Senior Field Bioinformatician & Applications Scientist Full-time

Bioinformatics Field Applications Specialist – Berlin, Germany

At Illumina, we are expanding access to genomic technology to realize health equity for billions of people around the world. Our efforts enable life-changing discoveries that are transforming human health through the early detection and diagnosis of diseases and new treatment options for patients. Working at Illumina means being part of something bigger than yourself. Every person, in every role, has the opportunity to make a difference. Surrounded by extraordinary people, inspiring leaders, and world changing projects, you will do more and become more than you ever thought possible.

As a Bioinformatics Field Applications Specialist here at Illumina in Berlin, you will play a pivotal role in empowering customers across Germany to succeed with our next-generation sequencing (NGS) and informatics solutions. In this highly visible, customer-facing role, you will combine deep bioinformatics expertise with hands-on field support, guiding researchers and clinicians through the full lifecycle of NGS workflows — from experimental design and data analysis to workflow optimization and cloud-based tertiary analytics.

Working as part of our high-performing Customer Support organization, you will act as a trusted scientific advisor, providing advanced technical guidance, training, and troubleshooting. You will collaborate cross-functionally with Sales, Service, Marketing, Product Management, and R&D to accelerate adoption, shape product improvements, and ensure an exceptional customer experience at every stage.

Illumina's employee benefits are industry-leading and include flexible time off, private medical insurance, compassion and care time off, leisure travel insurance, pension, employee stock purchasing program, volunteer time off, and much more!

You bring strong expertise in bioinformatics, genomics, or NGS data analysis, paired with solid grounding in molecular biology or computational biology. You thrive at the intersection of science, technology, and customer engagement, and you're able to communicate complex concepts clearly to a range of technical and non-technical audiences.

You are comfortable in Linux environments, familiar with scripting languages, and ideally experienced with cloud computing platforms and high-performance computing pipelines. You are motivated by problem-solving and remain composed when tackling complex workflow challenges. Experience in regulated or clinical environments and knowledge of variant interpretation standards are valuable assets.

You enjoy working independently, yet excel when collaborating across functions. Flexibility to travel throughout the region (up to ~80%) enables you to build strong, trusted partnerships with customers across Germany.

Key responsibilities include:

Customer Training & Enablement

• Deliver high-quality on-site and remote training on NGS data analysis, bioinformatics tools, and workflow best practices.
• Support customer onboarding and configuration of cloud-based tertiary analysis platforms and high-performance secondary analysis tools.
• Guide researchers and clinicians through experimental design, data analysis strategies, workflow optimization, and data storage considerations.

Technical Support & Troubleshooting

• Provide advanced second-level support and escalation handling for complex bioinformatics issues.
• Independently troubleshoot customer challenges related to variant calling accuracy, workflow discrepancies, data interpretation, and cross-platform comparisons.
• Manage high-severity cases with professionalism, clarity, and calm communication.

Consulting & Professional Services

• Develop tailored analysis solutions addressing customer-specific needs and research goals.
• Advise on workflow architecture, data flow optimization, informatics integration, and best-practice implementation.
• Act as a subject matter expert for bioinformatics software, analysis methodologies, and NGS data interpretation.

Pre-Sales & Commercial Partnership

• Collaborate with Sales and Specialist teams to support evaluations, workflow discussions, and proof-of-concept projects.
• Contribute to strategic account planning, technical presentations, workshops, and customer growth initiatives.
• Provide insight into customer requirements to inform product development and continuous improvement across Illumina's informatics portfolio.