Make a difference.

Through this posting we are recruiting for two (2) Bioinformatician Epidemiologist positions – one will be based in the bioinformatics group at Washington Public Health Labs (WA PHL), and one will be based in Department of Health's (DOH) Molecular Epidemiology Program. 

Within the DOH, the Molecular Epidemiology Program supports the use of pathogen genomic data in surveillance and epidemiologic investigations. We link and jointly analyze pathogen genomic and epidemiological data, work to integrate new analytical and visualization approaches in pathogen genomics into public health practice, and we communicate findings to public health partners and general audiences alike.

The WA PHL bioinformatics team is actively building new analytic workflows to expand the integration of whole genome sequencing into all aspects of disease investigations impacting public health. The team actively works to optimize analytic workflows and communicates with the WA DOH epidemiologists, supporting surveillance and epidemiologic investigations.

As a Bioinformatician Epidemiologist, you will serve as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for bioinformatics and molecular epidemiology in a team setting. As a SME, you will be responsible for:

• Helping to inform pathogen sequence data acquisition and handling.
• Independently analyzing and interpreting pathogen genomic data.
• Disseminating the data findings through formal reports.

Responsibilities also include, but are not limited to:

• Developing and verifying the performance of analytical pipelines.
• Automation of data handling tasks.
• Developing and releasing situational reports.
• Writing peer-reviewed articles.
• Helping WA Department of Health (DOH) communicable disease epidemiologists and local health jurisdictions (LHJ) to interpret and leverage pathogen genomic data in their public health practice.

The incumbent may be located anywhere within the United States, as long as the incumbent can work regular Pacific Time hours to overlap with the team. Telework (mobile-work) is expected. When approved, the incumbent will work with their supervisor to identify an appropriate work schedule and balance, including telework and reporting to the Shoreline duty station for work activities if necessary. Telecommuting from an offsite location will be considered as a strong option. This would need to be a conversation between the hiring supervisor and the incumbent.

Required Qualifications

Desired Qualifications

• Python and BASH as preferred scripting languages.
• Cloud computing skills.
• Familiarity with Next Generation Sequencing Technology and methods.
• Familiarity with database languages and building and maintaining databases. 
• Experience with Command-line Interface (CLI) and CLI-based tools.

About Washington State Department of Health

Our programs and services help prevent illness and injury, promote healthy places to live and work, provide information to help people make good health decisions and ensure our state is prepared for emergencies. To accomplish all of these, we collaborate with many partners every day. We help ensure a safer and healthier Washington by: Working to improve health through disease and injury prevention, immunization, and newborn screening Providing health and safety information, education and training so people can make healthy choices Promoting a health and wellness system where we live, learn, work, play and worship Addressing environmental health hazards associated with drinking water, food, air quality and pesticide exposure Protecting you and your family by licensing healthcare professionals, investigating disease outbreaks and preparing for emergencies

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