Plant Genomics and Variation Team Leader

embl; Hinxton; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

EMBL-EBI’s Plant Genomics and Variation Team seeks a nationally/internationally minded Team Leader to guide Ensembl in plants, invertebrates and genomic variation, and to lead EVA development. You will manage ~15 staff, collaborate across EMBL-EBI and with external partners, and drive strategy and community engagement.

You will contribute to EMBL’s strategy, engage with AgBioData/GA4GH, and lead data resources, tools, and platforms for researchers globally.

Qualifications

• PhD in relevant field or equivalent experience.
• At least 6 years in bioinformatics or genomics applied to plant science.
• Experience with a genomics research community, crops preferred.
• Track record with genetic variation data.
• Experience with big data (gigabyte to terabyte scale).
• Deep knowledge of genome assembly or gene annotation.

Responsibilities

• Manage the team’s budget and coordinate with EMBL’s HR and Grants offices.
• Collaborate with Ensembl Team Leaders and EMBL-EBI staff on integrated data flows.
• Identify funding opportunities and apply for external grants.
• Lead large international consortia and crop community collaborations.
• Present work at international meetings and prepare scientific publications.

Skills

Bioinformatics / Genomics

AI tools

Project management

Staff management

Communication skills

Grant writing

Big data handling

Genome assembly / annotation

Education

PhD in bioinformatics / life sciences / computing / statistics

Tools

Job description

Are you ready to shape the future of crop genomics, invertebrate genomics and genetic variation resources at one of the world's leading bioinformatics institutes?

We are seeking an internationally minded, community-focused Team Leader with expertise in genomics, particularly crop plants and their associated insect pests and vectors, to provide scientific leadership for Ensembl in the area of plants, invertebrates, and genomic variation, as well as the European Variation Archive (EVA).

Overview

Ensembl is one of the world's leading platforms for the exploration and analysis of genomic data, supporting millions of users across academia, healthcare and industry. The resource is undergoing a major transformation to support the unprecedented expansion in the number of reference genomes and the breadth and complexity of biological data across the tree of life. Our recently released website has been designed to operate at this scale, enabling intuitive exploration, visualisation and dissemination of increasingly rich genomic datasets. Within this portfolio, priority species include major and minor crop plants such as wheat, rice, barley and rye, together with economically important insect pests and vectors including aphids and whiteflies. You will lead the development of data resources, analytical tools and community engagement activities that empower researchers worldwide.

The European Variation Archive is the global archive for genetic variation data from non-human species, serving diverse research communities spanning crop and livestock improvement, biodiversity, evolutionary biology and functional genomics. The EVA is evolving to accommodate the rapidly increasing scale, diversity and complexity of variation data generated through advances in sequencing technologies, pangenomics and population genomics. As part of this scientific area, you will also lead the development of tools and resources for the interpretation of genomic variation in all species, including the widely used Ensembl Variant Effect Predictor (VEP).

The Plant Genomics and Variation Team Leader will be based at EMBL-EBI and is an EMBL Faculty position, offering the opportunity to shape internationally recognised resources, influence scientific strategy, and work closely with a vibrant global research community.

Your role

You will lead a multidisciplinary team consisting of approximately 15 staff members, including bioinformaticians and software developers, to deliver the EVA resource and lead the crop, invertebrate and genetic variation aspects of the Ensembl project. You will work closely with other Team Leaders within Ensembl, and more broadly with leadership across EMBL-EBI and other EMBL sites, to deliver integrated systems and data flows between our EMBL key partners. You will be given the opportunity to collaborate with talented and driven teams working towards a shared vision of delivering the very best scientific resources.

Extensive engagement with external scientific collaborators, both academic and industrial, are a key part of this role. You will also engage with global standards organisations such as AgBioData and GA4GH to both feed into and adopt community standards.

As a member of EMBL Faculty, you will also contribute to developing and delivering EMBL's strategy.

In addition to the above, more specific responsibilities will include:

• Managing the team's budget and staff; communicating with the EMBL's HR and Grants offices
• Participating in related projects across EMBL-EBI, collaborating closely with other Team Leaders and other staff at EMBL-EBI, in particular with other Team Leaders within the wider Ensembl project
• Identifying appropriate funding opportunities and applying for external grants
• Participating in large-scale international scientific consortia as well as more targeted external collaborations with members of the crop community
• Presenting work in international meetings and preparing scientific publications

This role reports to the Section Head for Genome Assembly and Annotation, Rob Finn.

You have

• A PhD degree in a relevant field (bioinformatics, life sciences, computing or statistics) or equivalent relevant experience;
• At least 6 years' experience working in the field of bioinformatics or genomics applied to plant science/breeding
• Experience working and interacting with a genomics research community, ideally crops
• A demonstrable track record working with genetic variation data
• Experience working with big data (gigabyte to terabyte scale)
• In-depth knowledge at least two of the following: genome assembly, gene annotation, genetic variant annotation
• Hands-on experience working with AI tools
• Project management and staff management experience
• Experience in budget management and the grant life cycle from pre- to post-award.
• Proven experience of scientific and technical writing including manuscripts and successful grants
• Excellent communication skills and an ability to engage with stakeholders includ