Description
Summary:
Join EIT's Pathogen Program as a Senior Data Engineer to design and implement cloud-based data platforms crucial for global health impact.
Highlights:
1. Shape the future of pathogen monitoring and diagnostics
2. Collaborate with cross-functional teams on AI-driven solutions
3. Work on impactful global solutions for humanity's greatest challenges
The Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT) tackles humanity’s greatest challenges by turning science and technology into impactful global solutions. Focused on areas like health, food security, sustainable agriculture, climate change, clean energy, and robotics in an era of artificial intelligence. EIT blends groundbreaking research with practical applications to deliver lasting results.
A cornerstone of EIT mission is its upcoming 300,000-square-foot research facility at the Oxford Science Park, set to open in 2027. This cutting-edge campus will feature advanced labs, an oncology and preventative care clinic, and collaborative spaces to strengthen its partnership with the University of Oxford. It will also host the Ellison Scholars, driving innovation for societal benefit.
The Pathogen Mission highlights EIT’s transformative approach, using Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) and Oracle’s cloud technology to create a global pathogen metagenomics system. This initiative aims to improve diagnostics, provide early epidemic warnings, and guide treatments by profiling antimicrobial resistance. The goal is to deliver certified diagnostic tools for widespread use in labs, hospitals, and public health.
EIT fosters a culture of collaboration, innovation, and resilience, valuing diverse expertise to drive sustainable solutions to humanity’s enduring challenges.
We are looking for a Senior Data Engineer to join the EIT Pathogen Program and play a key role in designing, implementing, and supporting the cloud-based data platform that underpins our mission. This role offers the opportunity to shape the future of pathogen monitoring and diagnostics by building scalable, secure, and high-performance data pipelines. You'll work closely with cross-functional teams, including data architects, platform engineers, and product teams, to deliver the data infrastructure that powers advanced analytics and AI-driven solutions for global health impact.
Key Responsibilities:
Ensure data in the platform is acquired, processed, curated, and made accessible to scientists, digital analytics products, bioinformatics, and AI at a high standard of quality and availability
Ensure data access adheres to FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Re-usable)
Ensure data is secured and compliant with regulatory, legal, and data sharing requirements
Ensure efficient, performant, and high-quality pipelines for data ingestion into the platform
Contribute to building data management components, including reference data management, de-identification, data curation, pathogen and technical metadata catalogues, and data access controls
Ensure efficient, secure, scalable, available, and performant data storage components, including genomic variant storage, clinical data stores, and clinical imaging
Ensure robust ingest services capable of seamlessly integrating data from distributed sequencing devices, including real-time telemetry streams
Ensure data is processed to enable optimal access and consumption by digital analysis products, bioinformatics pipelines, and researchers/scientists
Requirements
Essential Knowledge, Skills and Experience:
Deep experience in building modern data platforms using cloud-based architectures and tools
Experience delivering data engineering solutions on cloud platforms, preferably Oracle OCI, AWS, or Azure
Proficient in Python and workflow orchestration tools such as Airflow or Prefect
Expert in data modeling, ETL, and SQL
Experience with real-time analytics from telemetry and event-based streaming (e.g., Kafka)
Experience managing operational data stores with high availability, performance, and scalability
Expertise in data lakes, lakehouses, Apache Iceberg, and data mesh architectures
Proven ability to build, deliver, and support modern data platforms at scale
Strong knowledge of data governance, data quality, and data cataloguing
Experience with modern database technologies, including Iceberg, NoSQL, and vector databases
Embraces innovation and works closely with scientists and partners to explore cutting-edge technology
Knowledge of master data, metadata, and reference data management
Understanding of Agile practices and sprint-based methodologies
Active contributor to knowledge sharing and collaboration
Desirable Knowledge, Skills and Experience:
Familiarity with genomics and associated data standards
Experience with healthcare clinical data and standards such as OMOP and SNOMED
Familiarity with containerization tools such as Docker and Kubernetes
Familiarity with Git and CI/CD workflows
Key Attributes:
Strong collaborator with excellent communication skills
Comfortable working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
Eagerness to learn and cross-train in new technologies
Proactive and hands-on approach to exploring new tools and developing proof of concepts (POCs)
Benefits
We offer the following salary and benefits:
Salary: Competitive salary on offer
Enhanced holiday pay
Pension
Life Assurance
Income Protection
Private Medical Insurance
Hospital Cash Plan
Therapy Services
Perk Box
Electrical Car Scheme
Why work for EIT:
At the Ellison Institute, we believe a collaborative, inclusive team is key to our success. We are building a supportive environment where creative risks are encouraged, and everyone feels heard. Valuing emotional intelligence, empathy, respect, and resilience, we encourage people to be curious and to have a shared commitment to excellence. Join us and make an impact!
Terms of Appointment:
You must have the right to work permanently in the UK with a willingness to travel as necessary.
You will live in, relocate to, or be within easy commuting distance of Oxford.
During peak periods, some longer hours may be required and some working across multiple time zones due to the global nature of the programme.