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The Position

Principal Bioinformatics Scientist I

A healthier future. It’s what drives us to innovate. To continuously advance science and ensure everyone has access to the healthcare they need today and for generations to come. Creating a world where we all have more time with the people we love. That’s what makes us Roche.

As a Principal Bioinformatics Scientist I within Roche Sequencing Solutions (RSS), you will join a collaborative, cutting-edge team defining a new class of Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) with our proprietary Sequencing by Expansion (SBX) technology.

You will work at the intersection of computational biology and wet-lab innovation to empower global researchers and transform sample prep and systems portfolios. This role offers a unique opportunity to shape state-of-the-art sequencing workflows while driving direct advancements in molecular diagnostic capabilities.

The Opportunity:

• Sequence Data Diagnostics: Perform deep, read-level diagnostics, tracing data from raw basecall signals and FASTQs through alignment and final variant calling to evaluate how upstream chemistry variations impact downstream analytical accuracy.

• Algorithm Deconstruction: Look under the hood of open-source and internal tools to evaluate their core assumptions and failure modes on novel SBX data, prototyping and implementing tailored bioinformatic solutions.

• Workflow Optimization: Uncover the physical and enzymatic mechanisms driving data anomalies, isolating root-cause molecular artifacts across the NGS workflow to directly guide wet-lab reagent formulation and drive independent pipeline/protocol advancements.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with wet-lab scientists, software engineers, and computational teams across all stages, from experimental design and data collection to algorithm design, result interpretation, and clear team-wide communication.

• R&D Leadership & Guidance: Serve as the bioinformatics functional representative on cross-functional project teams, providing data-supported guidance to develop reagent products and offer expert-level technical support across the organization.

Who You Are:

• You hold a Ph.D. in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, or a related quantitative field with 5+ years of experience in the biotechnology industry. 

• You bring 3+ years of experience in investigating raw sequence data to solve complex library prep and chemistry challenges (e.g., unexpected adapter behavior, custom UMI/barcode designs, chimeric reads, coverage gaps).

• You have developed a deep, mechanistic intuition for NGS library prep chemistry, target enrichment, and how physical reagent performance directly impacts raw bioinformatic signals and downstream variant detection accuracy.

• You demonstrate in-depth knowledge of NGS, molecular biology, and human genomics, with experience in diverse applications (preferably single-cell, spatial transcriptomics, or proteomics).

• You exhibit proficiency in Python and workflow managers (Nextflow or Snakemake) in Linux environments, with a strong focus on producing reproducible, well-documented code.

• You have an exceptional problem-solving mindset with precision in both routine QC and complex troubleshooting, paired with the ability to translate technical findings for multidisciplinary audiences.

Relocation benefits are not available for this posting

We use artificial intelligence to screen, assess or select applicants for this role.

This posting is for an existing vacancy at Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.

Who we are

A healthier future drives us to innovate. Together, more than 100’000 employees across the globe are dedicated to advance science, ensuring everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Our efforts result in more than 26 million people treated with our medicines and over 30 billion tests conducted using our Diagnostics products. We empower each other to explore new possibilities, foster creativity, and keep our ambitions high, so we can deliver life-changing healthcare solutions that make a global impact.

Let’s build a healthier future, together.