Head of Plant Genomics & Variation

EMBL-EBI; Saffron Walden; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 89,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working patterns

Private medical insurance

30 days annual leave

Relocation package

On-site shuttle and facilities

Job summary

EMBL-EBI seeks a Team Leader for Plant Genomics and Variation to guide Ensembl plant and invertebrate resources and the EVA. You will run a multidisciplinary team, build tools, and drive community engagement across EMBL-EBI partners, Ensembl, and external collaborators.

The role requires leading a ~15‑person group, securing funding, coordinating with global partners, and representing EMBL-EBI in major scientific forums.

Qualifications

• PhD in bioinformatics, life sciences, computing or statistics or equivalent.
• ≥6 years in bioinformatics/genomics applied to plant science/breeding.
• Experience with genetic variation data and large-scale datasets.
• Proven leadership and grant management experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead EVA and Ensembl plant and invertebrate genomic resources, overseeing ~15 staff.
• Collaborate with Ensembl leaders and EMBL‑EBI partners to deliver integrated systems and data flows.
• Identify funding opportunities and manage external grants and budgets.
• Represent the team in international consortia and publishing activities.
• Engage with standards bodies like AgBioData and GA4GH.

Skills

Genomics leadership

People management

Budget & grants management

Project management

Bioinformatics

Python

Databases

Education

PhD in a relevant field

Tools

Workflow managers

HPC platforms

AI tools

GraphQL

MongoDB

PostgreSQL

DuckDB

Job description

EMBL-EBI seeks a Team Leader for Plant Genomics and Variation to guide Ensembl plant and invertebrate resources and the EVA. You will run a multidisciplinary team, build tools, and drive community engagement across EMBL-EBI partners, Ensembl, and external collaborators.

The role requires leading a ~15‑person group, securing funding, coordinating with global partners, and representing EMBL-EBI in major scientific forums.