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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a dynamic team managing cutting-edge IT platforms and cloud services.
- Company: Join EMBL-EBI, a leader in life sciences research and training.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, generous leave, and hybrid working options.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a collaborative environment while advancing your career.
- Qualifications: Experience with Kubernetes, cloud services, and leading diverse teams required.
- Other info: Relocation support and a vibrant campus life await you!
The predicted salary is between 4825 - 4825 £ per month.
About the Team
In service of its world-leading life sciences services, training, and research, the Applications team within ITS operates a substantial platform based on circa 120 Kubernetes clusters, combining a large VMware on-premises estate with a growing presence in public cloud. The Platform Coordinator will oversee the full spectrum of platform operations, spanning both on-premises user application platforms and public cloud services. This role ensures the seamless delivery, support, and evolution of platforms used by developers, bioinformaticians, and learners across EMBL-EBI, contributing directly to the success of EMBL-EBI's training mission.
The role requires strong technical leadership, stakeholder management, and a holistic view of platform operations to ensure efficiency, cost control, and high service quality across all environments. In addition, the Platform Coordinator will lead the Solutions Architecture function, driving the standardisation of platform and solution architectures across the organisation. This will focus on simplifying the technology landscape, promoting reusable patterns and reference architectures, and improving delivery efficiency while maintaining flexibility for innovation.
The Platform Coordinator leads a combined team of DevOps engineers and Site Reliability Engineers (SREs), managing the operational health, reliability, and evolution of EMBL-EBI's on-premises and cloud platforms. This includes Kubernetes, CI/CD tools like GitLab, web traffic management, web statistics services, and public cloud platforms (AWS and GCP).
Main Duties and Responsibilities:
- Technical Leadership
- Translate strategic objectives into actionable technical plans for the platform team.
- Oversee the lifecycle of technical projects, ensuring timely delivery and adherence to best practices.
- Manage operational performance and ensure high availability of both on-premises and cloud platforms.
- Maintain and develop strong collaborative relationships with IT teams and EMBL-EBI service stakeholders.
- Lead platform administration including Kubernetes clusters, GitLab, web statistics, and web traffic management systems.
- Oversee management of public cloud estates (AWS and GCP), promoting FinOps practices for cost tracking, forecasting, and governance.
- Engage in architecture design and promote reusable blueprints and best practices across the platforms.
- Support EMBL-EBI Training by implementing the technical components of course delivery.
- Drive continuous improvement, evaluating technologies, and prototyping solutions to meet evolving business needs.
- Lead and coordinate a combined team of 4 SREs and 3 DevOps as a single, cohesive unit.
- Manage performance, development, and career progression through regular 1:1s, objective setting, and coaching.
- Foster a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, and knowledge sharing.
- Encourage Agile practices and coaching within the team.
- Promote accountability for platform stability, performance, and customer satisfaction.
- Act as the primary point of contact for platform-related inquiries and escalations.
- Ensure high-quality service delivery and proactive issue resolution.
- Collaborate with Training and Research teams to uphold standards of platform availability and learning experience.
You have (Requirements)
- Proven experience managing complex IT platforms, including on-premises and cloud environments.
- Strong understanding of Kubernetes, GitLab, cloud services (AWS/GCP), and web infrastructure management.
- Experience leading combined teams of DevOps and SREs, with the ability to unify teams across different specialties.
- Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
- Knowledge of FinOps principles and cost management in multi-cloud environments.
- Agile and project management experience.
- Technical problem-solving skills and hands-on experience in platform administration is desirable.
Behaviours we value in our team:
- You enjoy working & leading as part of a collaborative, international team.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
- You will be committed to high-quality, reliable services.
- Proactively monitor and improve processes, systems and performance.
- Striving for service excellence.
- Empathy & understanding for users.
- Lead a team and drive forward a strategic goal of the Applications Team.
- Excellent attention to detail and problem-solving skills.
Benefits and Contract Information
- Financial incentives: depending on circumstances, monthly family/marriage allowance of £278, monthly child allowance of £336 per child, non-resident allowance up to £579 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 up to 9 years.
- Salary: Monthly salary starting at £4,825 after tax but excluding pension & insurances + benefits (Total package will be dependent on family circumstances).
- International applicants: We recruit internationally and successful candidates are offered visa exemptions.
- 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.
To apply, please submit a covering letter and CV via our online system. Applications will close on 05/04/2026.
Application Coordinator in Chelmsford employer: EMBL-EBI
Contact Detail:
EMBL-EBI Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Application Coordinator in Chelmsford
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in the industry, attend meetups, and connect with people on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Understand their tech stack and be ready to discuss how your skills align with their needs. This shows you're genuinely interested and not just another applicant.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Do mock interviews with friends or use online platforms to get comfortable with common questions. The more you practice, the more confident you'll feel when it’s time to shine.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take that extra step to engage with us directly.
We think you need these skills to ace Application Coordinator in Chelmsford
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Application Coordinator role. Highlight your experience with Kubernetes, cloud services, and team leadership. We want to see how your skills align with our needs!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about this role and how you can contribute to our mission at EMBL-EBI. Keep it engaging and relevant to the job description.
Showcase Your Technical Skills: Don’t shy away from showcasing your technical expertise in your application. Mention specific projects or experiences that demonstrate your knowledge of platform operations, GitLab, and cloud management. We love seeing hands-on experience!
Apply Through Our Website: Remember to apply through our website for a smooth application process. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates from our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at EMBL-EBI
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of Kubernetes, GitLab, and cloud services like AWS and GCP. Be ready to discuss how you've managed complex IT platforms in the past, as this will show your technical leadership skills.
✨Showcase Your Team Leadership Skills
Prepare examples of how you've led teams of DevOps engineers and SREs. Highlight your experience in fostering collaboration and continuous improvement within your team, as well as how you've managed performance and career progression.
✨Understand Stakeholder Management
Be ready to talk about your experience in managing relationships with stakeholders. Think of specific instances where you've acted as a point of contact for platform-related inquiries and how you ensured high-quality service delivery.
✨Emphasise Your Problem-Solving Abilities
Prepare to discuss technical challenges you've faced and how you approached solving them. This role requires strong problem-solving skills, so sharing relevant experiences will demonstrate your capability to handle the operational health and reliability of platforms.