Scientific Assistant / Postdoc in Bioinformatics for the Global Capacity Building Research Group

Are you experienced in WGS data quality control and analysis from bacterial isolates? Do you have a strong interest in genomics and antimicrobial resistance (AMR)? The Research Group for Global Capacity Building (GloCaB) at DTU National Food Institute is looking for a dedicated bioinformatician to join our team. 

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most pressing global health challenges, driving a silent pandemic that affects both human and animal health. Our group plays a key role as an EU, WHO, and FAO reference laboratory for antimicrobial resistance. We provide scientific advisory services, as well as applied and implementation research, to National Reference Laboratories, international organizations, and supranational institutions such as the European Commission and the European Food Safety Authority. Our work focuses on strengthening global capacity for phenotypic and genomic surveillance of antimicrobial resistance, including the development of proficiency tests, external quality assurance, and laboratory training programs.

Responsibilities and qualifications
As our new colleague, your primary responsibilities will include: 

• Developing, maintaining, and extending bioinformatic pipelines, integrating data from multiple sequencing technologies.
• Analyze and evaluate WGS data to support research and capacity-building objectives, including participation in external quality assessments and genomic proficiency tests.
• Providing bioinformatics support for bacterial single-isolate genome and AMR analysis.
• Assist in organizing and delivering training (both in-person and online) on bioinformatics capacity-building activities for our international network.
• Organize data analysis, write reports and manuscripts, and create visualizations to summarize findings.
• Presenting results orally to a broad audience.
• Occasional travel may be required.

Essential expertise:

• Strong knowledge of sequencing analysis pipelines for both short- and long-read technologies.
• Experience in bioinformatic WGS data analysis and interpretation from bacterial isolates for AMR surveillance and/or genomic epidemiology.
• Proficiency in relevant bioinformatics tools and programming languages (e.g., Python, R, Bash).
• Experience working in a Unix/Linux environment, including setting up and managing High Performance Computing (HPC) clusters.
• Familiarity with metagenomic data analysis and machine learning techniques
• Ability to support non-bioinformaticians and deliver training in WGS data analysis.
• Skills in data management, visualization, and statistical analysis.
• Proven ability to plan and execute complex tasks within set deadlines.
• Experience in authoring scientific manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate in large, international, and cross-disciplinary teams.

You must be proficient in English (both oral and written) and have good communication skills.

Desirable expertise:

• Experience in developing pipelines for automating quality control and downstream analyses using workflow management systems (e.g., Nextflow, Snakemake).

As a formal qualification, you must have a master’s degree in engineering or equivalent within bioinformatics, computational biology, or a related field.

Candidates with a relevant master’s degree may be employed as research assistant, while candidates who have completed a PhD may be employed as postdoc. Your tasks will be adjusted accordingly.

We offer
DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility. 

Salary and terms of employment 
The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. In addition, supplements can be negotiated in accordance with DTU’s salary structure for scientific staff: www.inside.dtu.dk/en/human-resources/during-employment/salary/salary-structures. 

Depending on qualifications, the candidate will be employed either as a Scientific Assistant or as a Postdoc. 

Starting date is 1 December 2026 (or according to mutual agreement). The employment ends by 31 December 2027.

You can read more about career paths at DTU here.

Further information 
Further information may be obtained from Christa Twyford Gibson at chrgi@dtu.dk

You can read more about DTU National Food Institute at www.food.dtu.dk/englishand about the research group at www.food.dtu.dk/english/research/global-capacity-building

If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark.

Application procedure 
Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 27 September 2026 (23:59 Danish time). 

Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link “Apply now”, fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file. The file must include:

• Application (cover letter)
• CV
• Academic Diplomas (MSc)

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply. As DTU works with research in critical technology, which is subject to special rules for security and export control, open-source background checks may be conducted on qualified candidates for the position.