Senior Bioinformatician/Computational Biologist

Do you want to help us improve human health and understand life on Earth? Make your mark by shaping the future to enable or deliver life-changing science to solve some of humanity’s greatest challenges.

We are recruiting a Senior Bioinformatician/Computational biologist to join the Vento Lab to take responsibility for single-cell and spatial transcriptomic data analysis across multiple projects centred on immune cell biology, with a particular focus on how immune cells specialise and function in the context of human reproductive tissues and women's diseases.

Equally important is a genuine engagement with the biology of the tissues under study. You will work in an environment where biological questions drive computational decisions, and where results are always interpreted and communicated in biological terms. You will either bring existing knowledge of immune cell biology and reproductive tissues, or demonstrate the curiosity and capacity to develop it quickly. The role also encompasses the analysis of CRISPR perturbation datasets; while prior CRISPR experience is not required, familiarity with the principles of CRISPR screening is desirable, and the you will be expected to develop the same depth of critical analytical rigour in this domain as you bring to single-cell transcriptomics.

What you'll be doing?

• Lead the analysis and interpretation of large-scale single-cell (scRNA-seq, snRNA-seq, spatial transcriptomics, multiomics), spatial transcriptomic  and CRISPR datasets, with the ability to independently troubleshoot and resolve issues at any stage of the workflow, from sequence alignment and cell calling through to clustering, annotation and downstream biological inference.
• Using your knowledge of single-cell data characteristics (including technical artefacts, doublets, ambient RNA, batch effects, and cell type-specific QC challenges) to make and explain analytical decisions informed by computational and biological evidence.
• Using your molecular and cellular biology knowledge to design biologically informed analytical approaches, critically interpret results, and ensure that methodological decisions align with experimental design and research aims.
• Implementing innovative and creative data analysis strategies beyond standard pipelines to address complex research questions and explore new directions.
• Working collaboratively as a partner within the Vento interdisciplinary team, participating in scientific discussions and supporting problem-solving to ensure computational approaches align with experimental work.
• Communicating results clearly and in a timely manner to project leaders, collaborators and the wider scientific community, including through publications and presentations.
• Organising and keeping track of developed code and generated data within the group.

About Us:

Open Targets is a public-private partnership involving the Wellcome Sanger Institute, a world-leading genomics institution, EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), a global leader in the management, integration and analysis of public domain life science data, and world-leading pharmaceutical companies GSK, Sanofi, MSD, Pfizer, and Genentech

The Open Targets (OT) research programme generates and analyses data to connect targets to diseases, assess the strength of this evidence, and help identify and prioritise targets for drug discovery. This includes evidence that causally links targets and diseases, as well as foundational data that helps us understand biological processes and disease progression more deeply.

About you:

You are a researcher with deep experience in single-cell transcriptomics and a genuine interest in immune cell biology and tissue biology. You are motivated by the opportunity to advance our understanding of human immunology and reproductive biology, and to contribute to meaningful scientific discoveries. You have a demonstrable track record of analysing and interpreting single-cell transcriptomic and genomic data across the full analytical workflow, and you are able to think critically and independently about complex data challenges, moving beyond standard solutions when the science demands it. You work with precision and rigour, and you are comfortable operating in an environment where biological questions define the agenda for computational work.

You are seeking a senior research role that integrates immune cell biology with cutting-edge single cell/CRIPR genomic and computational approaches. Collaboration is central to your work, and you value constructive dialogue, shared problem-solving, and meeting deadlines within a supportive team environment. You will be supported in your personal and professional development, and will have the opportunity to lead peer-reviewed publications in single-cell genomics.

This is a research-focused position for a computational biologist who uses genomics and transcriptomics to frame and investigate cell biology hypotheses.

Essential skills:

• PhD in a relevant biological, computational or quantitative discipline (Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Genetics, Biomedicine, Computer Science, or equivalent); or equivalent professional experience.
• Demonstrated, in-depth experience in single-cell transcriptomics spanning the full analytical workflow, with a solid understanding of the technical and biological sources of variability in single-cell data and the ability to distinguish genuine biological signal from analytical artefact.
• Ability to align computational work with the scientific priorities of the team, ensuring analytical efforts are focused on the questions that matter most and delivered in a timely and effective manner.
• Strong grounding in molecular and cellular biology, with the ability to formulate biological questions in the context of tissue biology, critically interpret transcriptomic results, and contextualise findings within experimental design.
• Track record of research productivity demonstrated through publications or equivalent industry outputs.
• Proficiency in Python and/or R, and experience working in Unix/HPC environments.
• Enthusiastic, proactive attitude and genuine desire to learn
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to work collaboratively to develop practical and creative solutions
• Ability to organise own workload and manage competing priorities
• Ability to summarise complex information and present to a wide variety of audiences in a concise and logical manner
• Demonstrates inclusivity and respect for all
  

Other Information:

Application Process:

Please apply with your CV and a Cover letter outlining how you meet the criteria set out above and in the role profile.

Closing date: 15th October 2026

Contract type: 2 years

Salary per annum (dependent upon skills and experience): £45,803-£54,416

Relevant publication of the groups:

• CellPhoneDB v5: inferring cell-cell communication from single-cell multiomics data.

Troulé K, Petryszak R, Cakir B, Cranley J, Harasty A, Prete M, Tuong ZK, Teichmann SA, Garcia-Alonso L, Vento-Tormo R.

Nat Protoc. 2025 Mar 25.

• Spatial multiomics map of trophoblast development in early pregnancy.

Arutyunyan A, Roberts K, Troulé K, Wong FCK, Sheridan MA, Kats I, Garcia-Alonso L, Velten B, Hoo R, Ruiz-Morales ER, Sancho-Serra C, Shilts J, Handfield LF, Marconato L, Tuck E, Gardner L, Mazzeo CI, Li Q, Kelava I, Wright GJ, Prigmore E, Teichmann SA, Bayraktar OA, Moffett A, Stegle O, Turco MY, Vento-Tormo R.

Nature. 2023 Apr;616(7955):143-151.

• Single-cell roadmap of human gonadal development.

Garcia-Alonso L, Lorenzi V, Mazzeo CI, Alves-Lopes JP, Roberts K, Sancho-Serra C, Engelbert J, Marečková M, Gruhn WH, Botting RA, Li T, Crespo B, van Dongen S, Kiselev VY, Prigmore E, Herbert M, Moffett A, Chédotal A, Bayraktar OA, Surani A, Haniffa M, Vento-Tormo R.

Nature. 2022 Jul;607(7919):540-547.

• Robust temporal map of human in vitro myelopoiesis using single-cell genomics.

Alsinet C, Primo MN, Lorenzi V, Bello E, Kelava I, Jones CP, Vilarrasa-Blasi R, Sancho-Serra C, Knights AJ, Park JE, Wyspianska BS, Trynka G, Tough DF, Bassett A, Gaffney DJ, Alvarez-Errico D, Vento-Tormo R.

Nat Commun. 2022 May 24;13(1):2885.

Hybrid Working at Wellcome Sanger:

We recognise that there are many benefits to Hybrid Working; including an improved work-life balance, with more focused time, as well as the ability to organise working time so that collaborative opportunities and team discussions are facilitated on campus. The hybrid working arrangement will vary for different roles and teams. The nature of your role and the type of work you do will determine if a hybrid working arrangement is possible.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

We aim to attract, recruit, retain and develop talent from the widest possible talent pool, thereby gaining insight and access to different markets to generate a greater impact on the world. We have a supportive culture with the following staff networks: LGBTQ+, Parents and Carers, Disability, Gender Equity and Race Equity to bring people together to share experiences, offer specific support and development opportunities and raise awareness. The networks are also a place for allies to provide support to others.

We believe people do their best work when they can be their authentic selves. That’s why we’re committed to creating a truly inclusive culture at Sanger Institute. We will consider all individuals without discrimination and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees, where everyone can thrive.

Our Benefits:

We are proud to deliver an awarding campus-wide employee wellbeing strategy and programme. The importance of good health and adopting a healthier lifestyle and the commitment to reduce work-related stress is strongly acknowledged and recognised at Sanger Institute.

Sanger Institute became a signatory of the International Technician Commitment initiative In March 2018.  The Technician Commitment aims to empower and ensure visibility, recognition, career development and sustainability for technicians working in higher education and research, across all disciplines.