Full-Time RNA Bioinformatician
Job Description
Your role
We are recruiting a Bioinformatician to develop both the RNAcentral and Rfam databases. Rfam and RNAcentral are key resources for RNA Biology that serve tens of thousands of users every year and are highly cited in the scientific literature and are currently funded by the BBSRC and Wellcome. The RNA Resources team is part of the Sequence Families group led by Alex Bateman. You will be working closely with Project Leader for RNA Resources as well as the RNA Resources full stack developers and biocurator from the Rfam team.
You will be responsible for running, maintaining and developing the bioinformatic pipelines that underlie RNAcentral and Rfam. They import data, perform quality controls and additional analyses and produce exports for community use. As part of your responsibilities you will import new types of data, create new analyses and ensure the continued functionality of the pipelines. Additionally, you are expected to keep up-to-date with the latest developments in RNA science to ensure the resources continue to provide our diverse users with valuable data and analysis.
You will be responsible for development of new features, such as integration of probing data. You will also be responsible for outreach to the scientific community through presentations at major conferences such as RNA Society and ISMB. Finally, you will present at the RNAcentral consortium meetings and Scientific Advisory board meetings for regular feedback from community members.
You should be passionate about RNA science and want to help the scientific community. RNAcentral and Rfam are widely used resources and work here provides an opportunity to shape the work of many RNA researchers worldwide.
You have
- Masters level or equivalent qualification in computational, biological or related scientific discipline
- Knowledge of RNA biology and willingness to stay up-to-date with RNA science
- Knowledge of the Python programming language
- Experience with relational databases (MySQL, Postgres) and SQL
- Comfortable using Git/GitHub, Unix, and Bash
- Strong communication skills
- Demonstrated track record of developing bioinformatic pipelines
- Ability to apply best practices software development methodologies
- Familiarity with Docker or other containerization technologies
You may also have
- Experience with high-performance computing environments such as slurm
- Experience with bioinformatic pipeline libraries such as nextflow
- Peer reviewed papers in RNA biology
- Experience with LLMs and other machine learning methodologies
- Experience with social media outreach
- Experience with the rust programming language
Other helpful information
Hybrid Working: At EMBL-EBI we are pleased to offer hybrid working options for all our employees. A dedicated desk will be available everyday, with two collaborative team days on Monday and Tuesday and the option to work three days from home.
Interviews: We plan to hold introductory meetings with selected candidates remotely starting on 29th September 2025 , following this we plan to hold panel interviews remotely from 17th October 2025.
Apply now! 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 £569 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 grant based contract with possibility for renewal
- Salary: Monthly salary starting at £3,303 after tax but excl. pension & insurances) + benefits (Total package will be dependent on family circumstances)
- 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.
- 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.