Scientific Developer - Chemical Biology Resources

EMBL EBI; Chelmsford; On-site; GBP 39,000 - 43,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working patterns

Pension scheme

Relocation package

Job summary

EMBL-EBI on the Wellcome Genome Campus near Cambridge, UK, seeks a Scientific Developer to build and maintain software infrastructure for ChEMBL data releases. You will develop robust, automated pipelines using Python and Java, supporting data curation and dissemination with a highly interdisciplinary team of scientists and software engineers.

The role requires deep knowledge of cheminformatics, SQL databases, Linux, and version control.

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent in Chemistry, Computer Science, Bioinformatics, Data Science, or related field.
• Experience in cheminformatics or data engineering applied to life sciences
• Proficiency in Python, with cheminformatics libraries (RDKit/Open Babel)
• Experience with relational (SQL) databases
• Familiarity with git/GitHub/GitLab and Linux
• Strong communication and collaboration with international teams
• Advanced English language and interpersonal skills

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain scientific workflows for curation, integration and dissemination of resources (e.g., data pipelines for ChEMBL releases using Python/Java).
• Create innovative solutions to enhance scientific data workflows and support disseminating information publicly.
• Manage and enhance tools for processing and storing chemical and biological data across services.
• Collaborate with ChEMBL, SureChEMBL and ChEBI to resolve data quality issues.
• Integrate external chemical/bioactivity databases into the ChEMBL ecosystem.
• Support database administration and maintain database instances.
• Document workflows to improve maintainability and reproducibility.
• Participate in cross-functional meetings with campus partners (e.g., Open Targets) and external stakeholders.
• Contribute to training activities and scientific meetings.

Skills

PhD or equivalent

Python programming

Chemoinformatics

Data analysis

Linux

Git version control

English proficiency

Education

PhD or equivalent in Chemistry/CS/Bioinformatics

Tools

RDKit

Open Babel

SQL databases

Docker

Job description

We are looking for a highly motivated Scientific Developer to join the Chemical Biology Resources team at the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), located on the Wellcome Genome Campus near Cambridge, UK. This is a 13-month fixed-term position offered as maternity cover. The Chemical Biology Resources team provides world-leading chemogenomics resources to the scientific community. ChEMBL is a database of quantitative small-molecule bioactivity data curated primarily from the scientific literature widely used to support drug discovery projects in industry and academia. SureChEMBL is a complementary patent resource containing chemical structures extracted from patents daily. UniChem links chemical structures across databases. ChEBI is a highly curated database and ontology of compounds of biological interest. OPSIN converts systematic chemical names into chemical structures. The EBI is part of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and it is a world-leading bioinformatics centre providing biological data to the scientific community with expertise in data storage, analysis and representation. EMBL-EBI provides freely available data from life science experiments, performs basic research in computational biology and offers an extensive user training programme, supporting researchers in academic and industry.

Your role

You will develop and maintain software infrastructure to ensure robust, reliable, and automated ChEMBL data releases through streamlined build, packaging, testing, and deployment processes, while also assisting in the development and maintenance of other services supported by the team. You will be working closely with our team which consists of an international and interdisciplinary mix of professional scientists and software engineers.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain the scientific workflows underpinning the curation, integration and dissemination of the group's resources (e.g. the data pipelines for generating ChEMBL releases which are a mixture of Python and Java).
• Develop new innovative solutions for enhancing scientific data workflows and support our mission to disseminate scientific information publicly
• Manage and enhance scientific software tools essential for processing and storing chemical and biological data across the team's services, ensuring adherence to software development best practices.
• Collaborate with the ChEMBL, SureChEMBL and ChEBI teams to identify and resolve data inconsistencies and quality issues.
• Work cross-functionally to integrate computational methodologies into data curation and analysis workflows, including the incorporation of external chemical and bioactivity databases (e.g., BindingDB, PubChem) into the ChEMBL ecosystem.
• Support database management, including the maintenance and administration of database instances.
• Document workflows and processes to improve maintainability, efficiency, and reproducibility.
• Participate in cross functional project meeting with partners on campus (such as Open Targets) and external stakeholders
• Contribute to training activities, and participate in scientific meetings

You have:

• A PhD or equivalent experience in Chemistry, Computer Science, Bioinformatics, Data Science, or a related field.
• Experience in cheminformatics or data engineering applied to life sciences
• Proficiency in Python, with experience in cheminformatics libraries and topics (such as RDKit, Open Babel, InChI, SMILES/SMARTS)
• Experience working with relational (SQL) databases
• Familiarity working in a structured collaborative data and software development environment (git, GitHub/GitLab)
• Proficient in working with Linux operating systems.
• Self-motivated with good communication skills and the ambition to work with international collaborators and users.
• Can-do attitude and willingness to help solve problems
• Advanced English language and excellent interpersonal skills

You might have:

• Familiarity with containerization technologies (Docker)
• Basic understanding of Java, with a willingness to develop expertise and contribute to Java-based pipelines as needed
• Experience in using AI-based methods, such as NLP, LLM for efficient data processing

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.

Contract length:

13-month fixed-term maternity cover. We are ideally looking for a January 2027 start to allow for a handover.

Salary:

Grade 5 or 6, monthly salary from £3,452 or £3,861 after tax plus generous benefits and allowances based on individual circumstances. Excluding personal pension and insurance contributions.

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. 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 (conditions apply)
• 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 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.