Senior Platform Developer

European Molecular Biology Laboratory; Saffron Walden; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading biological research institution in the UK is seeking a Senior Platform Developer to shape the Ensembl platform's technical direction. This role involves building scalable systems with tools including Kubernetes and Terraform. Candidates should have a strong background in Python and database management, along with a collaborative mindset. The role offers a hybrid working environment and competitive benefits, contributing to significant research in genomics.

Benefits

Private medical insurance

30 days annual leave

Financial incentives

Relocation package

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Proven software development experience in programming languages, ideally Python.
• Demonstrable experience with database management systems and APIs.
• Ability to troubleshoot and optimise system performance.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain robust APIs to enhance platform performance.
• Integrate and manage container environments on Kubernetes.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to team members.

Skills

Python

CI/CD automation

Kubernetes

APIs (REST, gRPC, GraphQL)

Database management (MySQL, MongoDB)

Version control

Education

Degree in Computer Science or Engineering

Tools

GitLab CI/CD

Terraform

Prometheus

Grafana

Job description

In this role, you will help shape the Ensembl platform's technical direction, applying your expertise to build reliable, scalable systems and guide best practices across teams. You will work with modern technologies such as Terraform, Kubernetes, GitLab CI/CD, and multiple data services, ensuring the platform continues to deliver genomic data efficiently and reliably at scale.

The Ensembl project and EMBL-EBI are looking for a Senior Platform Developer to help develop, maintain and evolve the infrastructure underpinning our next generation resources (beta.ensembl.org). Ensembl provides open-access, high-quality genome data spanning the tree of life from human to crops, disease vectors, pathogens and bacteria. We provide access to genes, variants, epigenomes and comparative genomics. By joining us, you'll play a vital role in enabling researchers to contextualise and understand biological systems, accelerating discoveries that transform science worldwide.

Responsibilities

• CI/CD automation to improve reliability and deployment speed.
• Developing and maintaining robust APIs (REST, gRPC, GraphQL) that balance performance, scalability, and operational simplicity.
• Integrating and managing containerised environments on Kubernetes and cloud platforms to support evolving project needs.
• Overseeing access and performance for high-availability MySQL, MongoDB, and Redis clusters, ensuring stability under heavy workloads.
• Architecting resilient backend systems, identifying root causes of complex performance issues, and implementing lasting solutions.
• Enhancing observability and monitoring to deliver proactive insights into system performance and availability.
• Providing technical guidance and mentorship, supporting team members through design discussions, code reviews, and knowledge sharing.
• Evaluating and advocating for appropriate tools, frameworks, and technologies, selecting the right solution for each problem space.
• Collaborating with Ensembl teams to plan, coordinate, and deliver integrated platform releases and improvements.
• Driving continuous improvement by streamlining workflows, reducing technical debt, and promoting sustainable engineering practices.

Qualifications

• A strong technical foundation, curiosity across technologies, and a pragmatic approach to problem-solving.
• A degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Proven software development experience in one or more programming languages – ideally Python – with a track record of writing clean, maintainable, and efficient code.
• Demonstrable experience with database management systems, including relational (e.g. MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, DuckDB) and NoSQL (e.g. MongoDB or similar) technologies.
• Relevant background on software and data engineering practices, including version control, release management, and deployment workflows.
• Ability to investigate, troubleshoot, and optimise system performance – from application-level debugging to infrastructure-level diagnostics.
• A continuous improvement mindset, proactively enhancing processes, tools, and team practices.
• Familiarity with collaborative development and project-tracking tools (e.g. GitHub, GitLab, Jira, Confluence).
• Experience working with large-scale or distributed computing environments, such as HPC clusters or cloud-based systems, and with containerisation technologies.
• Demonstrable ability to collaborate effectively across technical and scientific teams.
• Adaptability to work across a varied technology stack and willingness to learn new tools and frameworks as needed.

Behaviours

• You are curious about how systems work and have a desire to make them better.
• You are comfortable with some ambiguity and enjoy proposing and testing the best path forward.
• You want to make a positive impact on genomic research and open science.
• You believe in continual improvement – of infrastructure, tools, and yourself.
• You enjoy tackling challenging technical problems and finding elegant solutions.
• You thrive in collaborative environments and value learning from others.
• You are interested in applying your software skills to bioinformatics or related fields.

Desirable Skills

• Familiarity with Perl, particularly for understanding or integrating existing components within the Ensembl ecosystem.
• Hands-on experience with Python frameworks such as FastAPI, Django, Ariadne, or SQLAlchemy.
• Proficiency with SQL and scripting in shell or similar environments.
• Experience with other programming languages such as Rust, Go, or TypeScript.
• Experience building and maintaining scalable, reliable, and robust backend systems and services.
• Proficiency with designing and implementing solutions for high availability, fault tolerance, and scalability.
• Understanding of distributed systems, microservices architecture, or cloud-native applications.
• Experience maintaining technical documentation, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and internal knowledge bases.
• Interest in using AI-assisted development tools to improve productivity, code and documentation quality.
• Practical experience with monitoring and observability tools (e.g. Prometheus, Grafana) or control-plane management systems.
• Experience working with large datasets and data-intensive pipelines.
• Experience in genomics or related scientific domains.
• Ability to communicate effectively with non-technical or cross-disciplinary stakeholders.
• A curiosity about genomics and biology, and the willingness to learn from domain experts.

Your First Six Months

• Month 1: Contribute code through pull requests and participate in code reviews, becoming familiar with Ensembl's development workflows and architecture.
• Month 3: Understand key platform components and data-release processes, collaborate across teams, and identify areas for technical or process improvement.
• Month 6: Present technical insights to the wider team, propose and begin implementing an improvement initiative, and lead code reviews and best-practice discussions.

Other Helpful Information

To apply: Please submit an application with a personalised cover letter and CV. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Hybrid Working: We offer hybrid working options for all employees. A dedicated desk will be available everyday; the team works two days on site and three from home.

Interviews: We plan to invite selected candidates to a first-round technical assessment, followed by introductory calls with the team and final interviews planned for mid-February 2026.

Contract length: 3 years (grant-based). Salary: Grade 6 monthly salary starting at £3,695 after tax but excluding pension and insurance contributions. Plus generous benefits.

Diversity & Inclusion

At EMBL-EBI, 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.

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 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.

Why Join Us

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.