Director, Molecular Core & Genomics Laboratory at Aga Khan University (AKU)

Responsibilities

• Establish and grow the NGS Molecular Genomics Laboratory as a leading academic research facility.
• Develop and implement the lab’s scientific and operational roadmap.
• Foster interdisciplinary collaborations across AKU and with external partners.
• Build a business model to achieve financial sustainability within three years of operations.
• Lead efforts toward achieving Certified Analytics Professional (CAP) certification within three years.
• In collaboration with Lab Manager, Department of Pathology oversee the day-to-day operations, including inventory management, staffing, equipment management, budgets    sequencing workflows, quality assurance, and data analysis.
• Lead NGS development and validation to support diverse research needs.
• Design and lead independent and collaborative molecular genomics research projects.
• Develop and secure competitive grant funding from national and international agencies.
• Contribute to graduate-level teaching in genomics, bioinformatics, and molecular biology.
• Oversee development of bioinformatics pipelines for data analysis and interpretation.
• Develop and execute a marketing strategy to increase awareness and utilization of the lab’s services among hospitals, oncology networks, academic institutions, and private partners.
• Cultivate relationships with clinicians, researchers, donors, and biotech companies to expand the client and collaborator base.
• Engage with ministries of health, NGOs, and funders to position the lab as a regional referral and training hub.

Requirements

• PhD in Genomics, Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics, Genetics or a related discipline.
• At least five (5) years’ postdoctoral experience with demonstrated leadership in NGS-based research.
• Minimum 5 years managing a molecular or genomics laboratory.
• Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals.
• Successful track record in securing external research funding (e.g., NIH, Wellcome Trust, ERC).
• Experience teaching and mentoring at graduate and postgraduate levels.
• Proven ability to manage laboratory operations in an academic or research setting.
• Experience supervising multidisciplinary teams and collaborative research projects.
• Expertise in NGS technologies, including library preparation protocols.
• Proficiency with Illumina, Thermo Fisher, Oxford Nanopore and other NGS platforms.
• Strong bioinformatics expertise in workflow management and data interpretation.