Research Officer - Computational Biology

The NRC Advantage

Great Minds. One Goal. Canada's Success.

The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) is the Government of Canada's largest research organization supporting industrial innovation, the advancement of knowledge and technology development. We collaborate with over 70 colleges, universities and hospitals annually, work with 800 companies on their projects, and provide advice or funding to over 8000 Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) each year.

We bring together the brightest minds to deliver tangible impacts on the lives of Canadians and people around the world. And now, we want to partner with you.  Let your expertise and inspirations make an impact by joining the NRC.

At NRC, we know diversity enables excellence in research and innovation. We are committed to a diverse and representative workforce, an open and inclusive work environment, and contributing to a more inclusive Canadian innovation system.

NRC welcomes all qualified applicants and encourages candidates to self-declare as members of the following designated employment equity groups: women, visible minorities, Aboriginal peoples and persons with disabilities.

Please advise of any accommodation measures required to enable you to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner. They are available to all candidates for further assessment. Related information received will be addressed confidentially.

Your Challenge

Help bring research to life and drive your career forward with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), Canada's largest research and technology organization.

Do you want to be part of a collaborative team that finds innovative solutions to today’s climate change challenges? 

Do you want to take your knowledge of A.I. and learn how to apply it to agricultural development? 

If using machine learning to address contemporary biological problems feels like your purpose, then we have an opportunity for you.

We are looking for a Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Research Officer to support our Aquatic and Crop Resource Development Research Centre. In this creative research environment, the Research Officer (RO) will contribute to NRC's bioinformatics and computational biology capacities in plant research. The projects include finding ways to improve food sources through Controlled Environment Agriculture. The successful candidate will be located in hub of agriculture in Canada, the NRC facility in Saskatoon on the campus of the University of Saskatchewan.  This team is open to welcoming established researchers and recent graduates with some experience for this opportunity.

The campus research community includes the Saskatoon Research and Development Centre of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, research centres for other Canadian and Provincial research organizations, many companies involved in agricultural research, Colleges of Agriculture, Medicine, and Veterinary Medicine, the Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS), the Global Institute for Water Security (GIWS), and the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization - International Vaccine Centre (VIDO-InterVac).

About ACRD

We perform advanced scientific research and provide research services and technology development for the sustainable transformation of Canadian bio-based resources into higher-value products.
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Why work with us
We collaborate with industry, academia and government partners to develop and transform agricultural and marine bioresources into food, feed and ingredients, and other high value bioproducts.
 

The services we offer include:

• Collaborative research opportunities
• Access to expert researchers and technicians
• Scientific advice and technical services
• Projects tailored to your needs using our specialized facilities
• Research and development support

Our goal is to help strengthen the economy by growing global markets for Canadian industry.
 

About Saskatoon

Saskatoon is the perfect city for people who enjoy the natural world, a diverse cultural environment and want to find a place they can call home. A wonderful place to raise a family, Saskatoon enjoys one of the lowest costs of living among major cities in Canada. 

Located in the heart of the prairies, the city is home to about 300,000 people, has one of the most diversified economies in the country, producing products and services that are in demand throughout the world. With a solid infrastructure, natural resources, research and development facilities, and a well-educated workforce, the Saskatoon region is continually creating new opportunities for business and individuals. 

There are six dominant industries within the region, including mining/energy, manufacturing, transportation, life sciences, construction and agriculture. Wages in the Saskatoon region are competitive when compared with the rest of the province and country. In large part due to low housing costs and good wages, people in Saskatoon have a good standard of living compared to more expensive cities.

For more information on living in Saskatoon: Life in Saskatoon | Saskatoon.ca 

Screening Criteria

Applicants must demonstrate within the content of their application that they meet the following screening criteria in order to be given further consideration as candidates:

Education

PhD in Computer Science, bioinformatics, biostatistics or other relevant fields.

For information on certificates and diplomas issued abroad, please see Degree equivalency

Experience

This team is open to welcoming established researchers and recent graduates with some experience for this opportunity.
 

1. Experience with artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI /ML)
2. Experience in analysis, interpretation and integration of multi-omics data.  Omics data includes next-generation sequencing, metabolomics, proteomics or lipidomics datasets
3. Experience working and collaborating with multi-disciplinary teams 
4. Experience in research activities such as identification of research requirements, proposal writing, project management, data production and analysis, reporting through written documentation, presentations or peer-reviewed publications.
5. Experience utilizing AI / ML for data-driven decisions applied to biological problems. 
6. Experience in computer vision and image segmentation, feature extraction, and classification would be an asset.

Condition of Employment

 Reliability Status

Language Requirements

English

Information on language requirements and self-assessment tests

Assessment Criteria

Candidates will be assessed on the basis of the following criteria:

Technical Competencies

1. Demonstrated ability to design novel data analysis strategies, utilizing and combining diverse datasets, bioinformatics tools and pipelines; datasets include: next-generation sequencing, metabolomics, proteomics and phenotyping data.
2. Knowledge of modern statistical and machine learning techniques and deep learning. 
3. Ability to conceive and initiate computational biology projects and write funding proposals. 
4. Excellent written and oral communication skills such as ability to write high quality research articles, communicate findings to partners and clients, or present findings at relevant conferences, meetings and workshops.
5. Ability to conduct and perform collaborative research and effectively interact and communicate with a broad range of colleagues, collaborators and clients.
6. Strong interpersonal and leadership skills with the ability to build a positive work environment.

Behavioural Competencies

Competency Profile(s)

For this position, the NRC will evaluate candidates using the following competency profile(s): Research

View all competency profiles

Relocation

Relocation assistance will be determined in accordance with the NRC's directives.

Compensation

This position is classified as a Research Officer (RO), a group that is unique to the NRC. Candidates are remunerated based on their expertise, outcomes and impacts of their previous work experience relative to the requirements of the level. The salary scale for this group is vast, from $57,220 to $161,754 per annum, which permits for employees of all levels from new graduates to world renowned experts to be fairly compensated for their contributions.

NOTE: Please note that the full RO/RCO salary scale has five levels. Salary determination will be based on a review of the candidate’s expertise, outcomes and impacts of their previous work experience relative to the requirements of the level.  As such, the initial salary could be within another level of the RO/RCO salary scale (i.e. above or below the intended level for this position).

NRC employees enjoy a wide-range of competitive benefits including comprehensive health and dental plans, pension and insurance plans, vacation and other leave entitlements.

Notes

•    Candidates who self-Identify as being part of the following EDI groups will be given priority: visible minorities, aboriginal peoples and persons with handicaps.
•    In order to ensure a prompt and efficient processing of applications, candidates will be required to answer screening questions explaining how they meet each of the requirements of this position (education, experience, language requirements) by providing concrete examples. In addition, the candidate is encouraged to describe in detail when, where and how they gained the experience. Candidates will not be solicited for incomplete or possible missing information. Failure to provide appropriate or factual information in the application may result in the rejection of your application.
•    A pre-qualified list may be established for similar positions for a one year period.
•    Preference will be given to Canadian Citizens, Permanent Residents of Canada, persons with an open work permit and Indigenous peoples living in the United States. Please include citizenship information in your application. 
•    The incumbent must adhere to safe workplace practices at all times.
•    We thank all those who apply, however only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.