Oxford Nanopore Technologies is headquartered at the Oxford Science Park outside Oxford, UK, with satellite offices and commercial presence in many global locations across the US, APAC and Europe. Oxford Nanopore employs from multiple subject areas including nanopore science, molecular biology and applications, informatics, engineering, electronics, manufacturing and commercialisation. The management team, led by CEO Dr Gordon Sanghera, has a track record of delivering disruptive technologies to the market.
Oxford Nanopore’s sequencing platform is the only technology that offers real-time analysis (for rapid insights), in fully scalable formats from pocket to population scale, that can analyse native DNA or RNA and sequence any length of fragment to achieve short to ultra-long read lengths.
We are seeking a highly skilled and detail-oriented Bioinformatics Quality Assurance Specialist to join our the Customer Workflows Group. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in bioinformatics and quality assurance practices, ensuring the accuracy, reliability, and compliance of our bioinformatics software, data, and workflows.
In this role, you will be responsible for implementing rigorous QA protocols and procedures, with a focus on testing and validating bioinformatics software applications and tools. You will design and execute comprehensive test plans that encompass functional, integration, regression, performance, and user acceptance testing to ensure our bioinformatics solutions meet the highest standards of quality and performance.
As a Bioinformatics Quality Assurance Specialist within the Customer Workflows Group, you will play a critical role in maintaining data integrity and accuracy by conducting meticulous validation and verification processes. You will create and maintain detailed documentation of QA processes, test cases, validation reports, and standard operating procedures (SOPs), ensuring clarity and consistency across all QA activities.
Knowledge and compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements (e.g., CLIA, CAP, FDA, IEC-62304 and GAMP-5) are essential for this role. You will ensure that our bioinformatics tools and workflows adhere to these standards, contributing to the overall credibility and reliability of our products.
You will work closely with bioinformaticians, software developers, and project managers to identify and resolve quality issues, continuously improving our bioinformatics workflows. Your proactive approach to identifying areas for process improvement and implementing best practices in QA methodologies will be essential in enhancing the quality and efficiency of our bioinformatics solutions.
This role offers the opportunity to make a significant impact on the quality of bioinformatics products offered by Oxford Nanopore Technologies.
Duties
Quality Assurance & Control: Implement, and maintain QA protocols and procedures for bioinformatics software, data analysis pipelines, and computational workflows.
Testing & Validation: Execute test plans, including functional, integration, regression, and performance testing of bioinformatics tools and databases.
Data Integrity: Ensure the integrity and accuracy of bioinformatics data through meticulous validation and verification processes.
Documentation: Collaborate on, and maintain comprehensive documentation of QA processes, test cases, validation reports, and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Compliance: Ensure adherence to industry standards and regulatory requirements (e.g., CLIA, CAP, FDA. IEC-62304, GAMP-5) in all bioinformatics QA activities.
Collaboration: Work closely with bioinformaticians, software developers, and project managers to identify and resolve quality issues, and to improve overall product quality.
Continuous Improvement: Proactively identify areas for process improvement and implement best practices in QA methodologies and bioinformatics workflows.
Qualifications:
Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, or a related field.
Experience: Minimum of 3 years of experience in a bioinformatics QA or software testing role.
Technical Skills: Strong knowledge of regulatory requirements and standards (e.g., CLIA, CAP, FDA, IEC-62304, GAMP-5) in the bioinformatics or clinical and applied domains. Familiarity with quality assurance processes and methodologies in a bioinformatics setting. Experience with testing and validating bioinformatics software applications and tools.
Analytical Skills: Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to analyze complex datasets and computational workflows.
Attention to Detail: Exceptional attention to detail and a meticulous approach to ensuring data accuracy and software reliability.
Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly document and report findings.
Teamwork: Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
Nice to Have:
Programming Skills: Experience with programming languages such as Python, R, or Perl.
Version Control: Familiarity with version control systems (e.g., Git) and continuous integration tools (e.g., GitLab CI).
Workflow Management: Experience with workflow management systems such as Nextflow.
Preferred Qualifications:
Certifications: Relevant certifications in quality assurance or software testing.
Experience: Experience with regulatory compliance in a clinical or research environment.
Knowledge: Familiarity with high-throughput sequencing data and associated bioinformatics analyses.
Along with these skills we expect you to be a self-starter who can learn independently. You should have good communication and interpersonal skills. You should be willing to adapt and listen to the feedback from your peers.
We offer outstanding benefits to include an attractive bonus, generous pension contributions, private healthcare and an excellent starting salary. Based within beautiful, landscaped surroundings with tree-lined walks, water features and a lake, all of which make for a wonderful working environment.
Looking to utilise your skills to really make a difference to humankind? Then consider joining our team and apply today!
