Bioinformatics Data Engineer

BCforward is seeking a highly motivated Bioinformatics Data Engineer to support their pharmaceutical client in San Diego, CA. Expected Duration: Long Term Location: San Diego, CA/hybrid Overview: We are seeking a skilled Data Engineer to join our innovative drug discovery team. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in data engineering, particularly in handling biological data and supporting automated large-scale data processing. You will play a crucial role in managing and optimizing data workflows, ensuring efficient data processing, and contributing to groundbreaking research in the pharmaceutical industry. Key Responsibilities • Design, implement, and maintain robust data pipelines for processing large-scale biological datasets. • Optimize SQL queries for efficient data retrieval and manipulation from complex databases. • Leverage high-performance computing resources to accelerate data processing tasks. • Collaborate with biologists, chemists, and bioinformaticians to support analytical and biophysical assays. • Utilize versioning tools to ensure reproducibility and traceability of data workflows. Qualifications • Educational Background: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Bioinformatics, Data Science, or a related field. Technical Skills: • Proficiency in querying SQL databases and optimizing complex queries. • Experience with high-performance computing environments (i.e. workload managers, unix, bash, etc.) and familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) • Strong scripting skills in one or more languages such as Python, R, C++, etc. • Familiarity with open-source sequence databases like GenBank, UniProt, OAS, etc. • Experience clustering biological sequence and/or structure data (UCLUST, BLASTClust, LinClust, sklearn.cluster, FoldSeek, etc.) Experience: • At least 3 years of experience in data engineering or bioinformatics within a research or industry setting. • Background in analytical and biophysical assays is highly advantageous. • Strong analytical skills with attention to detail. • Ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team environment. • Excellent communication skills for conveying technical concepts to diverse audiences.