We are looking for a talented analyst/bioinformatician to help embed Bioinformatics into the UK Food Standards Agency’s risk analysis process.

Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) and bioinformatics have advanced rapidly. This has in turn allowed improvements in the identification and traceability of foodborne pathogens, allowing analysis at a high level of detail. The integration of WGS data into various areas of risk assessment using bioinformatics, with a particular focus on how genotype translates to risk, is an area that is largely unexplored.

This Research Fellowship is a unique collaboration between the University of Surrey and the Food Standards Agency (FSA). The successful applicant will use tools to take the latest advances in bioinformatics and various high-resolution data sources both nationally and internationally to develop next generation risk assessment approaches for the FSA. The post holder will be primarily located within the Risk Assessment Unit at the FSA, working closely with colleagues to develop and implement the risk assessment tools in a fast-paced policy environment. We anticipate that the resulting research will be incorporated into the FSA’s decision-making processes concerning risk, and will form a lasting and high-impact legacy for the FSA and possibly wider risk assessment practices.

Requirements

Applicants should hold a first degree in a life or quantitative science (e.g. Physics, Maths, Engineering, Biology or Biochemistry) and a PhD (or equivalent experience) in one of the following: Operational Research, Risk Analysis, Bioinformatics or Data Analysis/Data Science. They should also have excellent analytical capability, including problem formulation, merging and analysing diverse and large datasets and problem solving, and experience of at least one scripting language (e.g. R, Python, MATLAB).

Applicants must also meet FSA requirements on security and nationality. Further details on essential requirements are set out in the Job Description.

Application

Please apply via the University of Surrey online portal. Deadline is 10 June 2021.

Informal enquires are very welcome and should be made to Dr Andy Hill at a.a.hill@surrey.ac.uk