Principal Scientist, Computational Biology and Genomics at LifeMine Therapeutics in Cambridge, MA

Job Summary

LifeMine Therapeutics has assembled one of the largest fungal strain collections in existence, a large part of which has been sequenced and annotated to create the largest known fungal genome database, called LifeBase™. The mission of the Genomics group is to develop and execute genomic discovery algorithms to mine LifeBase™ and fuel the drug discovery efforts of the company. We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Computational Biologist to join our growing team, reporting to the Head of Genomics. This person should have a deep understanding of comparative genomics, phylogenetics, and evolution, but also have extensive experience developing methods and tools to analyze genomic data. In addition, the successful candidate will be leading a small team of scientists, which requires excellent team and project management skills.

Job Responsibilities

• Provide expertise in the analysis of fungal genomes, their biosynthetic gene clusters, and evolution
• Independently plan and execute research through individual contributions and through supervision and guidance of junior scientists
• Partner with other groups in LifeMine (e.g., Microbiology, Synthetic Biology and Biochemistry) to identify collaboration opportunities and support ongoing drug discovery programs
• Work with the Data Engineers of the Genomics group to improve production pipelines, with the aim to improve and enrich the genome annotations available in LifeBase™
• Gather, organize, and present findings in R&D meetings

Job Requirements

• Ph.D. in a relevant field with 8+ years post-degree experience, including at least 4 years in the biotech industry
• Experience in team management or mentorship
• A track record of proven impact (publications or patents) through the application of computational genomics approaches (e.g., comparative genomics, phylogenomics, pathway analysis, biosynthetic gene cluster analysis)
• Skilled in data analytics and algorithm development
• Deep technical expertise with commonly used computational genomics tools and methods
• Experience in fungal biology or natural product discovery is highly desirable
• Excellent written, organizational and documentation skills
• Ability to communicate effectively with all levels of the organization, including colleagues, managers and senior leadership
• Spirit of collaboration and solutions-oriented thinking to enable success in a diverse team environment