Bioinformatician

The Center for Outbreak Response and Vaccine Development (CORVD) is seeking a skilled and innovative Bioinformatician to support genomic surveillance and analysis of viral pathogens, particularly in the context of vaccine impact and emerging variant risk. The successful candidate will contribute to the development and maintenance of high-throughput sequencing analysis pipelines, support genomic epidemiology studies, and work collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams to provide insights critical to epidemic and pandemic preparedness.

Will require a NACI Public Trust clearance or the ability to obtain one

Compensation & Benefits:

Estimated Starting Salary Range for Medical Officer - Subject Matter Expert (SME): Pay commensurate with experience.

Full time benefits include Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K, and other possible benefits as provided. Benefits are subject to change with or without notice.

Medical Officer - Subject Matter Expert (SME) Responsibilities Include:

• Develop and document standard operating procedures (SOPs) and quality assurance protocols for bioinformatics pipelines used in the analysis of viral genomic data.
• Provide technical integration support for bioinformatics workflows across CORVD programs and existing data systems.
• Conduct quality control and production-level sequence analysis on next-generation sequencing (NGS) data from internal and external laboratory sources.
• Offer technical guidance and support for genomic epidemiologic projects focusing on viral evolution and emerging threats.
• Analyze viral NGS data using bioinformatics tools and interpretive methods to track mutations, evolutionary patterns, and lineage dynamics.
• Support global genomic surveillance through effective data management, analytic reporting, and collaborative data sharing practices.
• Construct and optimize bioinformatics pipelines and algorithms, adapting them for specific research questions and emerging pathogen threats.
• Perform spatiotemporal, phylodynamic, and epidemiologic analyses to identify trends related to virus transmission and evolution, informing public health decision-making.
• Use mathematical modeling and computational methods to study virus-host interactions, vaccine pressure, and evolutionary trajectories of viruses.
• Ensure compliance with protocols, methods, and quality control measures for genomic analyses, and maintain alignment with best practices in the field.
• Prepare technical reports, summaries, presentations, and manuscripts for stakeholders and scientific audiences.
• Contribute to abstracts, peer-reviewed publications, and conference presentations based on surveillance and genomic epidemiologic studies.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned

Medical Officer - Subject Matter Expert (SME) Experience, Education, Skills, Abilities requested:

• Master's or Ph.D. in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Genomics, Molecular Epidemiology, or a related discipline.
• 3-7+ years of experience in bioinformatics, genomics, or pathogen surveillance, preferably in a public health or academic setting.
• Proficiency in NGS data analysis, quality control, alignment, variant calling, and phylogenetics.
• Demonstrated experience with bioinformatics tools and programming languages such as Python, R, Bash, Snakemake, Nextflow, or similar.
• Experience with databases (e.g., GISAID, NCBI, ENA) and cloud-based data storage and analysis environments.
• Strong understanding of viral genomics, pathogen evolution, and surveillance systems.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams.
• Excellent communication skills for both technical and non-technical audiences
• Preferred Qualifications:
  • Experience working with CDC, WHO, or other global public health surveillance programs.
  • Knowledge of epidemiological modeling, vaccine impact assessment, or infectious disease dynamics.
  • Experience developing and maintaining production-ready pipelines and custom analytic tools.
• Must pass pre-employment qualifications of Cherokee Federal

Company Information:

Cherokee Nation Operation Solutions (CNOS) is a part of Cherokee Federal - the division of tribally owned federal contracting companies owned by Cherokee Nation Businesses. As a trusted partner for more than 60 federal clients, Cherokee Federal LLCs are focused on building a brighter future, solving complex challenges, and serving the government's mission with compassion and heart. To learn more about CNOS, visit cherokee-federal.com.

#CherokeeFederal #LI

Cherokee Federal is a military friendly employer. Veterans and active military transitioning to civilian status are encouraged to apply.

Keywords:

Genomic surveillance

Next-generation sequencing (NGS)

Bioinformatics pipeline development

Viral evolution and phylogenetics

Public health data integration

Similar job titles:

Genomic Epidemiologist

Computational Biologist

Viral Bioinformatics Analyst

Pathogen Genomics Scientist

Infectious Disease Bioinformatician

Legal Disclaimer: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to protected veteran status, disability or any other status protected under applicable federal, state or local law. Many of our job openings require access to government buildings or military installations. Candidates must pass pre-employment qualifications of Cherokee Federal.

Many of our job openings require access to government buildings or military installations. Candidates must pass pre-employment qualifications of Cherokee Federal.

Please Note: This position is pending a contract award. If you are interested in a future with Cherokee Federal, APPLY TODAY! Although this is not an approved position, we are accepting applications for this future and anticipated need.