EMBL
Software Developer
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About the team
We are seeking a Full Stack Software Developer to join the European Nucleotide Archive (ENA) Team at the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI). ENA is one of the world’s largest repositories of nucleotide sequence data, providing open access to sequencing data generated by the global life sciences community. The archive operates at petabyte scale and forms part of the International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration (INSDC), a long-standing global partnership between EMBL-EBI, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) in the USA, and the DNA Data Bank of Japan (DDBJ). Together, these partners provide a comprehensive and coordinated infrastructure for the submission, preservation and dissemination of nucleotide sequence data.
The ENA team develops and maintains the software infrastructure that supports the submission, validation, processing and dissemination of sequencing data. This includes large-scale data processing pipelines, submission systems, programmatic APIs, and web interfaces such as the ENA Browser that enable researchers worldwide to explore and retrieve archived data.
You will join a collaborative and multidisciplinary team of software developers and bioinformaticians working together to support open science and enable the reuse of sequencing data in accordance with FAIR data principles. This role offers the opportunity to contribute to globally used scientific infrastructure supporting research across genomics, biodiversity, infectious disease and many other areas of life science.
What you’ll do
As a Software Developer within the ENA team, you will contribute to the design, development and maintenance of the software systems that support ENA’s data submission, processing and presentation services. You will work across the full technology stack, contributing to backend services, large-scale data processing pipelines and APIs, as well as user-facing web applications.
Your work will support the development and improvement of ENA’s submission systems and data processing pipelines that handle sequencing datasets submitted by researchers worldwide. You will also contribute to the development and maintenance of the ENA Browser and related web services, helping to improve the usability, performance and scalability of the systems that enable users to explore and retrieve data from the archive.
In this role you will work closely with other developers and bioinformaticians within EMBL-EBI, as well as collaborators within the INSDC partnership. You will contribute to building reliable, scalable and maintainable software systems that support the long-term archiving and accessibility of nucleotide sequence data.
Qualifications
- A university degree in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent professional experience
- 5+ years of hands-on experience developing full stack software applications
- Strong programming experience with Java and the Spring framework
- Experience developing frontend applications using Angular and TypeScript
- Experience designing and implementing RESTful APIs
- Experience working with relational and/or NoSQL databases (e.g. PostgreSQL, Oracle, MongoDB)
- Familiarity with search technologies such as Elasticsearch
- Experience working with containerisation technologies such as Docker and orchestration platforms such as Kubernetes
- Experience working in Unix/Linux environments, including use of Git and command line tools
- Experience using AI-assisted development and agentic coding workflows
- Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a collaborative team
- Excellent communication, interpersonal and English language skills
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You may also have
- Exposure to graph databases (e.g. Neo4j)
- Experience with monitoring and observability tools such as Grafana or Kibana
- Experience with CI/CD pipelines (e.g. GitLab)
- Knowledge of OAuth 2.0, OIDC, authentication & authorisation
- Knowledge of FAIR data principles
- Experience working with large scientific datasets or bioinformatics data resources
- Experience working in international or multidisciplinary scientific collaborations
Contract length
- Project-based, 18 month fixed-term Staff Member contract.
Salary
- Grade 5 - Monthly salary starting at £3,425.05 per month after tax but excluding pension and insurance contributions. Plus, generous benefits.
Next steps
This vacancy has a scheduled closing date of 26th July, and we welcome your application as soon as possible. Please submit the up-to-date CV and supporting cover letter outlining your transferable skills and experience and motivation for applying.
*** We will review applications on a rolling basis and in the event that we identify a suitable candidate sooner, may close the vacancy earlier than the published closing date ***
Where Can I Find Out More?
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.
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Watch this video to see how EMBL-EBI makes an impact.
Enjoy lots of benefits:
Financial incentives
- Monthly family, child and non-resident allowances
- Annual salary review
- Pension scheme
- Death benefit
- Long-term care
- Accident-at-work and unemployment insurances
Flexible working arrangements
- Including hybrid working patterns
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 public holidays
Relocation package
- Including installation grant (if required)
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
- 10 days of child sick leave
- Generous parental leave
- Holiday clubs on campus
- 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
- Monthly non-resident allowance
For detailed information please visit our employee benefits page here.
What else you need to know
International applicants
We recruit internationally and successful candidates are offered visa exemptions. Please take a look at our International Applicants page for further information.
EMBL is a signatory of DORA
Find out how we apply DORA principles to our recruitment and performance assessment processes here.
Diversity and inclusion
At EMBL, we believe that diverse teams drive innovation and scientific excellence. We encourage applications from candidates of all genders, identities, nationalities and/or any other diverse backgrounds.
How to apply
To apply please submit a cover letter and a CV through our online system. Applications will close at 23:59 CET on the date shown below. We aim to provide a response within two weeks after the closing date.
Closing Date
26/07/2026
Whether you're a scientist, IT specialist, accountant or administrator, you'll help us tackle the challenges of improving human health & biodiversity in the face of climate change on a global scale.
Please visit this page to find out more about the benefits at EMBL.
No problem. Our special status enables us to hire talented individuals from across the globe. So far we have 76 nationalities. We would love to make it 77!
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