We are seeking a highly experienced biological database curation manager, with a strong publication track record, to become a faculty level Team Leader for the Protein Function Content Team at the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), located on the Wellcome Genome Campus, near Cambridge, in the UK.
The Protein Function Content Team Leader manages a team of expert biologists in curation of proteins as part of the international UniProt and Gene Ontology (GO) consortia, as well as other related data resources.
The team curates knowledge from the scientific literature and additionally evaluates machine learning (ML)-generated protein annotations.
The Team Leader will work with collaborators such as INSDC, Ensembl, PDB, Open Targets and IMEx on aspects of external large-scale data import into UniProt and GO. The Team Leader will also engage with the community from both academia and industry to enhance the utility of the service. Staff in the team work closely with the software development team to ensure high quality data services guided by user requirements. The team is highly international and collaborative.
The Team Leader will report to Sameer Velankar, Head of the Macromolecules, Structure, Chemistry and Bioimaging section, and will work closely with Alex Bateman Head of Protein Sequence Resource and Maria Martin, the Protein Function Development Team Leader who leads software development, external data integration and database release production. The Team Leader will collaborate closely with international colleagues on a number of projects.
The role will involve international travel to consortia meetings and to present the work of the team at international meetings as well as engagement with user communities. As an EMBL-EBI Team Leader, the post-holder will also actively engage with other Team Leaders to coordinate activities across the institute and across EMBL.
Applicants should have a strong biological background (PhD level) in molecular biology, biochemistry, or a related discipline with prior management and practical experience within the field of knowledge management and curation of biological data, preferably in the protein field. Experience of applying AI methods such as Large Language Models in a curation setting will be useful. A track record in grant writing and securing funding is essential.
The post holder must possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills and the capability for strategic thinking. The post holder will have excellent writing skills and be able to work to tight deadlines.
Prior management and practical experience within the field of knowledge management and curation of biological data, preferably in the protein field.