Software Engineer

European Bioinformatics Institute | EMBL-EBI; Cambridge; Hybrid; GBP 40,680 - 49,720; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working patterns

Pension scheme

Private medical insurance

30 days annual leave

Relocation support

Job summary

EMBL-EBI is seeking a Software Engineer to join the BioStudies team. You will design, develop and operate software infrastructure to ingest, process, persist and distribute diverse life sciences data.

The role involves backend and data submission web apps, collaborating with cross-functional teams to enable new data types and ensure scalable services. You will contribute to design and implementation, apply CI/CD, testing and monitoring best practices, and support users across multiple

Qualifications

• 5+ years of software development experience using Java or Kotlin with Spring framework.
• 3+ years of web application development experience.
• Experience with search engines (Lucene, Solr, Elasticsearch).
• Excellent knowledge of the UNIX command line.
• Experience with modern software development practices including CI/CD, testing, and monitoring.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop and operate the BioStudies software infrastructure (backend, data access services, web applications).
• Contribute to development of new data types and data submission capabilities.
• Collaborate with other EMBL-EBI teams and IT/Technical services to ensure robust delivery.

Skills

Java/Kotlin

Spring framework

Web development

Search engines

UNIX command line

CI/CD

Teamwork

Tools

Lucene/Solr/Elasticsearch

Job description

About the Team

We are looking for a software engineer who will join the BioStudies team at EMBL-EBI. BioStudies database is a general-purpose resource for sharing and publishing life sciences data that enables deposition, archiving and access for a wide range of data types, and serves the worldwide scientific community.

What you’ll do

You will join a team of software engineers responsible for the design, development and operations of the software infrastructure that ensures that BioStudies can support scientists all over the world by being able to ingest, process, persist and distribute high volumes of heterogeneous life sciences data.

You will work together with other teams at EBI that use the services of or provide services to BioStudies, as well as EBI’s IT and Technical services teams.

In your role as a software engineer, your main responsibilities will be further design and development of the software components that support BioStudies: backend, data access web services and applications, and the data submission web application. There are several new types of data that BioStudies aims to support, such as protein–ligand interaction data, synthetic data, and data associated with life sciences AI models. You will help support these new areas while maintaining the generic nature of BioStudies systems.

We are looking for a candidate who will help with shaping the further development of BioStudies, and is willing to learn new technical skills, as well as provide technical support to our users.

You will have

• At least 5 years software development experience using Java or Kotlin and Spring framework
• At least 3 years web application development experience
• Experience with search engines (Lucene/Solr/Elasticsearch)
• Excellent knowledge of the UNIX command line
• Experience with the modern, fundamental software development practices, including continuous integration and deployment, application of various software testing principles, processes and tools, system monitoring
• Ability to work as part of a team of people with a range of skills and a diversity of backgrounds

You may also have

• Experience working in a multidisciplinary scientific environment
• Web design experience
• Python experience
• Experience with Vue.js or another widely used JavaScript framework (React/Angular)

Contract length

3-year fixed-term contract (renewable to a maximum of 9 years).

Salary

Grade 5 - Monthly salary starting at £3,452.05 per month after tax but excluding pension and insurance contributions. Plus, generous benefits.

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 (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.

For detailed information please visit our employee benefits page here.

What else you need to know

• International applicants: We recruit internationally and successful candidates are offered visa exemptions. Please take a look at our International Applicants page for further information.
• EMBL is a signatory of DORA. Find out how we apply DORA principles to our recruitment and performance assessment processes here.
• 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.

Closing Date

23/08/2026