Data Engineer (Bioinformatics)

Our Future Health
London
10 months ago
Applications closed

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Data Engineer

Data Engineer

Data Engineer

Data Engineer

Data Engineer

Data Engineer

We are hiring 2x Data Engineers (Bioinformatics) to join our Data Engineering Team! As a Data Engineer (Bioinformatics) at Our Future Health, you will have a solid understanding and experience of bioinformatics in particular, tools and methods associated with genomic data. You can design, build and test pipelines using a range of technologies, you can create repeatable and reusable products. You're a strong communicator where you're comfortable working with a multidisciplinary team of Scientists, Software Engineers, Product Managers and other Data Engineers.

What You'll Be Doing:

  • Support the build of data pipelines from data providers to our primary data store and Trusted Research Environment.
  • Produce logic for data transformation steps as code, which meets the requirements for our end users and builds well-curated, accessible and quality-controlled data for analysis.
  • Developing prototypes for pipelines for complex transformations drawing on existing workflows developed in industry and academia.
  • Keep abreast of best practices in data engineering across industry, research and Government and facilitating the adoption of standards.
  • Providing technical input into the upstream parts of the data pipeline, including the specification and transfer of data from data providers.
  • Routine ad-hoc data curation activities requiring hands-on development of bespoke ETL cleaning scripts using languages such as Python.
  • Working with researchers to understand the data requirements and work with them to deliver the data needed for their projects.

Our Future Health will be the UK’s largest ever health research programme, bringing people together to develop new ways to detect, prevent, and treat diseases. We are a charity, supported by the UK Government, in partnership with charities and industry. We work closely with the NHS and with public authorities across all nations and regions of the UK.

Requirements

The successful Data Engineer can listen to the needs of technical and business stakeholders and interpret them and effectively manage stakeholder expectations. To succeed in this role, you will also have some of the following skills:

  • Experience working in an Agile development team
  • Highly proficient in Python
  • Understanding of containerisation using Docker and deployment with Kubernetes
  • Experience with version control (Git/Github)
  • Follow best practices like code review and clean code unit tests
  • Understanding of information governance and data security approaches appropriate for sensitive health data following ISO27001
  • Detailed knowledge and understanding of genomic data
  • Experience using bioinformatics file standards (VCF, BGEN etc) and tools (PLINK, bcftools, QCtools etc)
  • Experience in validating and QCing complex genomic datasets
  • Experience building and maintaining robust, scalable and efficient pipelines capable of processing very large amounts of data from one or multiple systems.
  • You know how to create repeatable and reusable products. 
  • Experience with workflow management tools such as Nextflow, WDL/Cromwell, Airflow, Prefect and Dagster
  • Good understanding of cloud environments (ideally Azure), distributed computing and scaling workflows and pipelines
  • Understanding of common data transformation and storage formats, e.g. Apache Parquet
  • Awareness of data standards such as GA4GH (https://www.ga4gh.org/) and FAIR (https://www.go-fair.org/fair-principles/).
  • Exposure of genotyping and imputation is highly advantageous

Benefits

    • Competitive base salary
    • Generous Pension Scheme – We invest in your future with employer contributions of up to 12%.
    • 30 Days Holiday + Bank Holidays – Enjoy a generous holiday allowance with the flexibility to take bank holidays when it suits you.
    • Enhanced Parental Leave – Supporting you during life’s biggest moments.
    • Career Growth & Development – £500 per year to spend on Learnerbly, our learning platform, plus regular appraisals and development opportunities.
    • Cycle to Work Scheme – Save 25-39% on a new bike and accessories through salary sacrifice.
    • Home & Tech Savings – Get up to 8% off on IKEA and Currys products, spreading the cost over 12 months through salary sacrifice
    • £1,000 Employee Referral Bonus – Know someone amazing? Get rewarded for bringing them on board!
    • Wellbeing Support – Access to Mental Health First Aiders, plus 24/7 online GP services and an Employee Assistance Programme for you and your family.
    • A Great Place to Work – We have a lovely Central London office in Holborn, and offer flexible and remote working arrangements.
  • Join us - let’s prevent disease together.

Subscribe to Future Tech Insights for the latest jobs & insights, direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

How Many Machine Learning Tools Do You Need to Know to Get a Machine Learning Job?

Machine learning is one of the most exciting and rapidly growing areas of tech. But for job seekers it can also feel like a maze of tools, frameworks and platforms. One job advert wants TensorFlow and Keras. Another mentions PyTorch, scikit-learn and Spark. A third lists Mlflow, Docker, Kubernetes and more. With so many names out there, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking you must learn everything just to be competitive. Here’s the honest truth most machine learning hiring managers won’t say out loud: 👉 They don’t hire you because you know every tool. They hire you because you can solve real problems with the tools you know. Tools are important — no doubt — but context, judgement and outcomes matter far more. So how many machine learning tools do you actually need to know to get a job? For most job seekers, the real number is far smaller than you think — and more logically grouped. This guide breaks down exactly what employers expect, which tools are core, which are role-specific, and how to structure your learning for real career results.

What Hiring Managers Look for First in Machine Learning Job Applications (UK Guide)

Whether you’re applying for machine learning engineer, applied scientist, research scientist, ML Ops or data scientist roles, hiring managers scan applications quickly — often making decisions before they’ve read beyond the top third of your CV. In the competitive UK market, it’s not enough to list skills. You must send clear signals of relevance, delivery, impact, reasoning and readiness for production — and do it within the first few lines of your CV or portfolio. This guide walks you through exactly what hiring managers look for first in machine learning applications, how they evaluate CVs and portfolios, and what you can do to improve your chances of getting shortlisted at every stage — from your CV and LinkedIn profile to your cover letter and project portfolio.

MLOps Jobs in the UK: The Complete Career Guide for Machine Learning Professionals

Machine learning has moved from experimentation to production at scale. As a result, MLOps jobs have become some of the most in-demand and best-paid roles in the UK tech market. For job seekers with experience in machine learning, data science, software engineering or cloud infrastructure, MLOps represents a powerful career pivot or progression. This guide is designed to help you understand what MLOps roles involve, which skills employers are hiring for, how to transition into MLOps, salary expectations in the UK, and how to land your next role using specialist platforms like MachineLearningJobs.co.uk.