DESCRIPTION:
The position is in the Center of Excellence for Agricultural Biosolutions (CEAB) at RTP (Research Triangle Park), North Carolina, which is part of the Agricultural Biosolutions Group. CEAB is developing innovative biosolutions to improve plant growth, development, and disease resistance. The successful individual will be using advanced bioinformatics approaches to study plant-beneficial microorganisms, and to translate key findings into predictive high throughput screening assays for strain discovery and characterization. The candidate will work closely with the senior scientists in an experienced global R&D team, and be responsible to set up the computational infrastructure to analyze and interpret complex genomic and metagenomic data sets generated by next-generation sequencing and other cutting edge technologies. The candidate will provide a broad range of bioinformatics support to the group, ranging from phylogenetic identification of individual microorganisms, comparative genomics to elucidate mechanisms relevant to microbial interactions with their plant host, predictive metabolomics, safety analysis of strains for large scale production, and metagenomics in support of developing smart microbial isolation strategies. The candidate will also use bioinformatics tools to develop rapid PCR based screening tests for genotypic screening of microorganisms, and provide statistical support to data analysis of greenhouse experiments. The individual in this position is expected to display a positive attitude and good interpersonal skills with all departments and co-workers. Excellent verbal and written communication skills will be essential as the candidate will is expected to prepare scientific reports and presentations. The candidate will maintain a safe work place consistent with departmental and FMC policies.

FMC Corporation is committed to providing employees with ample opportunities to contribute, lead and be recognized as innovators, to look beyond barriers to provide solutions, to be challenged in what they do and to love doing it. FMC is an S&P 500, diversified chemical company serving agricultural, industrial and consumer markets globally for more than a century. As a global leader utilizing advanced technologies and customer-focused research and development, FMC provides innovative and cost-effective solutions to food, agriculture, pharmaceutical, specialty and related industries.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Set up a cutting edge infrastructure for computational biology within a global R&D collaboration
• Take a lead role in our research collaborations to analyze genome sequencing data in order to identify mechanisms of interactions between plant associated microorganisms and their plant host
• Perform next generation sequencing downstream analysis, comparative genomics and visualization for individual microorganisms and metagenome data sets
• Develop PCR-based screening tests for phenotypic characterization
• Research, development and evaluation of novel high performance computational approaches for next generation sequencing analysis
• Evaluating and integrating state of the art community-developed bioinformatics tools
• Planning and execution of experiments
• Documentation of experiments in an (electronic) laboratory notebook
• Prompt communication of results and analyses to partners and/or management
• Planning and organization of activities within assigned responsibilities
• Execution of tasks within agreed-upon timelines
• Compliance with all site-wide safety regulations

REQUIREMENTS:
Required Education:

• Ph.D. Bioinformatics required

Qualifications:

• Two + years postdoctoral experience in computational biology or bioinformatics
• Knowledge of core bioinformatics tools and databases
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills will be essential
• Previous experience with Next Generation Sequencing data analysis and visualization, including comparative genomics and metagenomics, is required
• Experience with UNIX/LINUX and scripting languages, such as Perl or Python
• Knowledge of statistical/mathematical packages such as R, SAS, S+
• Experience in performing microbial laboratory experiments, especially with strain isolation and purification, and basic molecular techniques, including DNA extraction from prokaryotes and eukaryotes, PCR and gel electrophoresis is desirable
• Capable of self-directed research within broader goals set by the group

LOCALE:
Research Triangle Park (RTP), NC - 27709

COMPENSATION:
FMC employees enjoy competitive compensation, a menu of work/life benefits and opportunities to continue developing their skills and building their career.

ABOUT US:
FMC employs people across a broad range of occupations in locations across the world where we use advanced technologies in research and development, mining, and manufacturing to produce customized products and applications. Our offerings provide important sustainable benefits, including increased agricultural production, better foods and medicines, advanced energy storage, and cleaner water, air and soil.

HOW TO APPLY:
If you are ready to make a difference every day, FMC is ready to talk to you.

Apply online at: https://jobs-fmc.icims.com/jobs/6496/bioinformatics-scientist/job

POLICY:
FMC is an Equal Opportunity Employer, EEO, AAE, MFDV and supports a drug-free workplace.