Chief, Computational Genomics and Bioinformatics Branch, National Cancer Institute at National Cancer Institute in Rockville, Maryland

Job Description:

Chief, Computational Genomics and Bioinformatics Branch (CGBB)

Center for Biomedical Informatics and Information Technology

National Cancer Institute

National Institutes of Health

Department of Health and Human Services

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is seeking an exceptional and visionary leader to serve as the Chief, Computational Genomics and Bioinformatics Branch (CGBB), Center for Biomedical Informatics and Information Technology (CBIIT).  The NCI is the principal agency of the Federal Government for cancer research and for carrying out the National Cancer Program.  CBIIT accelerates cancer research by empowering scientists and clinicians with the data and informatics tools they need to drive their research and ensures research data are optimally managed, and the right technologies are available when needed.  The CBIIT Computational Genomics and Bioinformatics Branch (CGBB) provides computational genomics and bioinformatics support to National Cancer Institute (NCI) and cancer research community. CGBB collaborates with many government agencies including Food and Drug Administration (FDA), department of defense (DOD), Veteran administration (VA) as well as academic centers, biotech and biopharma. CGBB develops algorithms, software tools, and AI models to integrate genomic, proteomic, and metabolomic data providing cutting-edge bioinformatics approaches to analyze and interpret large-scale cancer data. By leveraging data mining and high-performance computing, the team advances drug discovery, disease modeling, and systems biology, enhancing scientific understanding and creating innovative healthcare solutions to fight cancer.  For more information about CBIIT, go to https://datascience.cancer.gov/about.

 The Chief, CGBB, provides strategic direction and scientific advisory services on planning, directing, implementing, and evaluating computational genomics and bioinformatics support of national and international significance.  The Branch Chief oversees and supervises the CGBB team to integrate and interpret large datasets generated by high-throughput next-generation sequencing (NGS) platforms, including whole-genome, whole-exome, transcriptomics, epigenomics, and other proteogenomic data. The CGBB Chief is responsible for planning, directing, implementing, and enabling biological interpretation from many computational projects within CBIIT, the NCI and with external collaborators. In addition, the Branch Chief has the following responsibilities:

·         Provide strategic direction in data science, leveraging cutting-edge multi modal AI, bioinformatics, and Cloud Computing to fully utilize the CGBB and other NCI resources, maximizing the impact on oncology research and care. 

·         Provide subject matter expertise to trans-NCI and trans-NIH committees and investigators (both intramurally and extramurally) in computational biology and bioinformatics. 

·         Establish and maintain a robust training program for the NCI intramural scientific community on bioinformatics and computational genomics tools, enabling researchers to analyze, integrate, and interpret large datasets. 

·         Evaluate and acquire software tools to meet the needs of collaborators at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), including coordinating with various stakeholders to align software capabilities with research objectives to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the Institute's scientific endeavors.

·         Oversee a staff of six Federal employees as well as contractors assigned to support the Branch with a combined budget exceeding $1M.

·         Represent the NCI as an invited speaker/lecturer at peer-reviewed national and international meetings showcasing scientific results and resources available at the NCI in CGBB and CBIIT.

·         Collaborate and participate in high performance and cloud computing initiatives involving HHS and beyond, including the STRIDES initiative (https://datascience.nih.gov/strides), NIH Strategic Plan for Data Science and related partnerships.

The successful candidate will be an innovative leader on a broad range of evolving bioinformatics and translational informatics and related emerging technologies as applied to cancer research.   

Position Qualifications:

• Candidate must possess a doctoral level degree in biomedicine or a biological related field, or a medical degree, or a doctoral or master’s level degree in engineering, bioinformatics, or a related or emerging field.
• Candidate must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Candidate must meet U.S. Office of Personnel Management educational and qualification standards for the scientific discipline directly related to their position and must furnish proof that they meet all educational (i.e., official transcripts) and other (e.g. licensure, Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG)) requirements).
• Extensive knowledge and experience in the application of concepts, practices, requirements, policies of bioinformatics and translational informatics, and related emerging technologies for cancer research.
• Experience leveraging high performance computing and cloud platforms; recommending digital solutions using predictive modeling and analytics; coordinating biomedical informatics and emerging technology programs; and designing bioinformatic workflows to integrate and analyze data from emerging biomedical technologies.
• Leadership experience in supervising staff, managing multi-million-dollar budgets, and overseeing complex biomedical informatics contracts.
• Experience in leading multidisciplinary groups in developing bio informatics and translational informatics strategies and initiatives.
• Experience in establishing successful partnerships with a broad range of agencies and non-federal organizations.
• Leadership experience in managing a highly visible national bioinformatics and translational informatics research program is highly desirable. 

Salary/Benefits: The successful candidate will be appointed under the Senior Biomedical Research and Biomedical Product Assessment Service (SBRBPAS), a Title 42 authority, at a salary commensurate with experience. A full package of benefits is available, including retirement, health and life insurance, long term care insurance, annual and sick leave, and a Thrift Savings Plan (401K equivalent). A recruitment or relocation bonus may be available, and relocation expenses may be paid. The successful candidate may be subject to a background investigation and public financial disclosure requirements.

 How to Apply: Applicants must submit a current curriculum vitae, bibliography, and full contact details for three references. In addition, applicants must prepare a cover letter of interest that outlines your qualifications, leadership experience, and vision for computational genomics and bioinformatics in cancer research. Submit your application documents to Cliff Johnson at cliff.johnson@nih.gov

 HHS, NIH and NCI are Equal Opportunity Employers

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