Principal Scientist , Computational Biology & Bioinformatics

Principal Scientist , Computational Biology & Bioinformatics

About Hummingbird Bioscience

Hummingbird Bioscience is an innovative clinical-stage biotech company focused on developing precision therapies against hard-to-drug targets to improve treatment outcomes. We harness the latest advances in systems biology and data science to better understand and solve the underlying causes of disease and guide development of our therapeutics.

Enabled by our proprietary Rational Antibody Discovery platform, we discover antibodies against optimal yet elusive epitopes on important targets that have not been successfully drugged, unlocking novel mechanisms of action. We are advancing a rich pipeline of first- and best-in-class precision therapies in oncology and autoimmunity, in collaboration with global partners in academia and industry.

Our highly experienced teams in the US and Singapore span antibody discovery, pharmacology, production and clinical development. Together we aim to accelerate the journey of new drugs from concept to clinical care. For more information, please visit www.hummingbirdbioscience.com, and follow Hummingbird on LinkedIn and Twitter (@hummingbirdbio).

About the Role

Join Hummingbird Bioscience on our journey as we transition from an early-stage drug discovery company, to a global leader in drug development. We are looking for an experiencedPrincipal Scientist to lead Computational Biology & Bioinformaticswho will report to the Chief Technology Officer. The ideal candidate will develop and test biomarker models using in-house and other datasets, further develop Hummingbird’s mAbPredict pipeline and lead the development and implementation of bioinformatics solutions across a variety of different teams, including NGS, single-cell and spatial omics, structural biology and biomarker discovery. The ideal candidate will have a track record in the field and possess a strong understanding of underlying bioinformatics algorithms, statistics and machine learning as well as deep knowledge of applied bioinformatics in the context of both structural biology and omics technologies.

Responsibilities (including, but not limited to):

• Development and testing hypotheses to support biomarker development
• Further development of mAbPredict and other company platform technologies
• Support teams across Research & Discovery as well as Development
• Lead the development of the company’s bioinformatics analysis pipelines for NGS, Digital Pathology and other omic data types
• Build capabilities able to rapidly respond to the needs of the company
• Manage in-house HPC and cloud-based bioinformatics software infrastructure
• Improve existing proprietary code-bases and develop new bioinformatics tools and algorithms
• Form effective cross-functional teams
• Develop and maintain workflows, relational databases and suitable front-ends for rapid querying by non-bioinformatics specialists
• Implement reproducible scientific software environments and pipelines for use by specialists and non-specialists
• Train company staff in relevant bioinformatics techniques and/or deploy bioinformatics solutions to meet their needs
• Provide support, mentorship and training to others
• Establishment and maintenance of documentation, policies and procedures
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned

Experience and Qualifications

• A relevant post-graduate in computer science, physics, mathematics, engineering, biology, biochemistry or other physical science
• A strong background in mathematics and computer science
• A minimum of 5 years post-PhD experience with demonstrated track record in project management and team leadership
• Proficient coding skills in relevant languages such as Python
• Good knowledge of containerization and modern workflow management systems such as Docker, Snakemake, Nextflow or similar
• Deep knowledge of Unix style operating systems with experience of utilizing or managing HPC clusters
• A strong understanding of NGS technologies, including Illumina and Oxford Nanopore
• A strong understanding of bulk and single cell analysis methodologies
• A strong understanding of structural biology and immunology
• Use of machine learning in a variety of contexts (e.g. structure prediction, single-cell analysis)
• Good time management skills with the ability to effectively plan, prioritize and co-ordinate multiple tasks and adjust to changing priorities to deliver results to tight deadlines
• Ability to find innovative solutions to complex problems and proactively seek out continuous improvement initiatives
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to build strong relationships across internal and external partners
• Ability to work independently and with the flexibility to handle workflow in a fast-paced start-up environment
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with good attention to detail

Terms of employment

This is a full-time role based in Singapore.