Software developer - genomics

About this position

We are seeking an experienced and motivated full-stack software developer to work on cutting-edge genome resources at the EMBL European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI).

Model organisms (such as mice, rats, zebrafish, flies, worms and yeast) are studied extensively by scientists around the world to reveal fundamental insights into biology.  The Alliance of Genome Resources (AGR, www.alliancegenome.org) is a major new initiative and platform of database infrastructure, tools, APIs and displays to facilitate the use of model organism genomes for the understanding human biology, health and disease.

AGR is a large consortium of scientists and developers spread across more than ten institutions in Europe and North America. The AGR team at EMBL-EBI is embedded within a cluster of teams and projects that develop widely used resources for genomics applications, with a culture of collaborative development and shared code, pipelines and processes. This an outstanding opportunity to work on a dynamic and high-impact international project, using cutting-edge technologies in an Agile software development environment.

Your role

You will work on the next exciting phase of development of software and infrastructure for the AGR platform. The evolving technology stack is completely cloud-native (AWS), and deploys a number of back-end and front-end technologies, including Java, Python, JavaScript (React), Neo4J and Elasticsearch.  We also use modern software development and devops tools and practices (GoCD, Kubernetes, Github, Jira), and practise an Agile software development philosophy (Scrum).

Your role will involve communication with a variety of different stakeholders, from bench biologists to DevOps engineers. Since the project and stack is new, there is a real opportunity for you to propose, create and implement new solutions in a highly collaborative environment unhindered by technical debt or legacy code.

You have

You are an experienced developer who is well-versed in creating robust, well-designed and well-documented code and processes. You should be comfortable switching between different programming languages and database technologies, and be willing and eager to learn and adapt to new technologies as the project matures. You should also be able to meet deadlines and take responsibility for delivering timely software and data releases. Specifically, you should have:

• A degree in computer science, bioinformatics or another numerate subject
• At least two years’ experience working as a full-time software developer
• Proficiency in at least two programming languages - must include Python and Java
• Proficiency working with relational database platforms (e.g. PostgresQL), including database design.
• Experience with graph databases (e.g. Neo4j) and/or document databases (e.g. Elasticsearch)
• A keen interest in working with biocurators and scientists to create technological solutions for biomedical applications

You might also have

• A post-graduate degree (Masters or PhD) involving extensive software development
• Experience developing and deploying software for the cloud – AWS experience considered a plus
• Experience working in an Agile software development environment – Scrum experience considered a plus
• Experience with front-end development – JavaScript experience considered a plus
• Experience working with biological data and databases (especially genomics)

Why join us

EMBL-EBI is a worldwide leader in bioinformatics. We encourage personal and professional development and are committed to ensuring our employees feel valued, supported and empowered to reach their potential at work.

Surrounded by beautiful South Cambridgeshire countryside, our state-of-the-art Campus provides employees with a relaxed atmosphere where the pursuit of scientific discovery and meaningful work, underpin every role. In addition, our employees have access to a wide range of benefits including:

• 30 days annual leave per year plus 8 bank holidays
• Flexible work arrangements
• Unique pension scheme including 17% employer contribution
• Annual salary review
• Private medical insurance for you and your immediate family (including all prescriptions and generous dental & optical cover)
• Death benefit, long-term care, accident at work and unemployment insurances
• Relocation package including installation grant (if required)
• On-site library and subsidised on-site gym and cafeteria
• Casual dress code
• Free shuttle bus to and from Campus
• Extensive sports and social club activities (run on campus and remotely)
• Family benefits: Onsite nursery, child sick leave, generous parental leave, holiday clubs on campus and monthly family and child allowances
• Benefits for non-UK residents:Visa exemption, education grant for private schooling, financial support to travel back to your home country every second year and a monthly non-resident allowance

What else you need to know

To apply please submit a covering letter and CV through our online system. 

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. Visa exemptions will be offered to international candidates and details will be discussed during interview. We believe in science without borders and this continues after Brexit.

This role is based in Hinxton, UK and you will be required to relocate once it is safe to do so if you are currently based abroad. More info on how we are recruiting in this period is available on our page: Recruitment and Onboarding during Covid19.