Staff Associate II in the Department of Biological Sciences Full-time NEW

The Department of Biological Sciences at Columbia University in the City of New York invites applications for a Staff Associate II.   The successful candidate will lead and contribute to projects aimed at advancing and sustaining X3DNA-DSSR, an NIH-funded (R24GM153869) NIGMS National Resource for structural bioinformatics. Under the supervision of the PI, the SAII’s responsibilities include:

·         Modernizing and maintaining the 3DNA/DSSR software suite and web interfaces.

·         Enhancing software usability, comprehensive documentation, and research reproducibility.

·         Engaging with and supporting an active global user community.

·         Developing automated pipelines and performing sophisticated structural data analysis.

·         Collaborating with experimental and computational researchers to drive scientific discovery.

 Specific Duties:

1.      30% – Structural Data Analysis: Perform community-driven analysis and standardization of macromolecular structures (PDBx/mmCIF) to validate new DSSR features and contribute to peer-reviewed publications.

2.      25% – User Community Engagement: Lead the development of technical documentation, tutorials, and instructional videos while providing direct technical support to the global X3DNA-DSSR user base.

3.      20% – Software Engineering: Maintain and optimize the core DSSR engine and backend infrastructure, including the management of relational databases and the REST API to ensure reliable resource access.

4.      15% – Develop New Code to Automate Algorithm Deployment: Write and deploy automation scripts to streamline high-throughput data processing and ensure stable software deployment across macOS and Linux environments.

5.      10% – Interpreting and Visualizing Research Results: Maintain and provide minor updates to existing web-based visualization tools for 1D, 2D, and 3D nucleic acid representations to ensure continued compatibility for users.

Application materials received by April 15, 2026 will receive full consideration. Application screening will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

Bachelor’s in computational biology, bioinformatics, computer science, or a related field. 

Candidates also need the following experience and skills:

·         Strong programming skills (Python/Ruby/bash, R, Java, C/C++ etc.)

·         Experience working in Linux/Unix/macOS environments

·         Familiarity with version control systems (e.g., Git)

·         Interest in scientific software development and community engagement

All applications must be made through Columbia University’s Academic Search and Recruiting (ASR) system. Please upload the following required material: curriculum vitae.