Helpdesk Bioinformatician - Commencing Immediately Hinxton, England
Job description
Bioinformatics
Hinxton, UK
In this job
Your role
You have
You might also have
Why join us
What else you need to know
More about EMBL-EBI
We are seeking an enthusiastic Helpdesk Bioinformatician to join the European Variation Archive (EVA) team. The EVA project is part of the EGA and EVA team led by Thomas Keane, inside the Omics Section at EMBL-EBI. We work closely with other members of the Omics Section, and share our expertises to provide continuous training to our technical staff.
The EVA is a primary open repository for archiving, accessioning, and distributing genetic variation, including single nucleotide variants, short insertions and deletions (indels), and larger structural variants (SVs) in any species. It aims to provide access to data, to foster data re-use, to enable reproducibility in Biomedical, agricultural and microbial research in line with the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) principles. The EVA is also an ELIXIR Deposition Database and an active contributor to international standards through the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH).
You will join a dynamic team of software developers and bioinformatician to help the EVA to scale to billions of variants with thousands of sample genotypes across hundreds of species. The EVA develops services that allow scientists to make the results of their research available to the community, and to access data submitted by others using web portals and REST APIs. The team follows agile methodology to track work and uses Git, JIRA, and Confluence in a collaborative and open source environment.
Your role
As a Helpdesk Bioinformatician, you provide user-facing services to support submissions to EVA (such as study submission, metadata and data validation and processing). You will coordinate collection and recording of submitter feedback and requirements to the EVA management and development team. You must be committed to organisation, documentation and timely response to users’ requests. In collaboration with the project lead you will be developing documentation, FAQs and short tutorials to help submitters better understand our requirements and validation processes.
Responsibilities
Provide first-line helpdesk support for the EVA community, answering queries and resolving issues
You have
A Bachelor's degree or higher in bioinformatics, computational biology, genetics or a related field
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to troubleshoot and resolve technical issues
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical audiences
Knowledge of genetic variation file format such as VCF and relevant bioinformatics tools and resources
Familiarity with scripting languages such as Python or Bash
You might also have
Experience:
in a helpdesk or customer support role is desirable but not essential
using issue tracking systems (JIRA, RT or other)
Familiarity with:
relational databases and SQL
genome sequencing data and genetic variation detection methods
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:
Flexible working arrangements
Generous time off: 30 days annual leave per year, in addition to eight bank holidays
Relocation package (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, 10 days of child sick leave and holiday clubs on campus
Benefits for non-UK residents: Visa exemption.
Working at EMBL-EBI
Join our diverse team and help power the next generation of discoveries in the life sciences.
I often find myself involved with completely new tasks that require me to be dynamic and learn a whole new set of skills. You arrive here with a set of skills and knowledge, but you will probably leave having learned a lot more.
Mateus Patricio, Bioinformatician
What else you need to know
Contract Type: Supernumerary - this contract type will be required to pay UK National Insurance Contributions.
Contract duration: This position is a short-term fixed position for approximately 7 months with an estimated contract end date on 31/12/2023. Candidate must be available to begin immediately.
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 relocation package to support you.
How to apply: To apply please submit a cover letter and a CV through our online system.
