Associate Director, Computational Development

Position Overview

We are seeking a highly experienced and motivated Associate Director to lead the bioinformatics strategy, design, and development of next‑generation minimal residual disease (MRD) laboratory‑developed tests (LDTs). This role involves technical leadership and mentorship of computational development scientists as well as cross‑program coordination, based on deep hands‑on expertise in NGS ctDNA‑based oncology assay development.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide bioinformatics leadership for MRD assay design, development, and optimization across one or more LDT programs, ensuring alignment with scientific, clinical, and business objectives.
• Serve as a senior scientific contributor and reviewer for assay concepts, signal detection strategies, error suppression approaches, and MRD calling methodologies.
• Apply deep expertise in cancer genomics, ctDNA biology, and NGS technologies to guide assay architecture and analytical decision‑making.
• Lead or oversee analytical study design and data analysis for assay development and validation, including accuracy, limit of detection, precision, and robustness.
• Guide development, validation, and maintenance of scalable, production‑ready bioinformatics pipelines supporting MRD analysis, QC, and reporting.
• Review and approve analytical approaches, benchmarking studies, and optimization strategies, ensuring scientific rigor and regulatory readiness.
• Ensure compliance with standards (CAP/CLIA, FDA, IVDR) throughout the bioinformatics development lifecycle, including rigorous testing and documentation.
• Provide day‑to‑day scientific mentorship and technical guidance to bioinformatics scientists and senior scientists.
• Support career development of team members through coaching, technical review, and knowledge sharing.
• Communicate complex analytical concepts clearly to stakeholders at varying levels of technical depth, including senior leadership.

Required Experience

• Ph.D. in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Genomics, Biostatistics, or a closely related quantitative field.
• Minimum 8 years of total relevant experience, with at least 5 years of management experience in biotech, diagnostics, or regulated healthcare environments.
• Demonstrated experience leading NGS‑based assay development for clinical diagnostics. Hands‑on experience with ctDNA‑based MRD assays, including personalized or tumor‑informed approaches.
• Strong programming skills in Python, with experience developing and benchmarking reproducible, production‑grade analysis pipelines, including experience with SDLC best practices.
• Proven experience working in design‑controlled, regulated environments (CAP/CLIA LDT, IVD, or equivalent) is a must.
• Track record of working with wet lab scientists on iterative experiment design, execution, analysis, and interpretation as a tightly integrated team.
• Demonstrated record of technical and scientific leadership, ownership, and independent work.

Preferred Experience

• Experience developing and deploying bioinformatics workflows in AWS (e.g., EC2, S3, Step Functions, Batch, Lambda, etc.).
• Strong understanding of germline and somatic mutation processes leading to complex variation and genome‑wide biomarkers with potential clinical utility.
• Working knowledge of R.
• Experience with relational and non‑relational database technologies is a plus.

Compensation

• San Diego office: $202,000 – $219,000
• South San Francisco office: $220,000 – $231,000
• Remote (US): $192,000 – $208,000

The final salary offered to a successful candidate will depend on several factors that may include but are not limited to years of experience, skillset, geographic location, industry, education, etc. Base pay is one part of the Total Package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work, and this role may be eligible for additional discretionary bonuses/incentives, and restricted stock units.

EEO and Legal Notice

Veracyte, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer and will consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status or disability status. Veracyte participates in E‑Verify in the United States. View our CCPA Disclosure Notice.

Additional Information

#LI‑Onsite, #LI‑Hybrid, or #LI‑Remote