Temporary substitute Bioinformatician at the UPSC Bioinformatics Platform

Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology

The Department of forest genetics and plant physiology is part of Umeå Plant Science Centre (UPSC, https://www.upsc.se/) which is a centre of excellence for experimental plant research and forest biotechnology in Northern Sweden. Our mission is to perform excellent and innovative basic research and generate knowledge that benefits forestry, agriculture, environment and society. We work across a wide range of disciplines in plant science reaching from cell biology to ecophysiology and from basic research to industrial applications. Our common goal is to understand the plants’ ability to grow, adapt and acclimate to a changing world and how we can breed better plants.

About the position

The Umeå Plant Science Centre (UPSC) is a world-leading research center in plant physiology and forest genetics. Its research activities generate large volumes of data that require bioinformatics resources and software for analysis. UPSC is a collaboration between the Department of Plant Physiology at Umeå University and the Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). Within SLU, a university-wide infrastructure currently provides bioinformatics support: the SLU Bioinformatics Infrastructure (SLUBI). As SLUBI will be phased out by the end of 2026, a bioinformatics position is being established within the UPSC Bioinformatics Platform (UPSCb). UPSCb is part of the broader bioinformatics environment in Umeå, most of which is co-located with UPSC, comprising more than thirty professionals working for both local and national organizations (for example, SciLifeLab NBIS).

In your role within the UPSC Bioinformatics Platform (UPSCb), you will provide bioinformatics support and services to research groups and participate in a variety of projects. The position involves managing several projects simultaneously. Projects are typically short-term, lasting a few months, and often require close collaboration with biologists. To ensure that data analyses carried out within the platform maintain a high standard, you will participate in bioinformatics seminars every other week and take part in the platform's study sessions once a week. The platform supports participation in courses and workshops for professional development and is also involved in delivering such training at both local and national levels. You can expect to work on short, challenging projects in a supportive and dynamic work environment and, over time, take responsibility for the analysis of multiple research projects.

Your profile

We are looking for candidates who hold a PhD in computational biology, bioinformatics, or a related field. You should be highly familiar with Unix/Linux and at least one programming language such as Python, R, C, or C++. Strong collaboration skills and excellent English proficiency are required. UPSC is an international environment, and the position requires a strong ability to interact with biologists, who make up the primary user group of the UPSC Bioinformatics Platform (UPSCb). UPSCb also provides user support, in some cases over extended periods and for more comprehensive projects. Therefore, previous experience in supervision, mentoring, or teaching is considered an advantage. As you will be an important member of the UPSC Bioinformatics Platform, a small unit consisting of five employees, you must demonstrate a strong ability to independently organize, manage, and report your work.

You will work alongside other experts within the platform and the broader bioinformatics community, who are often highly specialized in specific technologies such as RNA-Seq, metagenomics, or epigenetics. Therefore, experience in processing and integrating multi-omics data (for example genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) is considered meritorious. Population-related projects are also common, making experience with whole-genome studies and eQTL mapping an additional advantage.

About us

UPSC belongs to two universities, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Umeå University. About 200 people from more than 40 different nationalities work here. We host some 30 principal investigators, and our researchers have access to state-of-the-art analytical platforms, unique tree germplasm resources and plant growth facilities. We strive for a collaborative work environment and support our scientists throughout all career stages by providing professional training opportunities and individual career mentoring.

Read more about our benefits and working at SLU by visiting: https://www.slu.se/en/about-slu/work-at-slu/

Location:

Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, SLU, Umeå.

Form of employment:

Temporary substitute employment 12 months

Scope:

100%

Start date:

As agreed.

Application:

Please submit your application before deadline 01 September 2026. You can submit your application by clicking the button below.

Union representatives:

https://internt.slu.se/en/my-employment/employee-associations/kontaktpersoner-vid-rekrytering/

The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) has a key role in the development for sustainable life, based on science and education. Through our focus on the interaction between humans, animals and ecosystems and the responsible use of natural resources, we contribute to sustainable societal development and good living conditions on our planet. Our main campuses are located in Alnarp, Umeå and Uppsala, however, the university also operates at research stations, experimental forests and teaching sites throughout Sweden. SLU has around 4,000 employees, 6,000 students and doctoral students and a turnover of over SEK 4,5 billion. We are investing in attractive environments on all of our campuses. We strive to provide a work environment characterised by inclusivity and gender equality, where different experiences generate conversations between people and pave the way for science, creativity and development. Therefore, we welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives.