Associate Director of Bioinformatics (Women's Health and Organ Health)

Natera is seeking an Associate Director to lead a team of Bioinformatics Scientists in our Women's Health and Organ Health research organization. You will oversee the scientific planning and execution of research and assay-development of diagnostic projects, and you will be responsible for creating production-ready pipeline components. You will manage your team and its professional growth, the research strategy behind new product development, and the handoff of research work into production. The role calls for deep experience in algorithm and assay development, NGS data processing across multiple modalities, and the full life cycle of diagnostic product research and development in a regulated (CLIA) setting.

Responsibilities

Oversee scientific planning and execution of research and assay-development of diagnostic projects; Create production-ready pipeline components; Lead and mentor a team of Bioinformatics Scientists and own their professional growth; Own the research strategy behind new product development, from scoping through execution; Lead bioinformatics analysis for assay development and optimization, spanning multi-omic approaches and short-read/long-read sequencing; Partner with laboratory teams on study design and data quality at the research and feasibility stage; Advise and prototype improvements to analysis pipelines, including variant detection, quality control, and modality-specific processing; Move research prototypes into stable production workflows and hold the team to software engineering practice; Set what correct use of AI looks like and establish standards for AI-assisted work; Work with cross-functional teams on new products and the transition of research work into production; Act as subject-matter expert and communicate findings and roadmap clearly at every level of the company

Requirements

Ph.D. in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Computer Science, Mathematics, Engineering, Biostatistics, or a related field (M.S. with equivalent experience considered); 7+ years in bioinformatics, including 3+ years leading scientists and working across functions; Demonstrated ownership of a team that took scientific research into real clinical use; Demonstrated experience developing or scientifically guiding diagnostic sequencing assays; Deep expertise in next-generation sequencing analysis: hybrid-capture or amplicon-based target enrichment designs, sequencing quality control, secondary analysis, and variant calling; Experience with cell-free DNA sequencing and other omics data, especially in a diagnostics setting; Working knowledge of how a diagnostic product moves through development in a regulated, accredited setting; Strong Python, programming, and data analysis skills; Fluency in exploratory data analysis and visualization on complex data sets and ability to translate findings into actionable recommendations; Understanding of sequencing workflows from sample extraction through the instrument, deep enough to tell a biology problem from an analysis problem; Demonstrated record of assessing a new platform, assay chemistry or method against established benchmarks; Clear communication of technical detail to people who do not share your background; Ability to run several objectives and timelines at once without close supervision

Nice to have

Preferred exposure to multiomics types: methylation, fragmentomics, or related cfDNA signals; Long-read sequencing (PacBio HiFi, Oxford Nanopore) in addition to short-read (Illumina); R, shell scripting, or Java; Cloud computing (AWS, GCP) and workflow orchestration (Snakemake, WDL, Nextflow, Cromwell); Containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) for reproducible, production-grade analyses; A record of conference presentations or peer-reviewed publication; A desire to work in a fast-paced environment where a small team has high impact

Benefits

Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life and disability plans; Free testing for employees and their immediate families; Fertility care benefits; Pregnancy and baby bonding leave; 401k benefits; Commuter benefits; Generous employee referral program