Coordinator for the German Human Genome-Phenome Archive Bavarian Data Hub

at  Technische Universitt Mnchen

WHO WE ARE

The German Human Genome-Phenome Archive (GHGA) consortium is a national secure and trustworthy network of data centers for archiving, processing, and serving human genome sequencing and other omics data for secondary use in biomedical research. It is part of the National Research Data Infrastructure (NFDI) initiative and is the German node for the federated European Genome-Phenome Archive (fEGA). The Munich-based GHGA team is hosted by the chair of Computational Molecular Medicine (CMM), which is leading the next-generation sequencing workflow and data hub development. The chair is located in the informatics department of the Technical University of Munich, one of the top-ranked European universities. The team is co-hosted by the Institute of Human Genetics at the Klinikum rechts der Isar. It has strong links to other local scientists and institutions in biology and medicine but also close connections to private cloud providers.

JOB DESCRIPTION

We are looking for an experienced IT specialist with a strong background in bioinformatics and data stewardship to oversee the implementation and management of the Bavarian Data Hub of the GHGA. As a GHGA Data Hub Coordinator, you will organize, secure, and manage the underlying IT Infrastructure as well as the genomic data within and between the GHGA data hubs. You will be responsible for overseeing and implementing the flow of data, ensuring its accuracy, integrity, and accessibility. Your primary duties will be ensuring that the genomic data is safe and secure within a cloud environment and deploying GHGA-defined microservices using Terraform and container orchestration tools. In addition, you will collaborate with various GHGA workstreams, such as Architecture, Workflows, and the ethics and legal team, to understand their data and policy needs, implement data governance policies, maintain data quality standards, and optimize data workflows. You will also work with the local data protection officers and legal and IT teams to align data protection, legal, and contractual requirements and implement an IT Security Management System (ISMS). The data hub will be deployed and run within a private cloud provider environment, enabling scalable, safe, and reproducible on-demand data processing and archiving. The successful candidate will lead the local data and cloud management team and form part of the nationwide GHGA consortium, participating in the Operations Committee meetings and decision-making processes.

REQUIREMENTS

• PhD or postdoc experience in computer science, data management, information systems, bioinformatics, or related field.
• Strong understanding of data management principles, practices, and technologies.
• Familiarity with data governance frameworks, such as GDPR, HIPAA, or similar regulations.
• Proficiency in working in a UNIX-based ecosystem (partially in systems administration and hardening).
• Experience in cloud computing infrastructure and platforms (OpenStack, AWS, Google Cloud).
• Experience with containerized package and application deployment systems (Docker, Terraform, etc.)
• Proficiency in at least one programming language (Python, Java, R, Go, …).
• Excellent English communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with cross-functional teams.

• Deploy a secure cloud environment to archive and process genomic data at scale, building on private cloud providers.
• Establish and maintain data access controls and permissions to ensure data security and confidentiality.
• Deploy and secure microservices using Terraform on a private cloud provider such as GCP or AWS.
• Coordinate data collection, storage, and dissemination processes within the data hub.
• Implement an IT Security Management System (ISMS) in collaboration with the local DPO and IT team.
• Serve as a liaison between technical and non-technical workstreams, facilitating communication and collaboration on data-related initiatives.
• Work with different workstreams to understand their data and legal requirements and ensure data is collected and stored appropriately.
• Implement and enforce data governance policies and procedures to maintain data quality, security, and GDPR compliance.
• Develop and maintain documentation related to microservices, data sources, schemas, and processes.
• Monitor the IT infrastructure and data quality and integrity, identifying and resolving issues as they arise.