EMBLEBI – Saffron Walden, England, United Kingdom
Industry: Information Technology
Category: Skilled Worker
Salary: £57,520 – £88,993 per annum (based on experience & family)
Description
The European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) is seeking a highly skilled Technical Lead to join the Chemical Biology Resources team. This team builds and maintains world-leading chemogenomics platforms, including:
- ChEMBL – small-molecule bioactivity data
- SureChEMBL – chemical structures extracted from patents
- ChEBI – curated database of biologically relevant compounds
- UniChem – links chemical structures across databases
- OPSIN – converts chemical names into structures
As Technical Lead, you will be part of an international, interdisciplinary team of scientists and engineers, overseeing infrastructure, services, and technical strategy across the group.
Key Duties & Responsibilities
- Oversee and maintain infrastructure for ChEMBL, ChEBI, UniChem, OPSIN & SureChEMBL
- Manage Kubernetes clusters, VMs, databases (SQL & MongoDB), networking & compute systems
- Implement database patching schedules and coordinate infrastructure upgrades
- Develop & maintain monitoring strategies for all services
- Ensure the reliability and uptime of critical systems, especially ElasticSearch and ChEMBL
- Standardise and streamline deployment processes
- Act as primary point of contact for all IT-related matters
- Lead technical development and maintenance across all platforms
- Address and reduce technical debt for long-term system health
Requirements (You Have)
- Degree in Computer Science or related field (PhD preferred)
- Several years of backend development experience
- Proven record delivering backend software projects
- Strong Python skills
- Experience with Django or FastAPI
- Strong knowledge of SQL: Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL
- Experience with Elasticsearch & MongoDB
- CI/CD experience (preferably GitLab)
- Linux proficiency
- Docker & Kubernetes experience
- Team management experience
- Excellent communication & strong collaboration skills
- Ability to see the big picture and align teams
Desirable
- Infrastructure experience for scientific/data science workflows
- Java programming experience
- Interest in life sciences
Benefits & Contract Information
- Financial incentives:
- £278 monthly family/marriage allowance
- £336 per child monthly child allowance
- Non-resident allowance up to £569/month
- Annual salary review
- Pension & insurance benefits
- Hybrid working
- Private medical insurance (family included)
- 30 days annual leave + 8 bank holidays
- Relocation package & installation grant
- On-site nursery, shuttle bus, gym, cafeteria, sports clubs
- 3-year grant-based contract
- Starting monthly salary: £4,206 (after tax, excl. pension & insurances)
- International applicants welcomed (visa exemption provided)
Location
Hinxton, near Cambridge, UK
Relocation required for overseas candidates (supported by relocation package).
How to Apply
Submit your CV and Cover Letter through the online application system.
Application Deadline: 05/01/2026
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