Bioinformatician

We are seeking a skilled bioinformatician to join Ensembl , a world-leading provider of genomics data, infrastructure and tools.

The Ensembl project works at the cutting edge of gene structure annotation. We design software and pipelines to annotate genomes with genes and other genomic features in diverse species. One of our primary goals is to create scalable pipelines and processes that can be used to accurately annotate genomes for all 70,000 known species of eukaryotic organisms in Britain and Ireland.

As part of Ensembl Genebuild, you will join a team Bioinformaticians and Developers who are experts in gene structure annotation. We have domain area expertise in software development, large-scale compute, big data, pipeline workflows and automation. We collaborate with consortia and communities from all over the world to annotate new genomes. Current and future projects for the team include scaling up gene annotation pipelines, containerising these pipelines and deploying them to the cloud, implementing machine learning techniques to improve gene structure annotation, and working with long-read (PacBio IsoSeq Nanopore) transcriptomic data with a view to extending existing annotations and identify new splice variants.

Your role

You will play a key role analysing the gene sets generated by the pipeline and collecting feedback from the community in order to improve the quality of the gene sets we create.

More specifically, you will:

Produce high-quality, evidence-based gene sets for various species including protein-coding genes, noncoding RNA genes and pseudogenes
Collaborate with international partners on genome projects
Work in a release-based environment and coordinate with other teams
Participate in training users in how to annotate assemblies
Work with state-of-the-art primary data to help improve gene annotation
Contribute to the Ensembl codebase

You have

You should hold an MSc, PhD or equivalent experience in Computer Science, Bioinformatics, Genetics or a related field.

You will be to write, understand and maintain complex code. You will also have knowledge and experience in the following areas:

Genome annotation
Methods for DNA/RNA sequencing and sequence alignment
The biology of gene expression
Proficiency with coding in at least one modern programming language
Relational databases

This role will require you to have good communication and interpersonal skills, and be a self-starter who can manage their own time to meet the needs of several projects. The key attributes sought are the ability to work in a team, excellent attention to detail, solid problem-solving skills, and the desire to learn and improve. Furthermore, you should demonstrate your ability to communicate both biological and computational ideas (orally and in writing), time management to deadlines, and a desire to work in an international environment.

You might also have

Previous experience of processing large biological data sets in a production environment would be advantageous, including an understanding of compute clusters, pipeline workflows, software design and automation.
Evidence of working in a dynamic, team-based environment or contributing to a large, shared code-base is desirable.

Benefits and Contract Information

Financial incentives: depending on circumstances, monthly family/marriage allowance of £243, monthly child allowance of £293 per child. Non resident allowance up to £496 per month. Annual salary review, pension scheme, death benefit, long-term care, accident-at-work and unemployment insurances

Hybrid working arrangements

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 to eight bank holidays

Relocation package including installation grant (as applicable)

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, child sick leave, generous parental leave, holiday clubs on campus and monthly family and child allowances

Contract duration: This position is a 3 year contract renewable

Salary: UK Equivalent £45,434 - £72,405 (Total package will be dependant on family circumstances)

International applicants: We recruit internationally and successful candidates are offered visa exemptions. Read more on our page for international applicants.

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

Job location: This role is based in Hinxton, near Cambridge, UK. You will be required to relocate if you are based overseas and you will receive a generous relocation package to support you.

How to apply: To apply please submit a cover letter and a CV through our online system before the closing date.

DORA - EMBL is a signatory of DORA and is committed to hiring and training outstanding research, service, and administrative personnel.