About the Team

We’re seeking a skilled individual to join our Applications Group and contribute to the success of our applications portfolio, joining the team as a Site Reliability Engineer. Within the Applications Group, the Web Applications Platform Team is responsible for providing the platforms on which all EBI web services are hosted. 

A couple of years ago, the web hosting service started shifting to a container based model, and our goal is to accelerate and consolidate this trend. Our web services are very popular among the scientific community, and the average monthly request count is over 3,000 million.

Working closely with the different IT groups like Infrastructure and Operations, this position will help designing, implementing and administering the future platform, on which all our scientific web services will be running on.

Duties & Responsibilities 

In this role you will:

Responsible for building and maintaining the following environments:

• Web Hosting platform based on Kubernetes, where users can deploy web applications along with the following eco-system:

  • Infrastructure and application monitoring based on Prometheus

  • Web analytics platform, currently based on ElasticSearch

  • CI/CD tools like Gitlab

• Drive automation and change to simplify management, operations and increase efficiency

• Ensure documentation is of standard

• Drive SRE best practices 

This position will contribute directly to the above mentioned projects and tasks, and will help the team move forward with the production automation. This position will also help and guide other team members with daily prioritisation of tasks.

You have (Requirements) 

• Bachelor's degree or higher in computer science or a related discipline, or demonstrate equivalent experience. The role would be suitable for a Unix/Linux systems administrator with good web hosting, Kubernetes, and CI/CD understanding.

• At least 3 years of experience in the design, implementation and operation of large scale web hosting platforms.

• Experience managing public-facing production services

• Experience working with Agile methodologies

• 3 years of experience with automated deployment/configuration methods (e.g. Ansible, Puppet, Terraform)

• Solid experience in Kubernetes deployment and administration in public or private cloud

• Strong Linux administration skills, ideally with RHEL or a RHEL clone

• Solid skills in automation tools like Jenkins, Rundeck, or similar.

• Hands-on experience using Git in CI/CD and infrastructure-as-code workflows.

• Solid skills in at least one programming language, ideally python

• Experience with methodologies for infrastructure monitoring.

• Solid interpersonal and written English communication skills

• Proven ability to work well in a team, building positive relationships and sharing knowledge

• Ability to plan and prioritise workloads

You might also have (Desirable)

• Experience with cloud technologies, including Google or AWS certification

• Experience with Web Security best practices (OWASP)

Behaviors we value in our team:

You will possess strong communication skills, with the ability to multiple priorities and deadlines In a collaborative and effective in multidisciplinary, international teams! 

A technical expert in your area of expertise, willing to share knowledge and keep up with trends! 

Other helpful information 

Hybrid Working: At EMBL-EBI we are pleased to offer hybrid working options for all our employees. A dedicated desk will be available everyday, our team work two days on site and three from home.  

Contract length: 3 years (renewable up to 9 years)

Salary: Grade 5 - 6 monthly salary starting at £3,303 - £3,695 per month after tax but excluding pension and insurance contributions. Plus generous benefits.

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