Your role
Have you got what it takes to succeed The following information should be read carefully by all candidates.
This is an exciting opportunity to make a significant contribution by delivering data portals for several world leading projects tackling global sustainability and biodiversity challenges including:
Ancient Environmental Genomic Initiative for Sustainability
Functional Annotation of Animal Genomes (FAANG)
European Reference Genome Atlas
TRansversing European Coastlines
You will be responsible for support and development of software to handle data curation, coordination, validation, distribution and visualisation of agriculture, aquaculture and biodiversity data. You will work with large scientific communities to define and implement metadata standards, develop software to validate and improve data descriptions and develop, build new project specific portals, and extend existing web data portals to meet the specific needs of each consortium.
The data portals will include Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and bespoke data visualisation and presentation solutions. You will also contribute to our growing "question in ? insight out" initiative, exposing consortium data through MCP servers and agent-based interfaces so that researchers can ask scientific questions in natural language and get back analysis, not just download links. You will also support efforts for the development of standardised containerised workflows and cloud platform integration.
As part of this team, you will have many opportunities to engage with data generators, project users, and collaborators, to which you will provide guidance and support on utilisation of the team's software and support users to provide rich metadata descriptions.
You will work with a range of data archives at EMBL-EBI, including the ENA and BioSamples, to support each project and community in sharing and gaining access to well described, high quality sample and genomic data.
You have
A BSc or MSc in computer science or related fields
Expertise in Python, including popular Python libraries: NumPy, Pandas, PySpark and frameworks: Django, Django Rest Framework, FastAPI
Hands-on experience with both relational (e.g. PostgreSQL) and non-relational databases (e.g. Elasticsearch, Redis)
Extensive experience in data warehousing architecture, big data processing and ETL
Demonstrable expertise in Unix/Linux environments
Experience with GIT and working in collaborative software environments
Willingness to learn new skills as required by the project
A self-motivated work ethic and be capable of working both independently and as part of a team
Excellent communication, interpersonal and English language skills
You may also have
Experience developing or maintaining web-based applications (html, css, Javascript frameworks such as Angular, React)
Cloud (GCP or AWS) and popular cloud Big Data tools - BigQuery, Dataflow, Looker
Hands on containerisation experience (Docker or similar) and orchestration (e.g. with kubernetes)
Experience processing of biological archive data
Tests and CI/CD
Curiosity or experience with LLM APIs, agent frameworks, MCP, or retrieval-augmented systems - we are actively building in this space and welcome enthusiasm here even without prior production experience
Contract length: 2 years grant funded fixed term contract.
Salary: Grade 6 - monthly salary from £3,695.61 after tax plus generous benefits (excluding pension and insurance contributions).
Next Steps: The scheduled closing date is 10th June and we welcome your application as soon as possible.
Why join us
Do something meaningful
At EMBL-EBI you can apply your talent and passion to accelerate science and tackle some of humankind's greatest challenges. EMBL-EBI, part of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, is a worldwide leader in the storage, analysis and dissemination of large biological datasets. We provide the global research community with access to publicly available databases and tools which are crucial for the advancement of healthcare, food security, and biodiversity.
Join a culture of innovation
We are located on the Wellcome Genome Campus, alongside other prominent research and biotech organisations, and surrounded by beautiful Cambridgeshire countryside. This is a highly collaborative and inclusive community where our employees enjoy a relaxed atmosphere. We are committed to ensuring our employees feel valued, supported and empowered to reach their professional potential. Watch this video to see how EMBL-EBI makes an impact.
Apply now! Benefits and Contract Information
Financial incentives: depending on circumstances, monthly family/marriage allowance of £278 monthly child allowance of £336 per child. Non resident allowance up to £569 per month. Annual salary review, pension scheme, death benefit, long-term care, accident-at-work and unemployment insurances
Hybrid working arrangements
Private medical insurance for you and your immediate family (including all prescriptions and generous dental & optical cover)
Generous time off : 30 days annual leave per year, in addition to eight bank holidays
Relocation package including installation grant (as applicable)
Campus life: Free shuttle bus to and from work, on-site library, subsidised on-site gym and cafeteria, casual dress code, extensive sports and social club activities (on campus and remotely)
Family benefits: On-site nursery, child sick leave, generous parental leave, holiday clubs on campus and monthly family and child allowances
Contract duration: This position is a 2 year grant funded contract
Salary: Monthly salary starting at £3,695.61 after tax (but excl. pension & insurances) + benefits (Total package will be dependent on family circumstances)
International applicants: We recruit internationally and successful candidates are offered visa exemptions. Read more on our page for international applicants.
Diversity and inclusion: At EMBL-EBI, we strongly believe that inclusive and diverse teams benefit from higher levels of innovation and creative thought. We encourage applications from women, LGBTQ+ and individuals from all nationalities. xsngvjr
Job location: This role is based in Hinxton, near Cambridge, UK. You will be required to relocate if you are based overseas and you will receive a generous relocation package to support you.
How to apply: To apply please submit a cover letter and a CV through our online system before the closing date.