Bioinformatician

Constructive Bio is a VC-backed biotechnology start-up based in Whittlesford, Cambridge. Our breakthrough technology harnesses the power of genome rewriting and genetic code reprogramming to make valuable products that positively impact the world. We will use our platform to turn cells into bio-renewable factories to produce novel molecules that were previously inaccessible to natural biology, with diverse applications in industries spanning healthcare, biological research, materials and electronics.

Constructive Bio is a spinout from Professor Jason Chin's laboratory at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge. Learn more about the Chin lab achievements here: https://www2.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/ccsb/jason-chin/

Role Overview

We are seeking a proactive Bioinformatician to join our bioinformatics team. You will take ownership of our bioinformatics pipelines, ensuring they are reliable, efficient, and aligned with the evolving needs of high-throughput research. You will collaborate closely with laboratory scientists, within a supportive team of bioinformaticians, on a diverse range of impactful projects, contributing directly to cutting-edge research in biotechnology.

Responsibilities:

• Take ownership of running and monitoring our bioinformatics pipelines, helping ensure data flows efficiently from raw sequencing to downstream analysis.
• Identify opportunities to automate and enhance existing bioinformatics workflows to improve efficiency and reliability.
• Adapt workflows when needed to better meet the needs of experimental scientists and project-specific requirements
• Perform basic quality control, formatting, and organisation of sequencing and metadata to ensure smooth downstream analysis.
• Be a champion of best practises for bioinformatics software (such as containerisation, version control, pipeline management)
• Proactively stay in regular contact with scientists and other teams to plan ahead for sequencing runs and make sure data is delivered on time.

Essential requirements:

• MSc in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, or a related field. Candidates with experience working as a bioinformatician in an industrial setting will be preferred.
• Previous experience with Nextflow, cloud-based pipeline development and object-oriented programming (Python).Strong understanding of molecular biology and genomics.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and ability to work collaboratively in team.

Desirable requirements:

• Familiarity with developing and deploying containerised workflows using Docker or Singularity to ensure reproducibility.
• Familiarity with infrastructure automation tools (such as Terraform and Ansible) would be an advantage.
• Experience of working with and designing databases would be an advantage

What’s in it for you? Why work at Constructive Bio

We are a small but rapidly growing team, with a vision to become the programmable biomolecules company and push the boundaries of what is possible between biology and chemistry. As an early joiner, you will have a unique opportunity to help shape our trajectory and make real impact from day one.

We offer:

Newly fitted dedicated site in Whittlesford near Cambridge – on-site parking and regular trains to Cambridge, London and Norwich

• Competitive salary
• Employee share option plan
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Private health insurance
• Pension plan (matching up to 8%)
• Collaborative and pioneering environment, at the leading edge of synthetic genomics and engineered translation

We want to build a team with trust and respect for each other and create a culture of collaboration, openness, curiosity, and scientific excellence.

We are built on three principles

• We imagine: We think big and plan our own path for success
• We pioneer: We take action and grow together as one to break moulds
• We deliver: We take ownership and work together to deliver excellence.

Constructive Bio is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees