Bioinformatics Scientist / Engineer

Southern Research (SR) is at a pivotal moment in its 84-year history. At the start of 2022, SR launched a new strategic plan focused on translational research in the life sciences. SR intends to invest over $150 million in this new strategy, including development of new facilities, platforms, and programs. We believe in the power of SR and our partners to unlock the immense potential of Alabama’s biotech ecosystem to spur economic development, create jobs, and draw investment. Downtown Birmingham sees over $700M in extramural biomedical research every year, including over $300M from the NIH, in large part due to the contributions of Southern Research and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. We are on a mission to translate our R&D volume into investment, high-performance companies, and quality jobs in Alabama and in the Southeast United States.

 

The Bioinformatics Engineer will report to the Director Bioinformatics. In this role, you will be responsible for overseeing the development, implementation, and maintenance of bioinformatics software and infrastructure to support cutting-edge research. You will work with external biobanks, clinical sequencing laboratories and clinical data health ecosystems to aggregate and assimilate molecular datasets and analysis pipelines in the cloud to support a bioinformatic research community.

 

Cultivating human connection – putting people first.  We know that every individual makes a difference and that no one can do it alone.  We believe the world’s most powerful resource is human potential.  We are an inclusive and courageous team where innovation and diversity of though go hand in hand.  We understand that relationships move at the speed of trust.

Operating with precise execution – measuring what matters and owning results as a team.  We leverage data to drive decisions that advance science.  We recognize the importance of a stable foundation coupled with an agile mindset.  We hold ourselves accountable and take pride in our work.  We give and receive candid feedback as a gift that keeps us growing.

Harnessing relentless curiosity – our unstoppable, innovative force.  We are driven to ask sharp questions and push the boundaries of knowledge.  We use creativity and critical thinking as catalysts for finding solutions that change lives.  We learn by doing, consistently striving to improve our relationships, training, methodologies, questions and results.

Stewarding a healthy community – implementing sustainable operations for a safe, engaging environment.  We don’t compromise on safety and health for our employees, customers or community.  We believe a healthy community begins with inclusive economic opportunities.  We respect the dignity of the patients we ultimately serve.  We are motivated to serve communities that are underserved and markets that are overlooked.

 

Strategic Decisionmaker – Obtains information and identifies key issues relevant to achieving a long-range goal; commits to a course of action after developing alternatives based on logical assumptions, facts, constraints, and resources.

Strategic Relationship Builder – Uses appropriate interpersonal styles to work effectively with others to meet mutual goals and objectives; understands the role & interrelationships of each organizational function; possesses skill in managing across functional and organizational lines.

Mission and Community Driven – Has an authentic desire to help steward Southern Research’s culture, guard of our values, and champion our mission of innovation-driven economic development through translation of excellent scientific research.

Impactful Communicator - Expresses thoughts and ideas effectively in individual and group situations; adjusts language to the needs of the audience.

Results Oriented – Establishes stretch goals and manages to focus outcomes; demands excellence and demonstrates a strong commitment to organizational success; works to do what is best for all stakeholders.

Coaches / Develops Others – Uses appropriate interpersonal style to guide direct reports to action, create a sense of ownership, and encourage individuals to stretch beyond their own capabilities.

Inclusive – Holds a strong conviction that inclusion and innovation go together.

Highly collaborative – Cares less about who did it than how it got done; takes pride in shared outcomes and believes the whole is greater than the sum of the parts when it comes to team efforts.

Deeply curious – Recognizes that “innovation requires not knowing long enough to learn new things” and that “being actively open-minded involves searching for reasons why we might be wrong—not for reasons why we must be right—and revising our views based on what we learn.”

Action oriented – Translates goals and objectives into actionable, metrics focused priorities and work streams for the team to execute.

Process Refiner – Observes details to continuously improve processes, looks for opportunities to create regular feedback loops to refine, and loves measuring what matters; strongly believes that “getting it right is more important than being right.”