Scientific Curator : Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom

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Job Description

The Gene Expression team requires an experienced and motivated scientific curator to work with various production databases and grant-funded projects, including ArrayExpress, BioStudies and Expression Atlas.
 The post holder will participate in:

• Primary focus on bio-curation and management of metadata for experiment submissions handled by the Gene Expression team; communication with submitters;
• Curation of expression data for Expression Atlas;
• Documentation and testing of analysis and reporting pipelines used by the team;
• The development and extension of standard formats for functional genomics data (e.g. microarray gene expression data, high-throughput single-cell sequencing data)
• Interaction with software developers at EMBL-EBI to jointly specify, design and test software relevant to the team’s work (e.g. Annotare submission tool);
• Design and delivery of training materials for Functional Genomics resources (e.g. at hands-on training courses), with occasional collection of participant feedback to guide user-focused development of Expression Atlas and other Functional Genomics resources at the EBI.
  

The post holder will report to the Gene Expression Team Leader. Occasional travel may also be required.

At EMBL-EBI, we help scientists realise the potential of ‘big data’ in biology by enabling them to exploit complex information to make discoveries that benefit mankind. Working for EMBL-EBI gives you an opportunity to apply your skills and energy for the greater good. As part of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), we are a non-profit, intergovernmental organisation funded by 23 member states and two associate member states and proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. We are located on the Wellcome Genome Campus near Cambridge in the UK, and our 600 staff are engineers, technicians, scientists and other professionals from all over the world.

Qualifications and Experience

Applicants should have a first degree in Biology and a relevant higher degree such as in MSc in Biology or Bioinformatics. PhD or equivalent work experience is preferred. A background in working with high throughput data, especially array-based gene expression, genotyping or high-throughput sequencing data would be useful. Experience working with research scientists analysing or managing research data, or working in a production environment managing scientific data is desirable.

No programming experience is required, but some experience in any of Unix shell, SQL and Python and relational databases (Oracle, MySQL) would be advantageous. Any experience with the use and design of controlled vocabularies would be useful. Experience of working with RNA-seq data is particularly welcome.

The post holder will also require effective communication and teamwork skills to work successfully within a busy team and will interact with the collaborators, users, support teams and other EBI staff.

Benefits

EMBL is an inclusive, equal opportunity employer offering attractive conditions and benefits appropriate to an international research organisation.   We have an informal culture, international working environment and excellent professional development opportunities but one of the really amazing things about us is the concentration of technical and scientific expertise – something you probably won’t find anywhere else.

If you’ve ever visited the campus you’ll have experienced first-hand our friendly, collegial and supportive atmosphere, set in the beautiful Cambridgeshire countryside. Our staff also enjoy excellent sports facilities including a gym, a free shuttle bus, an on-site nursery, cafés and restaurant and a library.

Application Instructions

To apply please submit a covering letter and CV, with two referees, through our online system.

Additional Information

Applications are welcome from all nationalities - visa information will be discussed in more depth with applicants selected for interview.

EMBL-EBI is committed to achieving gender balance and strongly encourages applications from women, who are currently under-represented at all levels. Appointment will be based on merit alone.

This position is limited to the project duration specified.

Applications will close at 23:00 GMT on the date listed above.