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Variant Scientist

Tempus AI · IL · Remote available · $85,000–$100,000 a year · Full time

Posted Sep 28, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a time you caught an error during quality control of a report.

What they are checking: Whether they take QC seriously and know how small mistakes in clinical reports affect patient care.

Describe a time you suggested a change that improved an assay workflow or curation process.

What they are checking: Whether they look beyond their own cases to make the process better, as the posting asks.

How do you keep accuracy high when reporting volume is heavy?

What they are checking: Whether they have habits that protect quality under throughput pressure in a clinical lab.

What would you do

You find a new paper that would change the classification of a variant already reported to patients. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they understand reclassification processes and the duty to patients when evidence changes.

The team works Tuesday to Saturday or Sunday to Thursday. How does that schedule fit your life?

What they are checking: Whether they have honestly considered the weekend schedule, which is a fixed part of this role.

You and a colleague disagree on a variant's classification. How do you resolve it?

What they are checking: Whether they settle disagreements with evidence and escalation paths rather than seniority or stubbornness.

About the work

Walk me through how you would classify a germline missense variant using ACMG/AMP criteria.

What they are checking: Whether they apply evidence criteria carefully and can explain why each code applies or does not.

How is somatic variant interpretation different from germline interpretation in a tumor report?

What they are checking: Whether they understand tiering by clinical actionability versus pathogenicity, which both appear in this work.

What special challenges come with interpreting variants from a liquid biopsy compared with a tissue panel?

What they are checking: Whether they know about low allele fractions, clonal hematopoiesis and when a finding might be germline.

How do you summarize a complex result so an oncologist can act on it in under a minute?

What they are checking: Whether they write clear, precise clinical summaries rather than literature dumps.

How do you decide which literature is strong enough to support a curation?

What they are checking: Whether they can judge study quality, functional evidence and case counts rather than citing anything published.

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The full job description

As published by Tempus AI.

Passionate about precision medicine and advancing the healthcare industry? Recent advancements in underlying technology have finally made it possible for AI to impact clinical care in a meaningful way. Tempus' proprietary platform connects an entire ecosystem of real-world evidence to deliver real-time, actionable insights to physicians, providing critical information about the right treatments for the right patients, at the right time. We are looking for a Variant Scientist who will work with our Clinical Teams on patient molecular reports for clinical utility. Please note: The Variant Science team works either Tuesday-Saturday or Sunday-Thursday. Responsibilities Include: • Accurately classify somatic and germline variants for liquid biopsy, panel tests, and whole exome NGS sequencing • Utilize a variety of in-house software tools to analyze clinical molecular data • Read and interpret scientific literature and curate relevant findings in a clear, concise, and precise manner • Summarize somatic and inherited genetic test results to generate high quality clinical reports • Perform critical quality control functions for molecular reports that complies with quality management programs and standard operating procedures • Support improvements for current assays and processes • Curate variants, genes, and diseases for scientific and clinical relevance • May train junior team members Preferred Qualifications: • MS or PhD degree in Cancer Genetics, Human Genetics, or Biological Sciences • Prior experience in a diagnostic laboratory, clinical report writing, and familiarity with human mutation databases, genome browsers, and HGVS nomenclature is preferred. Oncology experience strongly preferred • Must have utmost attention to detail, excellent communication, and writing skills • Ability to accurately follow formal documentation and protocols • Ability to work in both an individual and group setting. Must be flexible and able to adjust priorities according to workload or management needs. Illinois Pay Range: $85,000-100,000 CA/NY Pay Range: $85,000-100,000 The expected salary range may vary for other locations. Actual salary may vary based on qualifications and experience. Tempus offers a full range of benefits, which may include incentive compensation, restricted stock units, medical and other benefits depending on the position. We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

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