Job Description

We are looking for an experienced Curator to join the Protein Families team at the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) located at the Wellcome Genome Campus near Cambridge in the UK. The InterPro and Pfam databases are world leading protein family annotation resources, run from within the Protein Families team at EMBL-EBI, led by Rob Finn.

There is an opportunity for a biocurator to join the team on a full time basis. The successful candidate will be expected to generate new protein families for the Pfam database and to annotate new InterPro database entries, as well as maintaining and updating existing entries. As part of the ‘Functional Families’ (FuncFams) project, you will have a particular focus on generating and annotating protein families related to enzymatic pathways and protein complexes. Furthermore, you will help and evaluate methods for making higher order annotations based of protein family annotations, which will involve bioinformatics analysis. As the project members produce new signatures, these will be a prioritized for integration within InterPro. You will interact with the Protein Families curation team on a daily basis and will report to the content coordinator. You will also interact with existing collaborators (both internal and external). This international project may involve out of standard hours work and international travel.

 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 22 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

Degree level or equivalent qualification/experience in a biological or closely related scientific discipline.

Work Experience:
The ideal candidate will have several years experience in curating biological data, and will have knowledge of a wide range of protein family databases. Experience in widely used bioinformatics tools is essential (ideally related to protein sequence searching and retrieval), with prior experience using HMMER and protein family building a distinct advantage. You must have a good understanding of protein structure and multiple-sequence alignments. Knowledge of pathways and associated databases would be advantageous.

Personal Skills:

• Ability to identify and summarise scientific literature;
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral;
• Have a passion for science, ideally protein biology;
• Pay attention to detail, yet be able to meet deadlines.

Computer Skills:

• Basic/intermediate Linux/Unix commands;
• Experience in the use of bioinformatics tools, both GUI and command-line;
• Basic Scripting knowledge is desirable;
• Basic knowledge of querying relational database e.g. MySQL is essential.

Benefits

EMBL is an inclusive, equal opportunity employer offering attractive conditions and benefits appropriate to an international research organisation. The remuneration package comprises a competitive salary, a comprehensive pension scheme and health insurance, educational and other family related benefits where applicable, as well as financial support for relocation and installation.

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

Please apply online through www.embl.org/jobs

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 contract grant duration specified.
Applications will close at 23:00 GMT on the date listed above.