Senior Scientist position (mfd) computational biology bioinformatics

The position will be hosted at the Institute of Human Genetics in the workgroup Regulatory Genomics of Prof. Martin Kircher. The bioinformatics group performs research in the fields of sequence analysis, data mining, machine learning and functional genomics. Understanding how molecular function and gene regulation is encoded in our genomes is one of our fundamental research questions. Our research focuses on computational approaches for identifying functionally relevant genetic changes in disease development and adaptation. We devise computational approaches (e.g. CADD, CADD-SV, ReMM) to score and identify functionally relevant genetic changes in the human genome. We analyze and model gene regulatory effects from Massively Parallel Reporter Assay (MPRA) and other functional genomics data. Furthermore, we develop more sensitive methods in diagnostics especially for genome and cell‑free DNA sequencing.

Starting date for the position is April 1st 2026 . The contract will be issued for 9 months with the prospect of continuation if additional funding can be secured.

What we offer:

• The salary will be based on the German E 13 TV‑L scale if terms and conditions under collective bargaining law are fulfilled.
• Full‑time employment currently 38.5 hours/week. Part‑time employment may be compatible within the framework of certain working time models and with an earlier starting date.
• A collaborative research environment, including collaboration with internal and external partners that encourages and supports scientific curiosity, innovation and development of its team members.
• Flexible working hours and a family‑friendly environment.
• You are welcome to inform yourself about our benefits under: Benefits ()

Your responsibilities:

• Independent work on cutting‑edge projects using state‑of‑the‑art technology and active contribution to the lab institute and international collaborations.
• Support of ongoing projects and further development of relevant research areas and new projects, as well as supporting the preparation and implementation of third‑party funding projects.
• Improving and developing methods to infer disease and regulatory mechanisms as well as gain insights into the sequence encoding of molecular function and its relation to disease (e.g. through modeling and model interpretation).
• Developing data standards and preparing data for analysis or computational modeling; analyzing high‑throughput sequencing data and developing custom computational tools.
• Supporting the supervision and training of undergrad and graduate students and active contribution to training and teaching (e.g. through lectures and seminars).

Requirements:

• MSc/PhD or equivalent degree in bioinformatics, computational biology or similar, or in computer sciences with extensive experience in molecular biology and large‑scale data analysis (specifically high‑throughput sequencing data) and at least two years of job experience (including potential years of PhD training). Applicants with a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) will be considered if they have at least 6 years of relevant work experience.
• Highly skilled in a programming language such as Python, R, C or Java and advanced skills in an analysis environment like R or Python (scipy/scikit‑learn).
• Experienced with Unix (incl. bash/GNU tools) and HPC (esp. SLURM) environments and deep understanding of sequence analysis, statistical concepts and machine learning.
• Advanced knowledge of molecular biology, gene regulation and epigenetics, as well as advanced science and project management skills.
• Diligent, goal‑oriented and independent work attitude as well as team‑oriented with interdisciplinary communication skills.
• Very good English language skills.

We look forward to receiving your application by . Please quote the job reference number 27406 in your application.

Contact:

For questions about the position please contact Prof. Martin Kircher :

We live diversity and strongly encourage qualified female scientists to apply. UKSH and the University of Lübeck aim to increase the number of women among faculty and staff. Applications from people with an immigrant background who meet the hiring requirements are encouraged. Disabled candidates who are equally qualified will receive preference.