Job Title: Bioinformatics Research Officer
Organisation: Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI)
Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda
About Organisation:
Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) is an independently governed institute within the College of Health Sciences at Makerere University and has the mission “To strengthen health systems in Africa, with a strong emphasis on infectious diseases, through research and capacity development.” IDI has operations across Uganda as well as in a number of other African countries and has a staffing of over 1,000 managing multiple projects in research, clinical services, public health and training.
Job Summary: The African Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Data Intesive Sciences Uganda (ACE-Uganda) is seeking a Part-Time Bioinformatics Research Officer to support capacity building, research, and technical integration. The role involves mentoring interns, contributing to grant writing, leading working groups, and collaborating with the HPC team to ensure a bioinformatics-ready environment. This is an exciting opportunity for a master’s-trained bioinformatician with programming expertise (Python, R, Bash) and prior mentoring experience to make a direct impact on ACE’s research and training initiatives.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
- Provide mentorship and technical guidance to bioinformatics interns, supporting their skill development and project progress.
- Review and provide feedback on intern deliverables, including scripts, reports, and presentations.
- Identify relevant funding opportunities and participate in proposal development, including work plans and budgets.
- Contribute to the conceptualization and writing of bioinformatics-related grant proposals in alignment with ACE’s research priorities.
- Liaise with the HPC support team to ensure the computing environment is equipped with essential bioinformatics and data science tools.
- Provide a curated list of software, packages, and dependencies required to make the HPC cluster “bioinformatics-ready.”
- Troubleshoot and escalate technical issues encountered by users performing bioinformatics workflows on the HPC.
- Design and deliver short training sessions or workshops in bioinformatics and data science for ACE fellows and broader research staff.
- Develop training materials and tutorials suitable for early-career researchers and students.
- Lead any one of the working groups at ACE by setting agendas, facilitating meetings, and tracking progress on group activities, promoting collaboration among group members and serve as a technical focal point.
- Attend ACE meetings to provide updates on bioinformatics initiatives and contribute to broader institutional planning.
- Represent the Bioinformatics working group in strategic discussions, ensuring alignment with ACE goals.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
- Masters of Science in Bioinformatics
Person Specification
- Master’s degree in Bioinformatics or Computational Biology
- Demonstrated proficiency in programming languages relevant to bioinformatics (Python, R, and Bash).
- Experience with bioinformatics tools, databases, and workflows (e.g., NGS data analysis, sequence alignment, variant calling, or similar).
- Familiarity with high-performance computing (HPC) environments and installation or use of bioinformatics software packages.
- Strong background in scientific writing, including contribution to grant proposals, reports, or publications.
How to Apply:
Submit a single PDF document including:
- Certified academic transcripts or a stamped testimonial if pending graduation.
- Copy of UACE results.
- Two reference letters on institutional letterhead from academic referees.
- Cover page (max 1500 words) outlining:
- A general introduction about yourself e.g. student, recent graduate and field of study.
- The area you are applying for (human genomics).
- Any relevant experience in the area of human genomics.
- A one-page research idea aligned with the application of health data science or bioinformatics or structural biology in human genomics.
- Updated CV (maximum 3 pages)
Note: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. We will only accept one application per individual.
Deadline: 19th September 2025
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Level of Education: Postgraduate Degree
Work Hours: 8
Experience in Months: no experience required