Senior Full Stack Developer (DECIPHER)

About the team/job

The DECIPHER platform accelerates disease research and healthcare by enabling the sharing of variants and phenotypic data from patients with rare genetic disorders. As a result of our work, hundreds of papers are published every year increasing knowledge of such disorders, and many thousands of rare disease patients now have a diagnosis.

We are looking for a highly experienced full stack developer who is skilled in creating intuitive web applications using JavaScript frameworks and RDBMS to work as a technical lead alongside the existing team of a project manager and two developers.

You will work with scientists and clinicians to understand their requirements and develop appropriate novel functionality. You will also collaborate with developers at EMBL-EBI and beyond to integrate information from other services into DECIPHER. You will work closely with the project manager to define new features and specify technical aspects of the design. 

Your role

In this role, you will have the opportunity to develop domain area expertise in human genetics while working with a modern technology stack. You will design, develop and support the DECIPHER platform, extending its functionality and keeping it up to date with cutting edge scientific knowledge. DECIPHER is a web application written in Node using Vue, Nuxt.js, and Express, with a PostgreSQL database, using Sequelize as an ORM.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Designing and implementing data structures and user interfaces to represent information relating to the human genome and genetic disorders.
• Investigating, retrieving and reshaping data from other resources.
• Upholding and refining expectations and for code quality, conventions, and development practice. Reviewing code written by other developers and identifying where any improvements can be made.
• Responding to bug reports and requests for support or new features and working with stakeholders to understand their requirements.
• Identifying causes of performance issues and resource usage and developing optimisations to maintain a responsive and stable service.
• Identifying and evaluating new technological opportunities and, where the project would benefit advocating for adoption as part of team planning activities
• Liaising with other groups at EMBL-EBI and externally, to explain requirements, optimise data presentation and to agree standards for data representation. 

You have

• Extensive experience of software development in JavaScript (Node.js or browser-based).
• Good knowledge of relational databases, including designing tables, views, and constraints.
• Experience of working in a collaborative professional software development environment.
• Proficiency working in a UNIX/Linux environment, using command-line tools and version control.
• An understanding of modern software development practices and tooling e.g. Continuous Integration/Deployment, automated testing, linting, performance benchmarking.
• Experience of, or enthusiasm to learn about human genetics
• An ability to produce consistent and compelling user experiences
• The ability to deliver a high-quality product on time and with careful attention to detail. 

You might also have

• Experience in developing reactive, data-driven web applications in JavaScript frameworks such as Vue, React, or Angular.
• Experience working with SVG and/or HTML canvas to visualise data.
• Familiarity with scripting languages such as Bash, Perl, Python.
• Experience of designing and leading software projects 
• Experience in bioinformatics and the management of genomics data 

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 else you need to know

•  Contract duration: This position is a 3 year project based contract. 
• 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.