InterPro/Pfam Software Project Leader

About the team

In your role, you will lead the software development team responsible for the Pfam and InterPro databases. These are two of the world’s most widely used protein family and domain annotation resources, serving thousands of users globally. Reporting to the Head of the Protein Families Group at EMBL-EBI, this role sits at the intersection of cutting-edge bioinformatics and modern software engineering.

The team currently comprises of several software developers and engineers. We are seeking to hire an InterPro/Pfam Software Project leader to lead a cultural and technical shift towards AI-first development, leveraging AI coding assistants and generative tools to accelerate delivery, improve code quality, and reduce technical debt across both platforms.

The chosen candidate will ensure the successful migration of development workflows to AI-assisted practices; delivery of major platform milestones on time and to quality; growth of team capability; and ongoing reliability and performance of the Pfam and InterPro production systems.

Duties and Responsibilities

In this role you will:

• Lead the Pfam/InterPro software development team, managing workload, priorities, and professional development.

• Drive the transition to AI-first software development practices, embedding AI coding tools (e.g. Claude Code, GitHub Copilot) into production workflows.

• Own software architecture and design decisions across the Pfam and InterPro platforms, ensuring scalability, maintainability, and performance.

• Design and maintain relational and NoSQL database schemas supporting large-scale protein family and domain annotation data.

• Lead agile development cycles: sprint planning, code review, CI/CD pipeline management, and release coordination.

• Oversee containerised deployment infrastructure using Kubernetes and cloud-native services.

• Collaborate with bioinformaticians, data scientists, and external stakeholders to translate scientific requirements into robust software solutions.

• Champion software engineering best practices: documentation, testing, version control, and security.

• Evaluate and adopt emerging technologies, including AI/ML tools, to improve developer productivity and system capabilities.

• Contribute to grant applications, publications, and presentations relating to software infrastructure where appropriate.

You have 

• Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.

• Substantial experience in software design and architecture, including design of large-scale, production-grade systems.

• Demonstrated experience using AI coding tools (e.g. Claude Code, Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor) in a production environment.

• Strong Python programming skills with experience building and maintaining production services.

• Proven expertise in database design, including relational (e.g. MySQL, PostgreSQL) and/or NoSQL systems.

• Experience leading or mentoring a software development team.

• Familiarity with modern DevOps practices: CI/CD, containerisation (Docker), and version control (Git).

• Excellent communication skills; ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary, international environment.
   

You may also have

• Experience with Kubernetes for container orchestration and cloud-native deployments.

• Java programming experience.

• Experience with web technologies (e.g. REST APIs, React, JavaScript/TypeScript).

• Background in bioinformatics or life sciences software development.

• Familiarity with Pfam, InterPro, or related protein family/domain resources.

• Track record of contributing to open-source projects.

Contract length: 3 years, renewable to a maximum of 9 years

Salary: Grade 7 monthly salary starting at £4,206 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.

• How to apply: To apply please submit a cover letter and a CV through our online system. Applications will close at 23:59 CET on the date shown below. We aim to provide a response within two weeks after the closing date.

Closing Date