Field Applications Scientist - Bioinformatics - Northeast
Oxford Nanopore Technologies
Summary
Oxford Nanopore Technologies Ltd. is seeking a Field Applications Scientist, Bioinformatics, to partner closely with our Sales team and customers. You'll provide pre- and post-sales technical expertise across our sequencing platforms and software—helping researchers design experiments, analyze data, and achieve successful outcomes while strengthening long-term relationships.
Job description
This is a field-based role supporting customers across the Northeast region. Candidates should reside within the territory, within New England/ NY / NJ/ PA to support frequent customer engagement and regional travel. The role requires frequent local customer visits and occasional overnight travel, up to approximately 40%, and may include technical support for adjacent territories as business needs require.
What you'll do
- Partner with Sales to deliver high-quality technical consultations across the sales cycle; provide back-up technical support to adjacent territories.
- Deliver technical presentations, seminars, trainings, and on-site engagements at key accounts and scientific conferences.
- Guide customers on experimental design, software usage, analysis workflows, and best practices for ONT technologies.
- Manage key customer relationships from a technical perspective to ensure successful adoption and outcomes.
- Document and track customer interactions, inquiries, and actions in the CRM.
- Monitor competitive technologies and market trends; share actionable insights with commercial and product teams.
What you'll bring
- Education: PhD in Life Sciences (or equivalent experience in a commercial, customer-facing scientific role).
- Experience: Prior field applications/technical support experience; hands-on experimental design and genomic data analysis (e.g., whole-genome and transcriptome). Long-read sequencing experience is a plus.
- Domain knowledge: Strong foundation in genetics, genomics, molecular biology, cell biology, bioinformatics or related disciplines.
- Data & analysis: Background working with large NGS datasets and pipelines such as genome assembly/annotation, variant calling, structural variants, transcriptomics, or phylogenetics.
- Programming & platforms: Proficiency in one or more of Python, R, Perl; comfortable in UNIX environments. Experience in cloud computing platforms such as AWS. Proven experience in high performance compute clusters.
Travel & work style
Field-based role with frequent local customer visits and occasional overnight travel (up to ~40%).
Requirements
- PhD in Life Sciences (or equivalent experience in a commercial, customer-facing scientific role)
- Prior field applications/technical support experience
- Hands-on experimental design and genomic data analysis (e.g., whole-genome and transcriptome)
- Strong foundation in genetics, genomics, molecular biology, cell biology, bioinformatics or related disciplines
- Background working with large NGS datasets and pipelines such as genome assembly/annotation, variant calling, structural variants, transcriptomics, or phylogenetics
- Proficiency in one or more of Python, R, Perl
- Comfortable in UNIX environments
- Experience in cloud computing platforms such as AWS
- Proven experience in high performance compute clusters
- Long-read sequencing experience is a plus
Benefits
- Healthcare benefits
- 401(k) plan
- Company match
- Short-term disability coverage
- Long-term disability coverage
- Basic life insurance
- Commuter benefits
- Annual bonus
- Stock options
Company overview
Oxford Nanopore Technologies is a pioneering UK-based biotechnology company that has revolutionized DNA and RNA sequencing through its innovative nanopore technology. Founded in 2005 as a spin-out from the University of Oxford, the company has developed the world's first and only nanopore DNA/RNA sequencing platform that offers real-time analysis, scalability from portable to population-scale formats, and the ability to sequence any length of DNA fragment. Their flagship product, the MinION, is a portable DNA sequencer that can be used in diverse settings from remote field locations to advanced laboratories. The company's technology enables the analysis of native DNA or RNA without amplification, providing rich biological data with applications spanning scientific research, healthcare diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and industrial applications. Oxford Nanopore's devices are used in over 120 countries worldwide, empowering researchers to conduct genomic analyses anywhere, from the International Space Station to remote field locations. The company employs over 1,000 professionals across multiple disciplines including nanopore science, molecular biology, informatics, engineering, and manufacturing.