The EMBL-EBI Web Development team aims to provide a central source of web design and development expertise for core corporate websites and collaborative projects. We use our collective experience of open technologies, user experience design and project management to deliver and support high quality websites for the global life sciences community. The team includes Web Developers and User Experience (UX) Designers and works closely with the Digital Communications and IT Teams based at EMBL in Heidelberg Germany.

Join the Web Development team as we improve our content websites and the mechanisms to build and manage them, by working on robust and secure web content platforms serving a whole range of websites across the organisation.

You will have skills in full stack web development, with expertise in Javascript frameworks, Wordpress/Drupal CMS and CI/CD. You care about what the team delivers, and how we do it and are passionate about delivering improvements to our users. That means understanding their needs, designing the right solution, deploying the change efficiently (if not automatically!) and ensuring the service continues to operate effectively. 

Your role

In this role you will be applying your expertise to a wide range of projects and services.

You main responsibilities will be

• Developing front-end website architecture which includes designing interactive, responsive and dynamic web pages
• Developing PHP back-end applications, databases and servers for creating a highly functional website
• Writing and documenting effective APIs
• Testing software to ensure security, responsiveness and efficiency
• Troubleshooting, suggesting improvements and debugging 
• Ensuring cross-platform compatibility and optimisation
• Writing technical documentation and participating in code reviews
• Staying well-informed about the current developments in the world of web development, learning about emerging concepts in full stack, and updating project leaders regarding the same
• Supporting client requests through different ticketing systems

Typically, we work on projects within a structure of dedicated sprints, with time between projects to help us cover our operational and business as usual (BAU) activities. You will be helping with both projects and our BAU activities.

Closing date: 22 August 2022

• Contract duration: 3 years (renewable up to 9 years)

• Grading: Monthly salary starting from Grade 5 (£2,882) or Grade 6 (3,224) depending on experience + other paid benefits

• Reference number: EBI02048

You have

• A BSc or MSc in Computer Science, Information Technology, or Software Engineering (or a similar/related discipline) 
• 3+ years of demonstrable experience as a full stack web developer
• Expertise in front-end technologies, including JavaScript, CSS3 and HTML5 and third-party libraries such as React, Angular, Vue.js, jQuery and LESS
• Back-end development skills using a server side language like PHP/Node.js
• Proficiency in modern object-oriented PHP frameworks (e.g. Symfony, Laravel)
• Proficiency in designing and developing websites using Wordpress or Drupal Content Management Systems (CMS)
• Experience working with APIs and RESTful services
• A good understanding of SQL databases (e.g. MySQL, PostgresSQL)
• An understanding of basic server management tasks (ie SSH, Linux, Apache and Nginx) 
• A detailed understanding of continuous integration tools to create deployment pipelines, such as Jenkins, GitLab or similar
• Experience being part of an agile development process, participating throughout the software delivery lifecycle
• Good analytical skills with a zeal to continuously learn and improve
• Experience of communicating and collaborating directly with stakeholders and users to better understand their needs

You might also have

• Experience developing content based websites for non-technical stakeholders
• Ability to work in both Windows and UNIX/Linux operating systems
• A good understanding of WordPress in-built functions, custom plugins & themes, as well as integration with other platforms.
• Experience of build tools such as NPM, Jekyll, Grunt, Sass/SCSS;
• Experience running and troubleshooting web application servers (e.g. Apache, Nginx)
• Experience with VM and/or container deployment (e.g. Kubernetes, Docker, etc)
• Experience with Google Analytics or similar for improving software functions
• Basic design ability, including knowledge of UI/UX and basic prototype design

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. 

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
• 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 (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 more details please see our employee benefits page.

"What EMBL-EBI does is extremely positive and I wanted to be a part of that. Throughout my career, I’ve always tried to take on roles where I can go home in the evenings feeling I have done something to support an organisation that seeks to be altruistic."

- Tim Dyce, Head of Infrastructure Services

What else you need to know

• Contract duration: This position is a 3 year contract, renewable to a maximum of 9 years.
• International applicants: We recruit internationally and successful candidates are offered visa exemptions. Read more on our page for international applicants. 
• 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.
• EMBL is a signatory of DORA. Find out how we implement best practices in research assessment in our recruitment processes here.
• 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.
• How to apply: To apply please submit a cover letter and a CV through our online system.

For questions or issues with the application process, please contact [email protected]