Job Description
Job Title
Research Specialist II
Agency
Texas A&M University
Department
Chemistry
Proposed Minimum Salary
Commensurate
Job Location
College Station, Texas
Job Type
Staff
Job Description
Glimpse of the Job
Are you passionate about bioinformatics and eager to work with cutting-edge computational tools? The Department of Chemistry at the Hagler Lab is seeking a highly specialized Bioinformatics Software Specialist to join our team. In this role, you will implement and support advanced computational pipelines for RNA structural analysis, utilizing the SEISMIC-RNA processing pipeline and the SEISMIC-GRAPH visualization toolkit. These tools are designed to enable high-resolution interpretation of chemical probing data for RNA structure at scale. You will integrate SEISMIC-RNA into our lab’s data analysis workflows and customize SEISMIC-GRAPH to accommodate unique experimental designs. Additionally, you will develop internal web applications to facilitate access to and interpretation of high-throughput sequencing data outputs. If you have deep fluency with these tools and are excited about contributing to innovative research, we encourage you to apply and become a part of our scientific community.
Opportunities to Contribute
- Implement and maintain SEISMIC-RNA processing pipelines for RNA sequencing data.
- Customize SEISMIC-Graph, a Python-based visualization library, for lab-specific applications.
- Compute RNA metrics and develop custom analysis workflows.
- Ensure documentation and reproducibility of code and analysis.
- Collaborate on experimental design, data interpretation, and tool improvement.
- Generate visualizations and prepare publication figures.
- Develop and maintain training materials for external users.
- Train students and staff to interpret research results.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in relevant field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Six years of related specialized experience.
A well-qualified candidate will also possess
- Familiarity with RNA structure probing methods, including DMS-MaPseq and related approaches.
- Experience deploying applications in cloud environments (e.g., Google Cloud Platform).
- Extensive experience working with SEISMIC-RNA and SEISMIC-Graph, including detailed knowledge of their internal data structures and Python codebases.
- Familiarity with high-throughput sequencing data, particularly mutational profiling using chemical probes like DMS.
- Experience creating scientific figures and visualizations for publication.
- Strong programming skills in Python.
- Ability to work independently and communicate clearly in a remote setting.
Salary: Compensation will be commensurate based on the selected hire’s education and experience.
Special Note: Due to this position’s salary having all or a portion of it being funded by grants or contracts, the continuing salary and overall employment is contingent upon availability of these funds in the future. This position could require export-control authorization prior to starting employment.
What You Need to Do
Apply! Submit a resume/cv and cover letter. These documents will help us with the review process. You may upload these documents on the application under CV/Resume.
Why Texas A&M University?
Texas A&M University is committed to enriching the learning and working environment by promoting a culture that respects all perspectives, talents & lived experiences. Embracing varying opinions and perspectives strengthens our core values which are: Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity, and Selfless Service.
Texas A&M University’s Department of Chemistry is a cadre of faculty, staff, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, academic advisors, scientific and technical staff, who have a shared purpose of translating our passion for chemistry to young scholars at all levels in many scientific fields. To learn more, please visit our website: http://www.chem.tamu.edu/
We are a prestigious university with strong traditions, Core Values, and a community of caring and collaboration. Amenities associated with a major university, such as sporting and cultural events, state-of-the-art recreation facilities, the Bush Library and Museum, and much more await you. Experience all that a big city has to offer but with a reasonable cost-of-living and no long commutes.
- Medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, life and AD&D, flexible spending accounts, and long-term disability insurance with Texas A&M contributing to employee health and basic life premiums
- 12-15 days of annual paid holidays
- Up to eight hours of paid sick leave and at least eight hours of paid vacation each month
- Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas
- Health and Wellness: Free exercise programs and release time
- Professional Development: All employees have access to free LinkedIn Learning training, webinars, and limited financial support to attend conferences, workshops, and more
- Educational release time and tuition assistance for completing a degree while a Texas A&M employee
- Living Well, a program at Texas A&M that has been built by employees, for employees
Instructions to Applicants: Applications received by Texas A&M University must either have all job application data entered or a resume attached. Failure to provide all job application data or a complete resume could result in an invalid submission and a rejected application. We encourage all applicants to upload a resume’ or use a LinkedIn profile to pre-populate the online application.
All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.
Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.
