Software Engineer – Data Discovery in Cambridge

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. It enables 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.

Your role:

• 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.

You have:

• A degree in Computer Science or a related field;
• A minimum of two years’ experience in software development;
• Good knowledge of Java;
• 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.

You may also have:

• Experience in biomolecular or biomedical data and metadata integration;
• 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 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. Excluding personal pension and insurance contributions.

Hybrid Working: At EMBL-EBI we are pleased to 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. At present the 'team days' on-site are Mondays and Tuesdays.

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.
• 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.
• Enjoy lots of benefits including financial incentives, flexible working arrangements, private medical insurance, generous time off, and campus life perks.

What else you need to know:

• International applicants: We recruit internationally and successful candidates are offered visa exemptions.
• 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.
• 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 the date shown below. We aim to provide a response within two weeks after the closing date.

Closing Date: 27/06/2026