Bioinformatics Scientist - Cancer Genomics R&D at Natera in Columbus
Career & Market Insight
This Bioinformatics Scientist role at Natera sits at a compelling intersection of genomics, oncology, and computational biology — a fast-growing segment of biotech. Cancer liquid biopsy and cfDNA testing are among the most commercially active areas of precision medicine, giving this role strong long-term career relevance.
Compensation vs. Market: The $101,800–$127,300 USD annual range is in line with mid-level bioinformatics scientist roles at established biotech companies. Glassdoor and Levels.fyi data suggest similar roles at genomics firms (Illumina, Foundation Medicine, Guardant Health) fall in the $110K–$140K range, so Natera's floor is slightly below market but the ceiling is competitive. Negotiation room likely exists for candidates with WGS or ML experience.
Skills You'll Build:
- Cancer genomics pipeline development (NGS, WGS, variant calling) — highly transferable to pharma and diagnostics.
- Python-based scientific computing — a universally valued skill across biotech and data science.
- ML applications in genomics — an emerging and in-demand skill set.
- Cross-functional collaboration with wet-lab scientists — rare and valued in leadership tracks.
Culture & Growth Signals: Natera describes itself as a high-performance environment where you'll "work hard and grow quickly" — a startup-leaning culture despite its public company status. The team is described as elite and mission-driven, which is a green flag for intellectual growth but may mean a demanding pace. The broad benefits package and free genetic testing signal genuine investment in employee well-being. A Master's degree preference (not requirement) keeps the role accessible.
Natera is seeking a Bioinformatics Scientist to join our Bioinformatics Research & Development team with a focus on cancer recurrence monitoring. Natera's mission is to change the management of disease worldwide with a focus on reproductive health, cancer, and organ transplantation.
The ideal candidate should have experience in sequencing data analysis, genomics, and/or algorithm development. This individual will analyze large and complex high-throughput cancer genomics datasets, assist in developing novel computational methods, and integrate frameworks developed by our R&D team.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Analyze high-throughput DNA sequencing datasets utilizing understanding of cancer biology and genomics; help implement and validate novel algorithms and statistical methods.
- Collaborate with molecular biologists and other bioinformatics scientists to answer biological questions.
- Contribute to experimental design and quality control.
- Help develop tools and end-to-end bioinformatics pipelines.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in bioinformatics, computational biology, computer science, engineering, molecular biology, or a related field; Master's degree preferred.
- Minimum of 2 years of hands-on experience doing high-throughput genomic sequencing analysis.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Experience doing NGS data analysis (e.g., mapping, variant calling, etc.).
- Strong programming skills in a scientific programming language; Python strongly preferred.
- Knowledge of genomics, with a preference for familiarity with cancer biology.
- Familiarity with public databases such as TCGA, COSMIC, or OncoKB.
- Experience with Linux command-line tools and shell scripting.
- Ability to conduct hypothesis-driven research, visualize data, and effectively communicate results.
- Ability to collaborate effectively; self-motivated and detail-oriented.
Preferred Skills:
- Background in ML and statistics.
- Experience with WGS (Whole Genome Sequencing).
The pay range is listed and actual compensation packages are based on a wide array of factors unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, years & depth of experience, certifications, and specific office location. This may differ in other locations due to cost of labor considerations.
Location: Remote USA
Salary: $101,800 — $127,300 USD
Our Opportunity
Natera™ is a global leader in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) testing, dedicated to oncology, women's health, and organ health. Our aim is to make personalized genetic testing and diagnostics part of the standard of care to protect health and enable earlier and more targeted interventions that lead to longer, healthier lives.
The Natera team consists of highly dedicated statisticians, geneticists, doctors, laboratory scientists, business professionals, software engineers, and many other professionals from world-class institutions who care deeply for our work and each other. When you join Natera, you'll work hard and grow quickly. Working alongside the elite of the industry, you'll be stretched and challenged, and take pride in being part of a company that is changing the landscape of genetic disease management.
What We Offer
Competitive Benefits — Employee benefits include comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life, and disability plans for eligible employees and their dependents. Additionally, Natera employees and their immediate families receive free testing in addition to fertility care benefits. Other benefits include pregnancy and baby bonding leave, 401k benefits, commuter benefits, and much more. We also offer a generous employee referral program!
For more information, visit www.natera.com.
Natera is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to ensuring a diverse and inclusive workplace environment, and welcome people of different backgrounds, experiences, abilities, and perspectives. Inclusive collaboration benefits our employees, our community, and our patients, and is critical to our mission of changing the management of disease worldwide.
All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply, and will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, age, veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with applicable laws.
If you are based in California, we encourage you to read this important information for California residents.
Link: https://www.natera.com/notice-of-data-collection-california-residents/
Please be advised that Natera will reach out to candidates with a @natera.com email domain ONLY. Email communications from all other domain names are not from Natera or its employees and are fraudulent. Natera does not request interviews via text messages and does not ask for personal information until a candidate has engaged with the company and has spoken to a recruiter and the hiring team. Natera takes cyber crimes seriously, and will collaborate with law enforcement authorities to prosecute any related cyber crimes.
For more information:
- BBB announcement on job scams
- FBI Cyber Crime resource page
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this Bioinformatics Scientist role fully remote?
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What programming languages are required for this position?
Is a Master's degree required to apply?
What kind of genomics experience does Natera look for?
