Staff Computational Biologist (Remote)

Why join Freenome?

Freenome is a high-growth biotech company developing tests to detect cancer using a standard blood draw. To do this, Freenome uses a multiomics platform that combines tumor and non-tumor signals with machine learning to find cancer in its earliest, most-treatable stages.

Cancer is relentless. This is why Freenome is building the clinical, economic, and operational evidence to drive cancer screening and save lives. Our first screening test is for colorectal cancer (CRC) and advanced adenomas, and it’s just the beginning. 

Founded in 2014, Freenome has ~500 employees and more than $1.1B in funding from key investors, such as the American Cancer Society, Andreessen Horowitz, Anthem Blue Cross, Bain Capital, Colorectal Cancer Alliance, DCVC, Fidelity, Google Ventures, Kaiser Permanente, Novartis, Perceptive Advisors, RA Capital, Roche, Sands Capital, T. Rowe Price, and Verily.  

At Freenome, we aim to impact patients by empowering everyone to prevent, detect, and treat their disease. This, together with our high-performing culture of respect and cross-collaboration, is what motivates us to make every day count. 

Become a Freenomer

Do you have what it takes to be a Freenomer? A “Freenomer” is a determined, mission-driven, results-oriented employee fueled by the opportunity to change the landscape of cancer and make a positive impact on patients’ lives. Freenomers bring their diverse experience, expertise, and personal perspective to solve problems and push to achieve what’s possible, one breakthrough at a time.

About this opportunity:

As a Staff Computational Biologist on the Computational Biology, Assay Research and Development team at Freenome, you will help build novel NGS assays for early, noninvasive tests for cancer detection. You will bring a strong foundation in molecular biology and genomics to perform computational analyses enabling us to understand and identify cancer’s unique molecular signatures. You will work in close collaboration with wet lab scientists and other computational scientists to both iterate upon and build new assays with the goal of developing clinical products that save lives.

What you’ll do:

• Drive computational analysis in collaboration with wet-lab scientists to rapidly characterize and iterate on experimental methods by providing real-time assessments of assay performance and implementing key QC metrics
• Build bioinformatics pipelines and bespoke computational tools to extract actionable information from high-throughput sequencing datasets for cancer classification
• Collaborate on and develop classification models using novel molecular signatures and evaluate feasibility translating these biomarkers to the product development phase
• Remain at the forefront of molecular techniques in high-throughput sequencing, applying knowledge and learnings to suggest new experiments and avenues for investigation

Must haves:

• PhD or equivalent experience in a relevant field such as molecular biology, computational biology, bioinformatics, or equivalent
• 3+ years post-PhD experience, industry experience in molecular diagnostics is highly desirable
• Strong quantitative reasoning and statistical analysis skills, with a demonstrated ability to apply them effectively to relevant scientific problems
• Expertise in computational analysis of NGS datasets to derive technical and biological insights. Experience in liquid biopsy is highly preferred
• Experience building and maintaining bioinformatics pipelines, with proficiency in common bioinformatics tools, such as FastQC, Atropos, Picard, Bowtie, BWA, Samtools, and IGV
• Fundamental understanding of the central dogma, including background in molecular biology, cancer biology, and familiarity with regulation of molecular processes
• Strong computational and programming skills, including experience with Python statistical packages (Numpy, Matplotlib, Pandas). Equivalents in other languages like R or C/C++ are also suitable
• Familiarity working in a Linux server-based environment
• Excellent oral and written communication skills to communicate to both scientific and broader audiences
• Ability to work on a cross-functional team in our highly collaborative environment, working with both computational and experimental scientists

 Nice to haves:

• Expert level domain knowledge in cfDNA biology and liquid biopsy
• Hands-on experience with common NGS assays

Benefits and additional information:

The US target range of our base salary for new hires is $182,750 - $280,000. You will also be eligible to receive pre-IPO equity, cash bonuses, and a full range of medical, financial, and other benefits dependent on the position offered.  Please note that individual total compensation for this position will be determined at the Company’s sole discretion and may vary based on several factors, including but not limited to, location, skill level, years and depth of relevant experience, and education. We invite you to check out our career page @ https://careers.freenome.com/ for additional company information.  

Freenome is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and we value diversity. Freenome does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.

Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws.  

• Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
• Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)
• Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA)

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