Director of Science

<p><strong>About MyHeritage</strong></p> <p>MyHeritage is a global leader in family history and consumer DNA testing, enriching the lives of millions worldwide by enabling them to uncover more about themselves and where they belong. With a suite of intuitive products, billions of historical records, an affordable at-home DNA test, and AI-powered photo tools, MyHeritage creates a meaningful discovery experience that is deeply rewarding.</p> <p><strong>Position Overview</strong></p> <p>We are looking for a <strong>Director of Science</strong> to guide MyHeritage’s scientific research and development in genetics. This role is central to building innovative algorithms, driving rigorous data analysis, and advancing the scientific methodologies that power our DNA products - including ethnicity estimation, relationship inference, local ancestry, and more.&nbsp;</p> <p>The ideal candidate combines deep scientific expertise in population and statistical genetics with strong leadership and a proven ability to execute in a dynamic, consumer-facing environment.</p> <p>Your work will directly impact millions of users worldwide, helping them discover their ancestry and connect with family through science. You’ll apply cutting-edge methods to analyze millions of DNA samples and family trees, leveraging one of the largest consumer genetics datasets in the world.</p> <p><strong>Key Responsibilities</strong></p> <ul> <li><strong>Scientific leadership: </strong>Define and execute the scientific roadmap aligned with company goals.</li> <li><strong>Team leadership:</strong> Manage and mentor a team of senior scientists and data scientists. Provide technical direction, support professional growth, and foster a culture of scientific excellence.</li> <li><strong>Algorithmic research:</strong> Lead the design, development and optimization of scalable, production-ready algorithms and pipelines including ancestry inference, relationship classifiers, imputation and phasing of genetic data and additional models to support genetic genealogy.</li> <li><strong>Collaboration and communication:</strong> Work closely with engineering, product, and data teams to translate research outcomes into user-facing features and tools. Clearly communicate scientific concepts and progress internally and externally.</li> </ul> <p><strong>The ideal candidate will have:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Strong, hands-on experience in human population genetics and analysis of genotyping and/or sequencing data is essential. We are specifically looking for candidates with a demonstrated track record in this domain.</li> <li>Ph.D. in Genetics, Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, or a related quantitative field.</li> <li>Experience with population genetics and analysis of genotyping or sequencing data.&nbsp;</li> <li>5+ years of experience in scientific research, including 3+ years in a leadership role.</li> <li>Strong background in: <ol> <li>Analysis of genotyping or sequencing data</li> <li>Genomic data pipelines and bioinformatics tools.</li> <li>Machine learning or statistical modeling applied to biological data</li> </ol> </li> <li>Experience working with large-scale genomic datasets.</li> <li>Proficiency in Python and familiarity with production-scale computational pipelines. Familiarity with tools such as Snakemake, Airflow, or other pipeline managers is an advantage.</li> <li>Excellent written and verbal communication skills.</li> <li>Demonstrated ability to lead projects and collaborate effectively across disciplines.</li> <li>Experience with AWS is an advantage.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Why Join Us?</strong></p> <ul> <li>Join a purpose-driven company helping people discover their heritage through the power of science.</li> <li>Be part of a collaborative, international team driven by innovation and scientific discovery.</li> <li>Enjoy a hybrid work environment with flexibility and autonomy.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Additional Information</strong></p> <ul> <li>This role involves remote management of an Israel-based team.</li> <li>The position includes occasional travel to Israel, as needed.</li> </ul> <p style="text-align: left;"><br></p> <p><span style="color: #ffffff;">#LI-Hybrid</span></p>