Software Developer

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

Job summary

A leading research institute in the UK is seeking an enthusiastic software developer to contribute to the PRIDE ecosystem. This role includes developing core database applications, AI-ready resources, and web services. Candidates should possess strong programming skills in Java and Python, with experience in frontend development. The position offers a fixed-term contract with generous benefits and salary starting from £3,303 per month.

Benefits

Private medical insurance

30 days annual leave

Flexible working arrangements

On-site nursery

Relocation package

Qualifications

• Experience in mass spectrometry-based proteomics is a major advantage.
• Experience in bioinformatics is highly desirable.
• Knowledge of backend technologies such as DuckDB, parquet, pySpark is a plus.
• Understanding of large language models and their deployment in production.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop new web-services and infrastructure for data retrieval from PRIDE resources.
• Drive the transformation of PRIDE into an AI-ready resource.
• Support optimization of web application components in Vue.js.
• Collaborate with developers to integrate PRIDE data into existing resources.

Skills

Java

Python

Vue.js

Microservice architectures

Kubernetes

Elasticsearch

MongoDB

PostgreSQL

RESTful web services

Spring Framework

JSON

XML

Git

Education

Minimum 3 years experience in computer science or software engineering

Job description

You will contribute to the development of core database applications, web services, data ingestion workflows, and the PRIDE Web platform as part of the PRIDE ecosystem. Working closely with the team, you will help drive the transformation of PRIDE resources into AI‑ready resources, including the development of MCP services and formats, as well as the deployment of Large Language Models (LLMs) and metadata annotation systems. You will also participate in projects that integrate PRIDE resources with other EMBL‑EBI databases through AI‑based systems and components. In addition, you will support the development of new services to handle the growing number of single‑cell proteomics datasets, including their metadata formats and analysis workflows. Your role: We are looking for an enthusiastic software developer, to help us develop the PRIDE data ecosystem and infrastructure. The post holder will be part of a dynamic team responding to its ever‑evolving scientific community.

Responsibilities

• Designing, building and developing new web‑services and infrastructure for the data deposition, search functionality and data retrieval from PRIDE Resources, for large‑scale proteomics datasets.
• Participating in the transformation of PRIDE into an AI‑ready resource, including the development of MCP services, and the integration of LLMs and other AI‑based components.
• Supporting the optimisation of web application components and interfaces in Vue.js to search and present PRIDE data.
• Collaborating with developers in other teams at EMBL‑EBI and ProteomeXchange to integrate the data from PRIDE into other existing resources such as ProteomeCentral, Expression Atlas or UniProt, among others.

Qualifications

The post‑holder should have a minimum of 3 years' experience in computer science or software engineering, ideally in a life science environment.

Programming Skills

• Proficient programmer in Java and Python.
• Good understanding and experience with Vue.js and frontend development.
• Good understanding of microservice architectures, web services, and Kubernetes deployment.
• Proficient understanding of document and relational database technologies and how to interact with them (e.g. Elasticsearch, MongoDB, PostgreSQL).
• Good understanding of asynchronous request handling and partial results updates on RESTful web services.
• Good understanding of the Spring Framework (Spring Batch, Spring Boot).
• Good understanding of technologies such as JSON, XML, NoSQL and relational databases.
• Proficient understanding of code versioning tools, such as Git.

Additional Experience (Optional)

• Experience in mass spectrometry‑based proteomics would be a major advantage.
• Experience in bioinformatics would be highly desirable.
• Experience with other backend technologies such as DuckDB, parquet, pySpark.
• Understanding large language models and their deployment in production environments.

Diversity and Inclusion

At EMBL, we strongly believe that inclusive and diverse teams benefit from higher levels of innovation and creative thought. We encourage applications from women, LGBTQ+ & individuals from all nationalities.

Contract and Compensation

Contract length: 3 years fixed‑term contract, with end date on 31/12/2028.

Salary: Grade 5 monthly salary starting at £3,303 - £3,554 per month after tax but excluding pension and insurance contributions. Plus, generous benefits.

Application Process

Next Steps: This vacancy will run from Monday, 20th October with a scheduled closing date of Sunday, 16th November. We invite you to submit your application as soon as possible. Please include both your up‑to‑date CV and a cover letter for consideration.

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.

Benefits Overview

• 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.