Staff Bioinformatics Engineer, Clinical Applications
Helix
Summary
You'll bridge the gap between genomic variants and the clinical answers that help patients act on their DNA. You'll partner with scientists and product leaders to turn promising prototypes into production systems that scale. Your code will power how Helix automates gene and variant curation for real patients.
Job description
What is special about this role?
You'll bridge the gap between genomic variants and the clinical answers that help patients act on their DNA. You'll partner with scientists and product leaders to turn promising prototypes into production systems that scale. Your code will power how Helix automates gene and variant curation for real patients.
We have openings for both Senior and Staff level Engineers. You may apply at either level, and we'll consider your experience, qualifications and demonstrated scope when determining the right level.
As a Senior/Staff Bioinformatics Engineer, Clinical Applications, you will:
- Productionize curation workflows that support both classical and modern AI/ML approaches to variant classification.
- Automate evidence integration from sources such as ClinVar, gnomAD, and PubMed.
- Collaborate closely with scientists, product, and clinical stakeholders to ensure software solutions meet scientific and product requirements.
- Direct AI coding agents to accelerate development of curation pipelines, applying engineering judgment to validate correctness, security, and architectural fit before deployment.
- At Senior level, own defined projects end to end, make technical decisions within agreed priorities and architecture, and raise trade-offs that affect broader systems.
- At Staff level, independently frame ambiguous problems, set technical direction, and make consequential architecture and prioritisation decisions across the product area.
About you:
- Bachelor's degree in Science or related field with 7+ years (Senior) or 9+ years (Staff) of professional software development experience. Or, a Master's or Ph.D. with 3+ years (Senior) or 5+ years (Staff) of professional software development experience.
- Advanced proficiency in production-quality Python, relational databases, and cloud platforms such as AWS.
- Experience productionizing and scaling AI/ML software, especially agentic systems built with frameworks such as LangChain or LangGraph.
- Experience collaborating with scientists to integrate bioinformatics/NGS tools and databases into production workflows.
- Strong judgment evaluating AI-generated code and pipeline logic for correctness, security, and maintainability before it reaches production.
Pluses:
- Experience in clinical genomics, such as ACMG guidelines, clinical diagnostics, or Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) terms.
- Experience developing regulated software, such as software as a medical device.
- At Staff level, the role may have the opportunity to take on people leadership responsibilities. Experience mentoring or managing others, or an interest in developing as a people leader, is a plus.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Science or related field with 7+ years (Senior) or 9+ years (Staff) of professional software development experience, or Master's/Ph.D. with 3+ years (Senior) or 5+ years (Staff) of professional software development experience
- Advanced proficiency in production-quality Python
- Advanced proficiency in relational databases
- Advanced proficiency in cloud platforms such as AWS
- Experience productionizing and scaling AI/ML software, especially agentic systems built with frameworks such as LangChain or LangGraph
- Experience collaborating with scientists to integrate bioinformatics/NGS tools and databases into production workflows
- Strong judgment evaluating AI-generated code and pipeline logic for correctness, security, and maintainability before it reaches production
Benefits
- Comprehensive Health Insurance
- Paid Parental Leave
- 401(k) Matching
- Flexible PTO
- Home Office Stipend
- Equity
- Well-Being Benefits
Company overview
Helix is a leading consumer genomics company that operates a population genomics platform focused on empowering individuals with personalized genetic insights. Founded with the mission to make DNA sequencing more accessible and actionable, Helix has established itself as a pioneer in the direct-to-consumer genomics space. The company operates a CLIA-certified and CAP-accredited laboratory where it performs whole exome sequencing, providing comprehensive genetic data that can be used for various health and wellness applications. Helix partners with multiple third-party applications and services that offer personalized reports on ancestry, health risks, carrier status, wellness traits, and pharmacogenomics. The company's unique business model involves sequencing a customer's DNA once and then allowing them to access multiple genetic insights through various partner applications over time. Helix has played a significant role in advancing population genomics research through partnerships with academic institutions and healthcare organizations, contributing to large-scale genomic studies aimed at understanding genetic variations and their implications for human health. The company emphasizes data privacy and security, giving customers control over their genetic information while providing educational resources to help them understand their genetic results.