About the position
Introduction
Mintek has an exciting career opportunity for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow: Bioinformatics. The candidate will be responsible for providing bioinformatics and computational biology expertise to support research on bioleaching and biological sulfate-reducing systems. Working within a multidisciplinary research team, the candidate will analyse and integrate molecular, microbiological and metallurgical data to improve process understanding and support technology development.
Duties & Responsibilities
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS:
- Develop and apply bioinformatics pipelines for the analysis of 16S rRNA gene, metagenomic and whole-genome sequencing data.
- Develop, validate and implement new analytical methods, workflows and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
- Integrate molecular, microbiological and process data to support research and technology development.
- Contribute innovative ideas, research proposals and technical solutions to advance the division's research programmes.
- Contribute to scientific publications, conference presentations and collaborative research initiatives.
- Mentor postgraduate students and junior researchers and support the development of bioinformatics capability within the division.
- Plan and manage research activities in compliance with SHEQ and good research and data management practices.
APPLICATIONS
- Comprehensive curriculum vitae, including academic records, research experience, publications and R&D outputs.
- Copy of doctoral certificate (or letter from the university confirming meeting of Ph.D. requirements).
- Cover letter motivating the application.
- Two (2) reference/support letters (one must be from the Ph.D. supervisor).
GRADE: AO3, SALARY PACKAGE: Negotiable
Successful candidates must arrange their own accommodation close to Mintek, and must make their own travel arrangements to get to Mintek. Candidates must be willing to undergo psychometric testing.
Should you not hear from us within one (1) month of the closing date, consider your application to be unsuccessful.
Mintek is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, whose aim is to promote representivity in all levels of occupational categories.
Desired Experience & Qualification
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:
- A Ph.D. in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Biotechnology or related discipline (final thesis corrections accepted).
- Demonstrated experience in bioinformatics and computational analysis of omics datasets.
- Experience with bioinformatics pipelines and workflow management tools (e.g. Nextflow or similar).
- Knowledge of microbial ecology, metagenomics and genomics.
- Foundation in biostatistics and data analysis.
- Understanding of molecular biology techniques and sequencing technologies.
BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES:
- Team player who enjoys variety and has a strong affinity for planning and executing new and high impact research.
- Passion for research, technology development, and technology transfer.
- Excellent interpersonal skills.
- Ability to work in a stressful and demanding environment.
- Willing to travel locally and internationally.
