Protein Function Development Team Leader

Overview

We are seeking an exceptional candidate for the EMBL-EBI Faculty role of Protein Function Development Team Leader, to be responsible for leading the engineering and bioinformatics infrastructure that underpins one of the most important resources in the life sciences, Uniprot.

UniProt is the world's leading resource for protein sequences and functional annotation, used by hundreds of thousands of researchers globally every day. It provides comprehensive annotations across an ever-growing number of proteomes spanning the tree of life, integrating experimentally determined functional data from the literature with state-of-the-art computational predictions and richly interconnected data from partner resources. As the demands on UniProt continue to grow, in data volume, annotation depth, and the diversity of research applications it supports, a robust and forward-looking bioinformatics infrastructure is essential to its continued success and impact.

This role reports to Sameer Velankar, Head of the Macromolecular Structure, Chemistry and Bioimaging section, and will work closely with Alex Bateman, Head of Protein Sequence Resources, and Stephanie Lo, Protein Function Content Team Leader, who leads the UniProt biocuration team.

Your role

As our Protein Function Development Team Leader you will lead a multidisciplinary team of approximately 17 staff, including software engineers, data scientists, bioinformaticians, and UX experts, in the production and delivery of protein data at scale. The team is responsible for designing and maintaining novel data stores and production workflows, developing innovative methods for protein annotation, and building and sustaining the website and dissemination technologies that make UniProt accessible to the global research community,
including APIs and advanced data visualisations.

You will bring strong knowledge of production and website architectures, guiding the team towards sustainable, scalable solutions that can meet the growing demands placed on UniProt. They will coordinate the development of new interfaces and analytical tools for protein representation and analysis, while overseeing the maintenance of existing tools and codebases and leading their migration to modern technologies and infrastructures.

A critical aspect of this role is strategic foresight: anticipating future demands from biological research, evaluating emerging technical advances, and balancing innovation with the continued delivery of core priorities. This includes driving the integration of AI-based tools and approaches to enhance UniProt's services, annotation processes, and user experience.

A key strategic priority for this hire is to lead a cultural and technical shift towards AI-first development, leveraging AI coding assistants and generative tools to accelerate delivery, improve code quality, and reduce technical debt across both platforms. Collaboration is central to this role. The Team Leader will work closely with the global UniProt consortium partners, engage with diverse user and data resource communities, and maintain strong working relationships with EMBL-EBI resources with which UniProt shares significant data flows and interdependencies.

You have 
 

• Advanced degree (PhD preferred) in bioinformatics, computer science, or a related field

• Proven leadership experience in scientific data management, software development, or bioinformatics, with a track record of delivering high-quality results in a multidisciplinary environment

• Experience designing, developing, and maintaining scalable databases, services, and websites, with the ability to organise and process data at terabyte scale

• Strong knowledge of software engineering principles and deployment infrastructures,
  including commercial cloud platforms and container orchestration technologies such as Kubernetes

• Demonstrated experience using AI coding tools (e.g. Claude Code, Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor) in a production environment.

• Familiarity with data standards and interoperability frameworks relevant to the life sciences

• Demonstrated experience in project management and staff management, including mentoring and developing team members

• Experience in grant writing, grant management, and reporting to funding bodies

• Strategic vision and the ambition to develop high-impact, globally used data services for the life sciences research community

• A collaborative approach to working with international partners, consortia, and user communities

• A proactive and positive problem-solving mindset

• Inclusive leadership skills - actively seek to identify your own biases and consider a range of perspectives to inform decision-making and the way you lead and collaborate with others

• Demonstrate key leadership qualities – self awareness, empathy, growth mindset, active listening, empowerment of others and superior communication skills

• ​You should be dedicated to developing effective relationships across EMBL demonstrating a commitment to inclusive behaviours

You may also have
 

• Knowledge of computational methods for protein function prediction

• Experience in budget management and financial planning

• A proven record of leading and delivering high-impact scientific projects

• An established profile in the international community in an area related to protein data or bioinformatics
   

Contract length: 5 years, renewable to a maximum of 9 years

Salary: Grade 9 monthly salary from £5,982 per month after tax plus generous benefits. Excl. personal pension and insurance contributions.

Interviews: Likely to take place in person at our campus in Hinxton, on Wednesday 19th August 2026.

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.  Watch this video to see how EMBL-EBI makes an impact.

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 - including hybrid working patterns 

• 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 public 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 detailed information please visit our employee benefits page here. 

What else you need to know

• International applicants: We recruit internationally and successful candidates are offered visa exemptions. Please take a look at our International Applicants page for further information.  

• EMBL is a signatory of DORA. Find out how we apply DORA principles to our recruitment and performance assessment processes here.

• Diversity and inclusion: At EMBL, we believe that diverse teams drive innovation and scientific excellence. We encourage applications from candidates of all genders, identities, nationalities and/or any other diverse backgrounds.

• How to apply: To apply please submit a cover letter and a CV through our online system. Applications will close at 23:59 CET on the date shown below. We aim to provide a response within two weeks after the closing date.

Closing Date