Job Description

About the company

Averna Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on developing genomic medicines for a broad range of diseases. Our technology leverages naturally occurring genetic elements found in safe harbor loci in nature to deliver new genes via mRNA and lipid nanoparticles to achieve precise, safe, and durable insertion of entire therapeutic genes. Backed by an expert team and experienced investors, we are poised to transform the landscape of genomic medicine, offering treatments that can be re-dosed and titrated with curative intent to bring hope to patients suffering from genetic diseases, cancer, and autoimmune conditions.

Position Summary 

Temporary position to cover maternity leave.  This role is responsible for maintaining, operating, and supporting next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis pipelines in a production and research environment. The position focuses on reliability, reproducibility, and timely delivery of analysis results. 

Position, duties and responsibilities

• Operate, monitor, and maintain existing NGS analysis pipelines for DNA and RNA sequencing data. 
• Execute routine analyses, quality control, and data validation according to established SOPs. 
• Troubleshoot pipeline failures, data quality issues, and runtime errors. 
• Maintain pipeline documentation, configuration files, and versioned workflows. 
• Collaborate with laboratory, data science, and project teams to ensure accurate interpretation and delivery of results. 
• Manage data transfers, storage, and archival in compliance with internal and regulatory requirements. 
• Implement minor updates, bug fixes, and performance optimizations to existing pipelines as needed. 
• Provide handover documentation and knowledge continuity during the coverage period. 

Qualifications and Experience

• MSc or PhD in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Genomics, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience. 
• Hands-on experience running and maintaining NGS pipelines in a production or semi-production environment. 
• Proficiency with common NGS data types (FASTQ, BAM, VCF) and associated QC metrics. 
• Experience with workflow management systems such as Nextflow, Snakemake, WDL, or equivalent. 
• Strong scripting skills in Python, Bash, or similar. 
• Familiarity with Linux environments and high-performance computing or cloud platforms. 
• Solid understanding of Git version control system. 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Hands-on experience with cloud computing platforms and services.  
• Exposure to containerization technologies such as Docker or Singularity. 
• Familiarity with CI/CD practices for bioinformatics pipelines. 
• Experience supporting multiple concurrent projects under defined timelines. 

Key Competencies 

• Operational focus and attention to detail. 
• Ability to follow established processes while identifying risks and failures early. 
• Clear technical communication and documentation skills. 
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision after onboarding. 

Work Structure

• Temporary position to cover maternity leave.
• Located in Israel, maybe a hybrid work structure, but will require some time in the office.
• General ability to flex work time/days to account for meetings across time zones.