Software Developer

About the Role

The European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) is seeking an enthusiastic and highly motivated Software Developer to join the European Genome-phenome Archive (EGA).

The EGA is a world-leading resource for permanent secure archiving and sharing of all types of potentially identifiable human genetic and phenotypic data resulting from biomedical research projects. Its mission is to enable data access, reuse, and reproducibility to accelerate biomedical and translational research, in line with FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable).

On behalf of data owners, the EGA securely stores and distributes genetic data, streaming more than 20 TB per day of encrypted data to authorized researchers worldwide. The EGA is also an ELIXIR Core Data Resource, ensuring the long-term preservation and accessibility of valuable biological data for the global life sciences community.

What You'll Do

As a Software Developer in the EGA team, you will design, implement, and maintain applications and APIs that support the ingestion, management, and distribution of controlled-access human genetic and phenotypic data.

A key focus of this role will be the development of a new submissions and metadata API, which supports data submission, validation, and integration with other resources. As part of the EGA development team, you will have the opportunity to work across all aspects of the service including data ingestion and permanent archiving of human studies, secure file distribution via APIs and Globus, and system integration with external teams through RabbitMQ message brokers. You will contribute to the design of new applications and the improvement of existing ones, enhance our deployment pipelines with GitLab CI/CD and Kubernetes, and collaborate closely with the operations team to ensure the reliability and scalability of EGA services.

Most EGA software components are implemented in Java using Spring Boot and deployed on Kubernetes within EMBL-EBI’s infrastructure. The team follows Agile methodologies and uses Git, JIRA, and Confluence in a collaborative development environment.

You will have the opportunity to work on both technical software engineering and scientific data modelling, engaging with internal and external collaborators at national and international levels.
 

About the Team

The EGA is part of the Human Genomics Team, led by Mallory Freeberg, which is part of the broader Genome Assembly and Annotation (GAA) section at EMBL-EBI. The successful candidate will work closely with other EMBL-EBI resources, including the IT and Technical Services teams (ITS), and contribute to international standards through collaborations with organisations such as the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH).

You will have 

• Bachelor’s degree (or higher) in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent professional experience

• Experience across the full software development lifecycle (Design, implementation and deployment)

• Experience working in an Agile software development teams across multiple projects

• Minimum 4 years of professional experience in Java, including hands-on experience with Spring Boot

• Knowledge of relational databases, preferably PostgreSQL

• Experience working in collaborative software development teams in academia or industry

• Interest in and willingness to learn about the biological and biomedical data domain

• Enthusiasm for collaborating, learning, and growing with a team that values curiosity, personal development, and meaningful impact

You may also have

• Experience developing distributed systems

• Experience working in Unix/Linux environments

• Experience deploying applications on Kubernetes

• Experience with message queue systems (Kafka, RabbitMQ)

• Familiarity with Globus for secure, large-scale file distribution

• Familiarity with CI/CD tools and practices

• Familiarity with web application frameworks (React, Vaadin)

• Familiarity with scripting languages, such as Python

Contract length: 2 years fixed term, with potential for extension depending on availability of funding. 

Salary: Grade 5 or Grade 6 depending on level of qualification and depth of relevant experience. Monthly salary starting at £3,452.05 per month for Grade 5 or £3,861.91 per month for Grade 6 - after tax but excluding pension and insurance contributions. Plus, generous benefits.

Additional Information: Due to urgency around contract start date, our preference is for applicants who are either already UK-based or open to immediate relocation. 

We welcome applications from candidates who are available to start in role in October/November 2026.

Next Steps: This vacancy has a scheduled closing date of Friday, 21st August, however, in the event that we identify a suitable candidate sooner, may close the vacancy earlier than published - as such, we invite you to apply as soon as possible.

Please apply with an up-to-date CV and cover letter outlining your transferable skills and relevant experience for the role, along with motivation for applying.

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