At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a team to develop one of the world's largest biomedical literature resources.
- Company: Join EMBL-EBI, a leader in open science and bioinformatics.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, flexible working, and generous leave.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with excellent career growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on global scientific research and innovation.
- Qualifications: Degree in Computer Science or equivalent experience required.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 88000 £ per year.
Your role
Join EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) and lead the engineering team behind one of the world’s largest and most widely used biomedical literature resources.
As Software Development Project Lead, you will provide technical leadership for Europe PMC, a globally recognised open science platform used by millions of researchers every year.
You will lead a team of backend and database developers and work closely with the product team, machine learning engineers and data scientists to shape the next generation of literature discovery and AI-powered research services.
Working alongside the Literature Services Team Lead, Product Lead and Data Science Lead, you will help define the technical strategy for Europe PMC, ensuring the platform continues to scale while delivering innovative capabilities that support modern scientific research.
- Europe PMC contains more than
- 11 million full-text articles and preprints
- , together with
- 45 million abstracts
, enriched with citations, links to biological databases, persistent identifiers for people, organisations and grants, and state-of-the-art machine learning annotations.
- The service is supported by
- 35 international biomedical research funders
- , serves
- 46 million unique users annually
- , and processes approximately
1.5 billion API requests every year .
Built primarily using Java and Spring, with SQL and No SQL databases, large-scale Solr search infrastructure and high-throughput data pipelines, Europe PMC presents complex engineering challenges at global scale.
- In this role you will
- Lead the technical development and long-term architecture of Europe PMC and associated services
- Define technical roadmaps to ensure the platform continues to scale in response to rapid growth in data volumes, AI capabilities and user demand
- Lead, mentor and develop a team of software engineers, supporting both delivery and career development
- Work across product, software engineering and data science teams to deliver new features and AI-enabled services
- Prioritise development work using Agile methodologies, balancing new functionality, operational stability and technical debt
- Oversee large-scale data ingestion and processing pipelines from multiple international content providers
- Ensure the reliability, performance and availability of Europe PMC’s production services
- Contribute to software engineering best practice, architecture, resource planning and delivery processes
- Collaborate with colleagues across EMBL-EBI and with international partners to deliver shared infrastructure and strategic initiatives
This is an opportunity to combine technical leadership, software engineering and people management while helping to build one of the world’s most important resources for life science research.
- You will have
- A degree in Computer Science or equivalent professional experience
- Experience managing technical delivery in Agile environments, including Scrum and Kanban
- Experience designing, building and operating large-scale, high-availability systems handling substantial data volumes and user traffic
- Experience managing software engineering projects from planning through delivery
- Experience recruiting, mentoring and supporting software engineers
- Strong stakeholder management skills, working effectively with both technical and non-technical collaborators
- Excellent communication skills and a collaborative leadership style
- You will also have strong technical expertise in several of the following:
- Java and Spring
- SQL and No SQL databases (including Mongo DB)
- Apache Solr/Lucene and large-scale search systems
- RESTful and SOAP web services
- Unix/Linux environments and shell scripting
- Git/Git Lab and modern software development workflows
- JIRA or similar issue tracking systems
- Application performance optimisation, debugging and production support
- Software testing, deployment and engineering best practices
- Significant experience leading software engineering teams and developing people
- You may also have
- Experience working with scientific data resources, bioinformatics or biological databases
- Experience in scientific publishing, scholarly communications or research information systems
- Experience developing systems that process terabyte-scale datasets
- Experience with modern Java Script frameworks such as Vue. js or React
- Experience using high-performance or distributed computing environments, including Slurm
- Experience supporting machine learning workflows or production ML pipelines
- An interest in open science, scholarly communication and developing services that accelerate scientific discovery
At EMBL-EBI you will work in a highly collaborative international environment alongside software engineers, data scientists and researchers from around the world.
Based on the Wellcome Genome Campus near Cambridge, you will help shape technologies that enable scientists worldwide to discover, access and reuse the biomedical literature at unprecedented scale.
Contract length
Initial 3-year fixed-term, Staff Member contract with the potential for extension based upon availability of continued grant-funding.
Salary
Grade 7 - Monthly salary starting at £4,395.66 per month after tax but excluding pension and insurance contributions. Plus, generous benefits.
- Why join us
- Do something meaningful
At EMBL-EBI you can apply your talent and passion to accelerate science and tackle some of humankind’s greatest challenges.
EMBL-EBI, part of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, is a worldwide leader in the storage, analysis and dissemination of large biological datasets.
We provide the global research community with access to publicly available databases and tools which are crucial for the advancement of healthcare, food security, and biodiversity.
Join a culture of innovation
We are located on the Wellcome Genome Campus, alongside other prominent research and biotech organisations, and surrounded by beautiful Cambridgeshire countryside.
This is a highly collaborative and inclusive community where our employees enjoy a relaxed atmosphere.
We are committed to ensuring our employees feel valued, supported and empowered to reach their professional potential.
Watch this video to see how EMBL-EBI makes an impact.
- Enjoy lots of 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 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.
For detailed information please visit our employee benefits page here.
- What else you need to know
- International applicants: We recruit internationally and successful candidates are offered visa exemptions.
Please take a look at our International Applicants page for further information.
- EMBL is a signatory of DORA. Find out how we apply DORA principles to our recruitment and performance assessment processes here.
- Diversity and inclusion: At EMBL, we believe that diverse teams drive innovation and scientific excellence.
We encourage applications from candidates of all genders, identities, nationalities and/or any other diverse backgrounds.
- Closing Date
- 28/10/2026
- #J-18808-Ljbffr
Software Development Project Lead employer: EMBL
Join EMBL-EBI, a world-renowned bioinformatics institute, as the Plant Genomics and Variation Team Leader, where you will lead a dynamic team in advancing crop genomics and genetic variation resources. Our collaborative work culture fosters innovation and community engagement, providing ample opportunities for professional growth and impactful contributions to global research. Located in a vibrant scientific hub, you will have access to cutting-edge resources and a network of international experts dedicated to shaping the future of genomic data exploration.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Software Development Project Lead
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at EMBL or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to EMBL.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like EMBL.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like EMBL that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Software Development Project Lead
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at EMBL.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at EMBL and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at EMBL
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If EMBL uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
