Bioinformatician / Data Engineer for the Translational Drug Response and Genomics Profiling Project

Reference number: 2025-0332

Heidelberg

Full-time

Clinical Cooperation Unit "Pediatric Oncology"

The German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) is one of Europe’s largest cancer research centers. “Research for a life without cancer" is the mission of our world-class scientists and all our team members.

The DKFZ is a place where the brightest minds pursue bold ideas and seek answers to pioneering scientific questions through collaboration, innovation, and exploration across many disciplines. We provide a dynamic environment which empowers excellence with state-of-the-art technologies, cutting edge infrastructure, and a global scientific network.

Contribute your knowledge, vision, and dedication to create a space where scientific discovery in cancer research is transformed into benefits for human health.

The Hopp Children's Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ) is a joint institution of the DKFZ, Heidelberg University Hospital (UKHD), and the University of Heidelberg (UniHD). As a treatment and research center for oncological and hematological diseases in children and adolescents, KiTZ is committed to exploring the biology of childhood cancer and closely linking promising research approaches with patient care – from diagnosis to treatment and aftercare.

The Clinical Cooperation Unit "Pediatric Oncology" and the Division of Pediatric Neurooncology at the German Cancer Research Center and the Hopp Children’s Cancer Center Heidelberg are jointly seeking a

About the Project:

Drug Sensitivity Profiling \& Multi-Omics Integration Clinical drug sensitivity profiling and identification of novel biomarkers in both patient-derived and cell line datasets. Responsibilities include large-scale integration of multi-omics and drug sensitivity data, development and maintenance of cohort-based drug response classification applications, and scripting for automated drug screening workflows. The ultimate goal is to identify novel therapeutic targets and improve diagnosis, prevention, and treatment outcomes in pediatric oncology

The project also involves exploration of high-content imaging datasets; therefore, experience or interest in AI-based image analysis would be advantageous.

The position is jointly hosted by the groups “Translational Genomics” led by Dr. Robert J. Autry and “Functional Pediatric Precision Oncology” led by Prof. Dr. Ina Oehme.

What's special about this position:

An interdisciplinary research environment within one of Europe’s leading pediatric cancer research centers

Access to large-scale genomics and pharmacological datasets

Collaborative supervision and mentorship by both the Autry and Oehme groups

Opportunity to contribute to clinically translatable discoveries in pediatric oncology

Your Tasks:

Develop, optimize, and standardize computational pipelines for multi-omics data processing (e.g., mutation calling, RNA-seq, methylation, and epigenomic profiling)

Implement, automate, and maintain workflows for drug screening data analysis, including automated data quality control, hit calling, and sensitivity classification

Integrate genomic, transcriptomic, and pharmacologic data across multiple platforms to identify therapeutic vulnerabilities and predictive biomarkers

Generate user-friendly applications and dashboards for data visualization and exploration

Collaborate closely with wet-lab scientists, bioinformaticians, and clinicians to design data-driven analyses for translational studies

Contribute to AI/ML-driven high-content imaging data analysis pipelines for assessing drug effects on cancer cells

Constant support of students and postdocs in basic computational and bioinformatics workflows

Genomic and functional screening approaches include, but are not limited to:

Whole-genome sequencing, RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, and large-scale drug response assays; imaging approaches include multiplex confocal microscopy and live cell imaging

Your profile:

Education: M.Sc. or Ph.D. in bioinformatics, computational biology, computer science, statistics, molecular biotechnology, or a related discipline

Technical Skills:

• Proven experience with Linux/Unix, Python, R, and Bash scripting

• Strong background in bioinformatics workflows, multi-omics integration, and/or machine learning

• Experience with high-performance computing environments is beneficial

• Familiarity with AI-based image analysis and data visualization frameworks (e.g., Streamlit, Shiny, or Dash) is an asset

Scientific Expertise:

• ground in genomics, transcriptomics, or pharmacogenomics data analysis

• Understanding of drug screening and functional genomics data

• Knowledge of biological data standards and reproducible research principles

Soft Skills:

• Strong communication skills and ability to present and document findings

• Collaborative, supportive, curiosity-driven, and organized, with attention to detail

• Fluent in English (German not required)

• Ability to work both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team

Application Process:

Interested candidates should submit the following documents via our online application tool:

Curriculum vitae

Master’s and/or doctoral degree certificates

Letter of motivation

Contact information for two references

We Offer

Are you interested?

Then become part of the DKFZ and join us in contributing to a life without cancer!

Contact: Elisabeth Hillier

Phone: +49 (0)6221/42-3272

Duration: The position is initially limited to 2 years with the possibility of prolongation.

Application Deadline: 06.02.2026

Applications by e-mail cannot be accepted.

Please also note that we cannot return applications submitted by post.

We are convinced that an innovative research and working environment thrives on the diversity of its employees. Therefore, we welcome applications from talented people, regardless of gender, cultural background, nationality, ethnicity, sexual identity, physical ability, religion and age. People with severe disabilities are given preference if they have the same aptitude.

Notice: We are subject to the regulations of the Infection Protection Act (IfSG). Therefore, all our employees must provide proof of immunity against measles.