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. You will evaluate new technologies and NGS assays, implement methods to optimize performance, and help define the product profile from a bioinformatics perspective, with input from R&D, Product, and Laboratory Directors.

Responsibilities

Lead and mentor a team of Bioinformatics Scientists; own professional growth, responsibilities, and team standards; Own research strategy behind new product development, from scoping through execution, working with cross-functional stakeholders; Lead bioinformatics analysis for assay development and optimization, and troubleshoot experiments alongside laboratory scientists; Partner with laboratory teams on study design, covering new technology assessment, optimization, and performance determination; Advise and prototype improvements to analysis pipelines, including variant detection, quality control, methylation calling, fragment-size and end-motif analysis, error suppression for deep targeted panels, and structural-variant calling; Move research prototypes into stable production workflows and enforce software engineering practices including version control, testing, CI/CD, and containerization; Set standard for correct use of AI agents on the team; Work with data science, molecular biology, pipeline engineering, biostatistics, quality assurance, and laboratory operations on new products and transitions; Act as subject-matter expert and explain 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 (an 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 the ability to translate findings into actionable recommendations; Understanding of sequencing workflows from sample extraction through the instrument; 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

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; Some exposure to multiomics types: methylation, fragmentomics, or related cfDNA signals

Benefits

Annual performance incentive bonus; Long-term equity awards; Comprehensive health benefits (medical, dental, vision); 401(k) with company match; Generous paid time off and company holidays; Additional wellness and work-life benefits; Life and disability plans; Free testing for Natera employees and immediate family; Fertility care benefits; Pregnancy and baby bonding leave; Commuter benefits; Employee referral program