Global Engagement Manager

EMBL-EBI - European Bioinformatics Institute

Hinxton, United Kingdom

Organisation data: Directors Office
Job Number: EBI02195
Contract Type: Staff Member
Contract Duration-Length of Time (years/months): 2 years
Advertised Grade-Grading: Grade 6 (monthly salary from £3,456.96 after tax + benefits)
Closing date: 13 December 2023

About the team/job

We are seeking a Global Engagement Manager to lead a two-year pilot programme of engagement that will be pivotal in defining our future strategy to deliver the EMBL-EBI data resources in a more globally equitable way.

EMBL is Europe's flagship laboratory for the life sciences. An intergovernmental organisation, EMBL operates six sites across five nations, including EMBL-EBI in the UK. Established in 1994, EMBL-EBI has grown substantially and now numbers over 800 members of personnel. The biological data services provided by EMBL-EBI are used in every country around the globe, with more than 40 billion requests for data per year made from over 42 million IP addresses. Discoveries are made every day by scientists who consider our resources essential tools for advancing their research. They operate under diverse funding, partnership and governance models, playing key roles in large international research projects and within the EMBL 2022-2026 scientific programme.

While the EMBL-EBI data resources are open for anyone to use, there is more work to be done to ensure global biodata infrastructure meets the needs of researchers in diverse settings, in particular low or middle income countries. The multifaceted challenges of improving human health and tackling biodiversity in the face of climate change on a global scale will need concurrence and collaboration among diverse stakeholders from multiple geographic regions, and a renewed approach to inclusive data resource development, capacity building and delivery.

Your role

Reporting to EMBL-EBI's Associate Director and working closely with senior colleagues responsible for data services delivery and international engagement activities, the 2-year programme of work, funded by Wellcome, will explore:

New ways to raise scientific awareness on the breadth of open data resources available and their potential uses in low resource settings;
What new data, metadata, functions or services would be of particular use to researchers in low resource settings, thus increasing data equity;
Where opportunities for co-development of more globally inclusive data resources exist with potential new partners.

This will be achieved through:

Commissioning research on the global landscape of expertise, unmet needs, barriers and potential for bioinformatics tool development, data science and data infrastructure in low and middle income countries;
A programme of engagement with geographically diverse researchers, policy makers, aligned infrastructures, project and community leaders to understand barriers to data sharing, discover where EMBL-EBI services can be most impactful in the ecosystem and co-produce more inclusive models of global data resources.

Key responsibilities will include:

Using your extensive facilitation and communication skills to build and connect scientific and technical networks with relevant stakeholders in the Global South;
Project managing delivery against objectives for the global inclusion programme, including management of a commissioned research team, and completing funder reporting for key performance indicators on global engagement and impact;
Organising and facilitating on- and off-line events such as workshops, conferences, and hackathons to explore how to deliver the programme's aims by learning from stakeholders and involving them in co-production;
Contributeing to the development of new funding proposals;
Staying up-to-date on trends and developments in open biological data.

You have

To excel in this role you should be a collaborative individual who enjoys working with and learning from global and diverse teams and settings, and be able to plan, organise and flexibly manage a diverse project portfolio involving different stakeholders, with rapidly evolving priorities.

In addition, you will need:

Experience working with biology and data science, familiarity with open data policy, practice, trends and wider landscape, preferably in the context of international collaboration;
Broad and comprehensive experience as programme/project manager, engagement/partnerships manager or management/strategy consultant for research institution, foundation/NGO, public sector, or private sector organisations;
Successful track record in managing a tender or commissioned research process and/or applying for research funding;
Relationship or collaboration management experience in identifying leads, establishing and managing strategic relationships and communicating effectively and empathetically with a wide variety of different internal and external stakeholders.

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.

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;
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 to eight bank 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 more details please see our employee benefits page.

What else you need to know

Contract duration: This position is a 3 year contract, renewable to a maximum of 9 years;
International applicants: We recruit internationally and successful candidates are offered visa exemptions. Read more on our page for international applicants;
Diversity and inclusion: At EMBL-EBI, we strongly believe that inclusive and diverse teams benefit from higher levels of innovation and creative thought. We encourage applications from women, LGBTQ+ and individuals from all nationalities;
EMBL is a signatory of DORA. Find out how we implement best practices in research assessment in our recruitment processes here;
Job location: This role is based in Hinxton, near Cambridge, UK. You will be required to relocate if you are based overseas and you will receive a generous relocation package to support you;
How to apply: To apply please submit a cover letter and a CV through our online system. We aim to provide a response within two weeks after the closing date: 13^th December 2023.