Doctoral Researcher in Bioinformatics

Doctoral Researcher in Bioinformatics

Vacancy ID: 185/2026

Closing date:

Commencing on 1 October 2026 this is a part‑time position (75 %, 30 hours per week) with fixed‑term employment until 30 June 2030.

The DFG‑funded Collaborative Research Centre 1768 "VirusREvolution: Decoding tools for virus research" is a highly ambitious research centre. Its integrated research training group educates doctoral researchers in a structured, interdisciplinary training programme and invites applications for doctoral and postdoctoral positions in various fields of research. In this doctoral project "Secondary structures of RNA virus genomes" you will develop and iteratively refine neural‑network architectures capable of predicting and optimizing synthetic antiviral small RNAs (sRNAs).

Your responsibilities:

• Research in bioinformatics and develop a neural‑network‑driven, user‑friendly platform that predicts and iteratively optimises antiviral sRNAs from sequence and minimal experimental input.
• Participate in the Collaborative Research Centre VirusREvolution and collaborate closely with the tandem project partner.
• Engage in regular discussions with other group and project members.
• Collaborate with BSc and MSc students working on associated projects.
• Publish papers and present your work at national and international scientific meetings.

Your profile:

• Highly motivated candidate with a Master of Science or equivalent degree in bioinformatics, computational biology, or a related discipline.
• Solid programming ability and experience with machine learning or deep learning.
• Knowledge of bioinformatics methods, virus genomics, or high‑throughput biological data analysis is desirable.
• Strong analytical thinking and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to work independently and in a collaborative team.
• Excellent written and spoken English skills.

We offer:

• Embedding in a cross‑disciplinary, young research group and a large, ambitious research consortium.
• Affiliation to an Integrated Research Training Group, offering close support and a comprehensive education programme for hard skills and transferable skills, supported by the Jena Graduate Academy.
• A family‑friendly working environment with a variety of offers for families.
• University health promotion and a wide range of university sports activities.
• Remuneration based on the provisions of the Collective Agreement for the Public Sector of the Federal States (TV‑L) at to salary scale E13, including a special annual payment in accordance with the collective agreement.
• 30 days of vacation per calendar year plus two days off on December 24 and 31.

Candidates with severe disabilities will be given preference in the case of equal qualifications and suitability.

Are you eager to work for us? Then apply by 31 July 2026 using our online form.