioned workflows. 
• Collaborate with laboratory, data science, and project teams to ensure accurate interpretation and delivery of results. 
• Manage data transfers, storage, and archival in compliance with internal and regulatory requirements. 
• Implement minor updates, bug fixes, and performance optimizations to existing pipelines as needed. 
• Provide handover documentation and knowledge continuity during the coverage period. 

Qualifications and Experience

• MSc or PhD in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Genomics, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience. 
• Hands-on experience running and maintaining NGS pipelines in a production or semi-production environment. 
• Proficiency with common NGS data types (FASTQ, BAM, VCF) and associated QC metrics. 
• Experience with workflow management systems such as Nextflow, Snakemake, WDL, or equivalent. 
• Strong scripting skills in Python, Bash, or similar. 
• Familiarity with Linux environments and high-performance computing or cloud platforms. 
• Solid understanding of Git version control system. 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Hands-on experience with cloud computing platforms and services. 
• Exposure to containerization technologies such as Docker or Singularity. 
• Familiarity with CI/CD practices for bioinformatics pipelines. 
• Experience supporting multiple concurrent projects under defined timelines. 

Key Competencies 

• Operational focus and attention to detail. 
• Ability to follow established processes while identifying risks and failures early. 
• Clear technical communication and documentation skills. 
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision after onboarding. 

Work Structure

• Temporary role, 3-6month assignment
• Located in Israel, maybe a hybrid work structure, but will require some time in the office.
• General ability to flex work time/days to account for meetings across time zones.