Web Developer

About the team/job

We are looking for a Web Developer to join Open Targets at EMBL-EBI.

As a key member of the Open Targets core team, you will design and build cloud-first software tailored for the interface between large-scale biomedical data and drug discovery. In collaboration with the other Open Targets partners (BMS, Genentech, GSK, Pfizer, Sanofi, and the Wellcome Sanger Institute), you will work on developing and maintaining our two flagship open-source applications — the Open Targets Platform and Open Targets Genetics. Together, these two resources integrate, organise, and present vast amounts of biomedical data to help research scientists identify and prioritise potential therapeutic drug targets.

What kinds of things do we do?

Our open-source codebases power our flagship applications, the Open Targets Platform and Open Targets Genetics. Both products assist with decision making in drug discovery by systematically prioritising drug targets across a wide range of diseases. They are powered by rich and robust React-based web interfaces that provide a unified search box connected to a series of tools and views. Using harmonised data generated by our pipelines and served by various GraphQL API endpoints, users can explore a range of D3 data visualisations and data tables and export their results for further downstream analyses.

The Platform and Genetics are deployed in the public domain using Google Cloud Platform and by our partner institutions. Together with the other Open Targets partners and our global user base, we work to constantly evolve our products to help tackle unmet clinical needs and maximise the value for all users and stakeholders.

Some of the high impact, large-scale challenges we have tackled include:

• Redesigning and rewriting the entire technical infrastructure for the Open Targets Platform, including a new GraphQL API and React-based web interface and application
• Processing and visualising over 12 million FDA adverse event records and identifying significant adverse events using a Likelihood Ratio Test (LRT) algorithm and Monte Carlo simulation

Check out our blog to learn more about our recent work and what it is like to join our team. 

Your role

Working as part of a dynamic and collaborative team with members that come from various professional backgrounds and countries across the world, you will be responsible for:

• Solving big data problems and ensuring that front-end applications can handle ever-increasing amounts of data that users demand to facilitate their drug discovery research
• Designing, developing, and improving robust and testable web applications that consume GraphQL APIs and that are deployed and utilised around the world
• Building, integrating, and maintaining reusable data visualisation components, including complex graph-based data and ontologies
• Collaborating effectively in a multi-disciplinary team environment with data scientists, back-end software developers, product design, and outreach experts
• Investigating, selecting, and recommending appropriate technologies, tools, and libraries to ensure that our resources stay at the leading edge of software development 
• Ensuring the open source and open science nature of the Open Targets project by working with external collaborators on contributions, code documentation, and custom deployments
• Engaging in knowledge sharing activities and contributing technical expertise to our Community and blog 

You have

• BA/MSc/PhD in Computer Science, Software Development, or a related field or equivalent experience
• Experience building robust React web applications or using similar libraries/frameworks such as Angular or Vue
• Experience using responsive web design frameworks (Material-UI, SASS/LESS, Twitter Bootstrap, Foundation, etc.)
• Expert skills in front-end engineering using JavaScript/Typescript, HTML5, and CSS
• Interest in data visualisation for the web (D3, Canvas, SVG) 
• Experience with version control, code coverage reports, and deployments
• Excellent communication skills and can communicate clearly with project stakeholders and colleagues, including scientific and technical experts
• Ability to work independently and organise own workload 

You might also have

• Experience in the development or maintenance of APIs (REST or GraphQL preferred)
• Experience building reusable and scalable components and packages that can be shared across multiple websites/platforms
• Familiarity with some of the other technologies we use, including GraphQL, Spark, ElasticSearch, Google Cloud, ClickHouse, and/or Netlify
• A solid understanding of web application development processes: from requirements gathering and user interface design to testing and deployment
• Understanding of web application security, scalability, performance, and reliability
• Familiarity in other languages such as Python, Scala, Java, or R
• Previous experience working in the research or life science industries
• Knowledge of human genetics, genomics, and/or drug discovery — or are interested in learning about these topics
• Interest in promoting your work and the ways we have solved complex challenges 

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 fixed-term 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. 
• 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. We aim to provide a response within two weeks after the closing date.