Bioinformatics Software Engineer / Bioinformatics Software Engineeress

Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health

The position is located at the Institute of Food, Nutrition, and Health at ETH Zurich within the Laboratory of Food Systems Biotechnology under the direction of Prof. Dr. Nicholas Bokulich. The Bokulich laboratory specializes in developing bioinformatics methods and software for microbiome research, including the widely recognized QIIME 2, and applies these tools to study the relationship between microbiomes, food, and human health.

Position Overview

The successful applicant will focus on developing bioinformatics software for the analysis and integration of microbiome and other omics datasets to investigate microbial communities related to food and human health. Candidates should possess expertise in Python programming for bioinformatics software development, and demonstrate the capability to work collaboratively within a team of interdisciplinary scientists and engineers to create and apply open-source software across diverse research topics.

Key Qualifications

• Master's degree or Bachelor's degree with equivalent experience in computer science, data science, electrical engineering, computational biology, or other relevant fields
• Proficient programming skills in Python and demonstrated experience in software development/engineering
• Experience in developing open-source bioinformatics software
• Familiarity with collaborative software development using Git and GitHub
• Experience in developing and implementing GitHub Actions workflows
• Strong interpersonal communication, teamwork, and organizational abilities
• Proficiency in spoken and written English for effective communication with colleagues and collaborators

Desired Qualifications

• Experience in development with QIIME 2
• Knowledge of biological data structures and formats
• Experience working with microbiome (marker gene, metagenome) or other omics data
• Familiarity with the conda and conda-build ecosystem
• Experience with software containerization (Docker, Singularity)
• Experience with high-performance computing environments

Your Career with Impact

Join ETH Zurich, an institution that not only supports your professional growth but also takes active steps towards contributing to societal benefit. We are dedicated to maintaining a sustainable and climate-neutral university. You will enjoy numerous benefits, including public transport season tickets, car sharing options, a range of sports activities provided by ASVZ, childcare services, and an attractive pension scheme.

Application Process

We look forward to receiving your online application using the form below, which should include the following documents:

• An updated curriculum vitae, including a list of publications, education, and any relevant software design experience
• Names and contact information for 2-3 professional references

Please note that only applications matching the job profile will be considered. For more information about the Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health, please visit our website. Direct any questions regarding the position to Dr. Michal Ziemski at michal.ziemski@hest.ethz.ch (no applications).