Lead Bioinformatics Platform

About the Role

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is seeking a Lead, Bioinformatics Platform. This full-time position involves providing scientific, technical, operational, and financial leadership for the Platform's bioinformatics and software infrastructure teams. The role focuses on coordinating and overseeing the delivery and continuous development of bioinformatics services, computational workflows, software tools, and data infrastructure to support KAUST researchers and Core Labs.

Role Context and Leadership

The Lead will provide strategic and day-to-day leadership to a multidisciplinary team of bioinformatics and software professionals. This includes ensuring the Platform delivers reliable, scalable, and high-quality services while developing new capabilities aligned with KAUST's research priorities. The role requires close collaboration with the Platform Chair, affiliated faculty, the Bioscience Core Lab, KAUST IT, the Supercomputing Core Lab, other Research Platforms and Core Labs, researchers, and external collaborators. The position spans operation, infrastructure, service, and research & development activities, with an emphasis on integrating computational infrastructure, bioinformatics analysis, workflow automation, and software development into robust research capabilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide scientific, technical, operational, and financial leadership for the Bioinformatics Platform team, ensuring effective coordination across bioinformatics, software development, and computational infrastructure activities.
• Lead project planning and resource allocation, balancing routine service delivery, infrastructure development, software development, and R&D activities.
• Plan and oversee capability development in key Platform areas such as genomics, metagenomics, microbiome analysis, spatial omics, short-read and long-read sequencing, structural biology, multi-omics, and AI-enabled biological data analysis.
• Monitor developments in bioinformatics, computational biology, AI, and software engineering to proactively introduce relevant technologies and practices.
• Ensure efficient day-to-day delivery of bioinformatics and data analysis services to KAUST researchers, faculty, and Core Labs.
• Provide expert guidance on bioinformatics and computational approaches for complex research projects.
• Establish and maintain effective relationships with faculty, researchers, Core Labs, IT, research platforms, and external partners.
• Contribute to the development of new collaborations, externally funded projects, and consultancy opportunities.
• Lead the development and improvement of scalable bioinformatics workflows, analytical pipelines, software tools, and computational services.
• Oversee the development and maintenance of web-based bioinformatics services, databases, and computational resources.
• Develop and implement software and computational asset management strategies.
• Contribute to FAIR data management practices.
• Plan and oversee SOPs, workflows, user, and technical documentation.
• Coordinate with KAUST IT and the Supercomputing Core Lab on computational resources.
• Establish quality control, quality assurance, validation, reproducibility, and documentation practices.
• Lead financial planning and budget management for the Platform, identifying opportunities for cost optimization, external funding, and service revenue.
• Recruit, mentor, coach, and develop staff, fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and positive work environment.
• Lead the development of new bioinformatics methodologies, software tools, and AI-driven methods.
• Contribute to training, workshops, publications, and grant proposals.
• Perform other applicable tasks and duties assigned within the realm of the position.