Front-End Web Developer
Location: Hinxton, Cambridgeshire (Hybrid)
Organisation: Open Targets at EMBL-EBI
Contract: 3 years, project-based
Salary: Grade 4–5, starting at £3,064 – £3,303 per month after tax (excluding pension and insurance)
Closing Date: 19 August 2025
Job Description
Join Open Targets at EMBL-EBI as a Web Developer and help transform vast biomedical data into insights that drive safer, more effective medicines. You’ll design and build cloud-first, open-source applications – including our flagship Open Targets Platform, used by scientists worldwide to explore and prioritise potential drug targets.
You’ll be working with leading partners like MSD, Genentech, GSK, Pfizer, Sanofi, and the Wellcome Sanger Institute to develop intuitive front-end experiences that turn complex data into powerful discovery tools.
What We Do
Open Targets’ open-source Platform empowers researchers worldwide to prioritise drug targets and accelerate discovery. Built with React, it offers:
- Powerful search tools
- Interactive visualisations
- Seamless access to harmonised biomedical data via GraphQL APIs
The platform is deployed on Google Cloud, customised by partners, and evolves quarterly through close collaboration with industry and academia.
Our projects include:
- Developing and publishing Associations on the Fly (AOTF), a dynamic tool for exploring target–disease associations
- Advancing our web architecture with modern GraphQL APIs and React interfaces
- Redesigning and rewriting the entire technical infrastructure of the Open Targets Platform
Responsibilities
- Build and launch user-friendly web apps used globally by scientists
- Visualise complex data with interactive, reusable components and graph-based insights
- Collaborate with UX experts to create seamless scientific workflows
- Contribute to open-source projects and champion open science
- Work across disciplines with data scientists, engineers, and product designers
Requirements
Essential:
- Degree in Computer Science, Software Development, or equivalent experience
- Proven expertise in React (or Angular/Vue)
- Strong skills in JavaScript/TypeScript, HTML5, CSS
- Experience with responsive design frameworks (Material-UI, Shadcn, Tailwind)
- Knowledge of version control, code coverage tools, and deployment pipelines
- Data visualisation skills (D3, Canvas, SVG, etc.)
- Strong communication skills
- Self-starter with good organisational skills
Desirable:
- Experience with GraphQL APIs and REST APIs
- UX research and product management knowledge
- Cloud deployment experience (preferably Google Cloud)
- Understanding of web application security, scalability, and performance
- Life sciences background or interest in genomics/drug discovery
- Programming experience in Python, Scala, Java, or R
- Interest in AI/ML for scientific data
Benefits
- Monthly family, child, and non-resident allowances
- Annual salary review, pension scheme, and insurance cover
- Private medical insurance for you and your family
- 30 days annual leave plus public holidays
- Flexible hybrid working arrangements
- Relocation package (if applicable)
- On-site facilities: free shuttle bus, gym, cafeteria, sports/social clubs, nursery
- Visa exemption for international applicants
About EMBL-EBI
EMBL-EBI is a global leader in storing, analysing, and sharing large biological datasets, enabling research in healthcare, food security, and biodiversity. Based on the Wellcome Genome Campus in Cambridgeshire, the organisation fosters a collaborative, innovative, and inclusive environment.
How to Apply
Submit your cover letter and CV via our online application system by 19 August 2025.
