Research Group Leader

at  European Molecular Biology Laboratory

Science Faculty
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
EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) is seeking talented and highly-motivated scientists to join its Faculty to develop their own independent research group. We welcome applicants from across the whole field of computational biology, in particular working at the interface of artificial intelligence and biology. Women, who are under-represented in our Faculty, are especially being encouraged to apply.
EMBL-EBI is a global leader in computational biology and bioinformatics. Our research groups develop and apply computational approaches to answer fundamental and applied questions, ranging from studying how the genome has evolved through to how the microbiome affects our health and the impact of protein structure on drug responses. From a computational perspective, research in the Institute builds and expands upon a variety of methods, from strategies for sequence analysis through to high-dimensional statistical models, machine learning and artificial intelligence. Computational methods developed by groups based at EMBL-EBI are amongst the most widely used by the scientific community, providing the building blocks for future technical advances and scientific discovery. Please refer to the EMBL-EBI webpage and the individual group descriptions to learn more about the research currently being done in the Institute.
As well as joining one of the world’s leading computational biology institutes, you will also become a member of the wider EMBL Faculty. In line with EMBL’s scientific programme Molecules to Ecosystems, EMBL-EBI is particularly interested in candidates that have research programmes
You have
An aspiration to work on key questions in bioinformatics and computational biology, which implies both biological discoveries and methodological advances. Furthermore, your research will complement and synergise with the activities of EMBL-EBI and the whole of EMBL. You should therefore demonstrate a strong motivation to work in the collaborative and multidisciplinary environment of EMBL.
The successful candidate will have a concise research plan with clearly outlined highly original and ambitious research goals.
A PhD degree in biological, physical or mathematical sciences is required, with an interest in the wider field of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics.
The ability to work independently and to participate in a collaborative team effort is required, as is a proactive and positive problem-solving mind-set.
You might also have
Experience supervising PhD students, Master Theses, and Postdoctoral Fellows. You should be dedicated to developing effective relationships and to providing leadership and guidance to team members.
Experience of promoting your own work and broader science to specialist scientific media and general audiences.
Why join us
EMBL-EBI appoints group leaders from early on in their career and provides a very supportive environment for your first independent position in order to achieve your research goals. The initial “Lead your Lab” management training is provided for all incoming group leaders.
Our research-supportive environment has enabled scientists at EMBL-EBI to produce breakthrough works, and to pursue fascinating, demanding avenues of enquiry. Work from EMBL-EBI researchers is frequently highly cited, impacting disciplines from protein structures through to single-cell genomics, and from microbiology through to cancer.
EMBL is curiosity-driven, community-oriented and international. As an inclusive, equal opportunity employer, we believe that diversity enables us to collaborate more effectively and be innovative in our approaches. We are, therefore, committed to creating an inclusive and flexible culture - one where everyone can realise their full potential and make a positive contribution to our organisation.
We encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing team – we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and personal experiences reflect the diversity of the populations that our science serves. We actively encourage applications from all genders and cultures, ethnic groups and all demographics to help us avoid perpetuating biases and oversights at this transformational point in our people strategy.
EMBL offers attractive conditions and benefits appropriate to an international research organisation with a very collegial and family-friendly working environment. Competitive salary and social security benefits, financial support for relocation, a relaxed culture, professional development, an on-site nursery, canteen and other staff facilities make EMBL-EBI a great place to work.
Working at EMBL-EBI
Join our diverse team and help power the next generation of discoveries in the life sciences.
“We have a lot of smart people here. I really enjoy making sure they have the right environment to maximise their potential.”
Andy Yates, Team Leader
What else you need to know
EMBL is Europe’s flagship research laboratory for the life sciences – an intergovernmental organisation performing scientific research in disciplines including molecular biology, physics, chemistry and computer science. We are an international, innovative and interdisciplinary laboratory with more than 1800 employees from more than 80 countries, operating across six sites in Heidelberg (HQ), Barcelona, Hinxton, Hamburg, Grenoble and Rome.
The working language of the Institute is English.
In your online application, you will be asked to include a cover letter, your CV, the names and contact details of three referees and a concise description of research interests and future research plans, typically not exceeding five pages. Once you submit your application, your referees will be automatically contacted by e-mail and will be provided with a link to upload their letter. Should you plan to submit your application close to the deadline, please inform your referees in advance so they can be ready to send their letter of reference preferably by the deadline of the call.
In addition, you will be asked to provide your potential interest in one or two transversal themes.
Interviews are planned for 2nd-3rd September 2024.
Before applying, please read full application instructions here and the further information on Research Group Leader appointments here.
An initial contract of 5 years will be offered to the successful candidate. This is foreseen to be extended to a maximum of 9 years, subject to an external review. Our track record shows that our group leaders go to senior positions in academia and industry after their tenure with us.
Further information about the position can be obtained from the EMBL-EBI Head of Research, Julio Saez-Rodriguez.
EMBL is a signatory of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA). We support fair and responsible research assessment, which includes its recruitment and performance assessment processes. We recognize a range of research outputs, discourage inappropriate use of proxies such as journal impact factors, and value research outputs based on their intrinsic merit

Please refer the Job description for details