Bioinformatician

ProQR Therapeutics is a biotechnology company listed on NASDAQ with offices in Leiden, the Netherlands and Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. ProQR is focused on the development of life changing RNA therapies to meet the unmet need of individuals and families with common and rare diseases. A team of 150+ enthusiastic ProQRians from all walks of life and more than 30 different nationalities is up to this challenge. We have the passion and commitment to make a difference in the lives of the communities we serve. Our proprietary Axiomer® RNA editing technology platform enables the editing of specific single nucleotides in RNA using the cells own editing machinery. Axiomer® RNA editing technology harnesses ADAR (Adenosine Deaminase Acting on RNA), which is machinery present in all human cells to repair G-to-A mutations, modulate protein, and enable protective mutation functions. Axiomer could potentially yield a new class of innovative medicines and treat currently untreatable diseases.

Our R&D department is currently looking for an experienced bioinformatician to join our team in Leiden. The bioinformatician will support the wet-lab scientist with the analysis of transcriptomics studies, develops and improves (in silico) analytical methods to accurately understand RNA processing variants in our model systems, and how they are affected by oligonucleotide drugs.

We expect our Bioinformatician to have:

• A MSc degree in bioinformatics with at least 2 years of experience or an MSc in any scientific field related to biology or chemistry followed by at least 4 years Bioinformatics experience.
• Solid knowledge of statistical methods and how to apply them to molecular biology problems.
• Solid understanding of NGS, RNA biology or organic chemistry is a big plus.
• Experience with Python (working experience with Snakemake is a plus)
• Experience with Linux and High-Performance Computing
• Experience with version control systems (Git)
• Experience with predictive models (Scikit-learn and Keras) is a plus
• Affinity with finding solutions for uncommon problems and critical about own work
• Passion for innovation and drive to deliver new therapies to patients with high unmet needs

Key Responsibilities

• You contribute to transcriptomic analyses in the field of RNA therapeutics.
• You contribute to developing, maintaining, and improving data analysis pipelines, including version control.
• You contribute to maintaining and curating database systems containing various experimental data types.
• You ensure the quality of your analyses by establishing reproducible methods and writing clear documentation.
• You work in a multidisciplinary team in close collaboration with wet-lab scientists, technicians, project leads.

Skills and competencies that are required for making the difference:

• Analytical and accurate
• Creative thinker
• Flexible and adaptable
• Hands-on mentality
• Pro-active and pragmatic self-starter, with a result-oriented mindset
• Team player
• Autonomous and coachable
• Being able to work in a fast-paced environment
• Being able to prioritize multiple tasks
• Patient-oriented attitude
• Excellent knowledge of spoken and written English
• A nice person 😊

ProQR as an employer

As an employer, we are a true believer of the value of a workforce in which people from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to develop themselves, personally and professionally. We believe that happy and energized people, working well together in an environment in which they thrive, will do phenomenal and awesome things.

We are committed to ensure that no employee, candidate, or job applicant receives less favorable treatment on the grounds of race, age, disability, pregnancy, religion, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership status. At ProQR we want to create an inclusive culture where everyone can be valued for who they are and in which individual differences and the contributions in all forms are recognized and valued.

We offer an exciting and innovative working environment in a very committed organization, with the following benefits:

• 8% holiday allowance
• 30 vacation days
• An annual performance bonus
• Stock options
• A premium-free pension plan
• A commuting allowance
• A subsidized staff restaurant
• Unlimited (un)healthy snacks and drinks
• Employee events (boot camp, Rebel Café and other social events)

Do you think you can contribute to achieving our mission? If so, we’re looking forward to receiving your application by filling out our application form.

You can contact Silvia Catellani via recruitment@proqr.com if you have any questions.