Job Title

About OICR OICR is Ontario''s cancer research institute. We bring together people from across the province and around the world to improve the lives of everyone affected by cancer. We take on the biggest challenges in cancer research and deliver real-world solutions to find cancer earlier and treat it more effectively. We are committed to helping people living with cancer, as well as future generations, live longer and healthier lives. Launched in December 2005, OICR is an independent institute funded by the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security. Position Details Position: Senior Bioinformatician Location: MaRS Centre, Toronto Department: Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH) Reports To: Executive Lead Hiring Range: $111,000 - $123,500, commensurate with experience; total compensation includes a competitive benefits plan, plus a defined benefit pension plan (HOOPP) Hours: 35 hours/week Job Type: Hybrid Status: Full-time, Permanent Position Summary The Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) is looking to fill an existing vacancy for a Senior Bioinformatician to join theGlobal Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH) program. The Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH), an international consortium based at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR), is looking for a Lead Bioinformatician to join the GA4GH Tech Team at OICR and help build, evolve, and operate standards-based software that enables secure, interoperable genomic and health data sharing and analysis across institutions and cloud environments. You will provide technical leadership and hands-on delivery across GA4GH-aligned data/software products, including workflow and pipeline development, API-driven services, reference implementations, and operational support. The role blends bioinformatics, modern software engineering, and collaborative standards work with an emphasis on reliability, scalability, and excellent documentation and communication. This position is permanent, full-time. Position Responsibilities Technical leadership and delivery Lead the design, development, testing, and maintenance of production-grade bioinformatics software and services that support GA4GH technical initiatives and community adoption. Architect and implement pipelines/workflows for genomic and other ''omics analyses, including automation of data processing and quality control. Build and maintain data services and APIs to enable flexible, standards-based access to genomic/biomedical data (e.g., RESTful APIs and related web service patterns). Develop and maintain project databases and data models; ensure data consistency, lineage, and fitness-for-use across projects and releases. Apply advanced analytical/statistical approaches as needed to transform raw sequencing or multi-omic data into information useful for researchers and clinicians. Operational excellence Contribute to the planning and execution of releases, deployments, and upgrades; ensure smooth operations across environments (cloud and/or on-prem). Improve team practices around coding standards, testing, CI/CD, containerization, and reproducibility; champion best practices across the team. Provide second-/third-level support for technical issues, operational incidents, and stakeholder queries; troubleshoot complex systems across tooling, infrastructure, and data. Collaboration, mentorship, and communication Work closely with GA4GH colleagues, OICR teams, and external partners to deliver shared objectives and solve informatics problems collaboratively. Mentor junior team members; support onboarding and knowledge sharing through technical discussions, documentation, and code reviews. Communicate clearly with technical and non-technical stakeholders; contribute to presentations, reports, and (where applicable) publications. Represent the team in community or scientific forums as needed (e.g., GA4GH working meetings, partner presentations, conferences). Quality, security, and stewardship Practice strong data management to ensure data is handled efficiently, securely, and without loss or corruption across its lifecycle. Follow and promote OICR safety and policy requirements; model responsible research and computing practices. Position Requirements Master''s degree in bioinformatics, computer science, genomics, or a related discipline, or a recognized equivalent. Advanced related experience delivering bioinformatics and/or data-intensive software solutions, including independent ownership of complex deliverables. Strong programming ability (commonly: Python, plus one or more of SQL/R/Java/others), with experience in Linux environments and professional software development practices. Experience building or operating workflow/pipeline systems (e.g., Nextflow, WDL, or similar) and working with standard bioinformatics tooling and formats. Experience with containers and reproducible computing (e.g., Docker/Singularity and related practices). Experience with collaborative development workflows (Git/GitHub, code review, issue tracking) and producing high-quality documentation. Ability to lead complex work, set technical direction, and mentor others while remaining hands-on in implementation. Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical concepts to diverse audiences. Familiar with deploying and supporting systems across cloud platforms (e.g., GCP/AWS/Azure) and/or Kubernetes-based environments. Familiar with designing and implementing web services/APIs for genomic or biomedical data exchange, including interoperability and standards-oriented development. Demonstrate interest in federated or privacy-preserving data analysis and cross-institution collaboration. Comfortable operating in an agile, collaborative environment; able to manage priorities across multiple projects with competing timelines. Proactive, self-organizing, and improvement-orientedidentifies opportunities to strengthen systems, processes, and team effectiveness. Formal line management may not be required; but this role is expected to provide technical leadership. For more information about OICR, please visit the website at To learn more about working at OICR, visit our career page. POSTED DATE: January 28, 2026 CLOSING DATE: Until Filled OICR is committed to fostering a climate of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. This commitment is central to, and mutually supportive of, our research excellence mandate. We welcome and respect the diversity of all members of our community and we support an inclusive culture for all. We welcome all applicants, and encourage applications from racialized persons, Indigenous Peoples, women, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S persons, and others who may contribute to furthering a diversity of ideas within our community. OICR is committed to fair assessment of a candidate''s abilities, and consideration for diversity of thought, method, and experience. Providing an accessible workplace and recruitment process is important to us, as described in our Accessibility Plan ). Should you require accommodation during any stage in the recruitment process, please complete the form at the bottom of page Information received related to accommodation will be handled confidentially. OICR hiring managers may use approved Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to assist with an initial screening or assessment of applications, and selection of applicants in accordance with OICR''s privacy policies. Personal information associated with any job application will not be shared with or retained by any third party for the purpose of training an AI model. Hiring managers shall determine which applications proceed through the recruitment process. Resume Format:If you elect to apply, please click on the ''Apply for this Job'' button. You will be required to enter contact details, and to attach your resume to your application.Please attach your resume as a .pdf or .doc file. The Ontario Institute for Cancer Research thanks all applicants. However, only those under consideration will be contacted. Location MaRS Centre, Toronto , Ontario (Hybrid) Department Global Alliance for Genomics and Health Employment Type Permanent Compensation $111,000 - $123,500 per annum