Location: EMBL-EBI, Hinxton near Cambridge, UK
Staff Category: Staff Member
Contract Duration: 3 years
Grading: 5 or 6 (monthly salary starting at £2,676.73 or £2,994.54 after tax)
Closing Date: 16 October 2019
Reference Number: EBI01507
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Ensembl is looking for a talented software developer to design and develop the infrastructure and APIs for our next generation website.
As part of the Ensembl project, the Genomics Technology Infrastructure team, based at the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), helps to develop a suite of highly valued scientific resources that support biological research worldwide with millions of visitors per year.
You will be working within the Ensembl team, which is composed of over 70 people including web developers, designers, trainers, engineers, annotators and researchers to design, develop, and deploy scalable web APIs using modern technologies. The Ensembl platform provides access to over 40,000 genomes served from one of the world's largest computer resources for genomic analysis.
We develop open source software which, along with our data, is available to all without restriction. Thousands of scientists worldwide depend on access to these data and software to aid their research and push our understanding of the genome. Genomics is one of the fastest growing areas of science with the ability to deliver advances in human health, food security and in an ageing population.
Your role
You will become part of the Ensembl Back-end web development team and participate on our project to build a next-generation website for genome data.
Your responsibilities will include:
- Working to produce scalable REST-ful APIs for our next-generation website
- Helping to design and develop our new container-based web infrastructure
- Working closely with our front-end development team to help specify requirements
- Contributing to the service delivery of the Ensembl sites
- Continuing development and maintenance of our existing website infrastructure
- Working closely with other members of the back-end web development team, other teams in Ensembl, for example data production teams, and other groups across EMBL-EBI.
You have
You will have a masters level qualification or similar practical experience in computer science, bioinformatics or related subjects and at least 2 years of experience of back-end web development.
A high-degree of self-motivation and the ability to work independently are required. You will have excellent English communication skills, written and verbal, both to facilitate effective communications with other team members and to communicate with external collaborators and users.
You must also have an attention to detail, be capable of delivering to deadlines, be able to delegate and to prioritise tasks.
You must have the following experience / skills:
- 2+ years experience of programming in Python (ideally with knowledge of Flask or Django frameworks)
- Experience of working with at least one of JavaScript, Perl, Python
- Experience of working with at least one of MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Elastic, Solr
- Knowledge of RESTful API design, development and utilisation
- Experience with a container technology (e.g. Docker)
- Working knowledge of modern software development tools including Git and GitHub
- Familiarity with the Linux command line and common commands
You might also have
It would be advantageous to have experience of:
- Developing or using of CI/CD pipelines
- Cloud infrastructure and container orchestration (e.g. Kubernetees)
- Agile development methods
- JavaScript, WebGL, WebAssembly, Rust
- Knowledge of / interest in biology, biochemistry, genomics
Why join us
At EMBL-EBI, we help scientists realise the potential of 'big data' in biology by enabling them to exploit complex information to make discoveries that benefit mankind.
Working for EMBL-EBI gives you an opportunity to apply your skills and energy for the greater good.
As part of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), we are a non-profit, intergovernmental organisation funded by over 27 member states and two associate member states.
We are located on the Wellcome Genome Campus near Cambridge in the UK, and our 600 staff are engineers, technicians, scientists and other professionals from all over the world.
EMBL is an inclusive, equal opportunity employer offering attractive conditions and benefits appropriate to an international research organisation. The remuneration package comprises a competitive salary, a comprehensive pension scheme and health insurance, educational and other family related benefits where applicable, as well as financial support for relocation and installation. For more information about pay and benefits click here
We have an informal culture, international working environment and excellent professional development opportunities but one of the really amazing things about us is the concentration of technical and scientific expertise -- something you probably won't find anywhere else.
If you've ever visited the campus you'll have experienced first-hand our friendly, collegial and supportive atmosphere, set in the beautiful Cambridgeshire countryside. Our staff also enjoy excellent sports facilities including a gym, a free shuttle bus, an on-site nursery, cafés and restaurant and a library.
What else you need to know
To view a copy of the full job description please click here.
To apply, please submit a covering letter and CV through our online system. Applications are welcome from all nationalities and this will continue after Brexit. For more information please see our website. Visa information will be discussed in more depth with applicants selected for interview.
EMBL-EBI is committed to achieving gender balance and strongly encourages applications from women, who are currently under-represented at all levels. Appointment will be based on merit alone.
Applications will close at 23:00 GMT on the date listed above.
