Software Engineer – Data Discovery

We are looking for a dynamic Software Engineer to join the EBI Search project, a scalable text search engine providing easy and uniform access to the biological data resources hosted at the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI). EBI Search provides the central discovery infrastructure indexing more than 6 billion data objects across EMBL‑EBI and external resources, enabling search and cross‑linking across more than 100 biological data domains via web interfaces and RESTful APIs. You will join a team of software developers working together to support scientific research and FAIR data access across multiple disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Integration and indexing of biological data and metadata, and provision of these through user-friendly web interfaces and web services for the international research community;
• Development of new features within an established and evolving codebase;
• Integration of the search platform with emerging AI technologies to enhance data discovery and improve user experience;
• Development of lightweight and efficient approaches for integrating data from multiple domains;
• Collaboration with colleagues across EMBL‑EBI, applying industry‑standard best practices to create and maintain efficient, reusable and well‑documented software.

Qualifications

• A degree in Computer Science or a related field; a minimum of two years’ experience in software development;
• Good knowledge of Java, and experience with JavaScript and/or TypeScript;
• Experience with scripting languages such as Python and Bash;
• Good communication skills;
• Familiarity with modern software development practices and tools, including version control systems, CI/CD pipelines and automated testing;
• Experience in biomolecular or biomedical data and metadata integration (optional);
• Working knowledge of Solr, Lucene or Lucene‑based search technologies;
• Knowledge of Docker, Kubernetes or other deployment technologies;
• Knowledge of additional data storage technologies, including relational databases, graph databases and NoSQL systems;
• Familiarity with Linux/Unix environments;
• Experience with collaborative development tools such as Jira and Confluence;
• Experience with machine learning approaches, ideally in the context of data discovery.

Contract Details

• Contract length: 3 years (Project Limited Contract).
• Salary: Grade 5 or Grade 6 depending on experience. Monthly salary from £3,303 or £3,695 (after tax) plus generous benefits.
• Hybrid Working: At EMBL‑EBI we offer hybrid working options for all our employees. A dedicated desk will be available every day, but most of our team work two days on site and three from home. The ‘team days’ on site are Mondays and Tuesdays.

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 to 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.

Diversity and Inclusion

EMBL is a signatory of DORA. We encourage applications from candidates of all genders, identities, nationalities and other diverse backgrounds. We believe diverse teams drive innovation and scientific excellence.

International Applicants

We recruit internationally and successful candidates are offered visa exemptions. Please see the International Applicants page for further information.

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 27/06/2026. We aim to provide a response within two weeks after the closing date.