Friedrich Schiller University is a traditional university with a strong research profile rooted in the heart of Germany. As a university covering all disciplines, it offers a wide range of subjects. Its research is focused on the areas Light—Life—Liberty. It is closely networked with non-research institutions, research companies and renowned cultural institutions. With around 18,000 students and more than 8,600 employees, the university plays a major role in shaping Jena’s character as a cosmopolitan and future-oriented city.

The core mission of the NFDI4Microbiota consortium (https://nfdi4microbiota.de) is to be the central hub in Germany for supporting the microbiology community with access to data, analysis services, data/metadata standards, and training. NFDI4Microbiota is part of the German NFDI (National research Data Infrastructure; https://www.nfdi.de). The vision of the NFDI4Microbiota consortium is for microbiology researchers (including bacteriology, virology, protistology, mycology and parasitology) to translate research data easily into a deep understanding of microbial species and their interactions on a molecular level. FSU Jena is one of 10 German institutions directly involved in development of the NFDI4Microbiota research infrastructure. The group of Prof. Dr. Manja Marz at FSU Jena (https://www.rna.uni-jena.de/en)works on RNA Bioinformatics/High-throughput Sequencing Analysis and is affiliated with the EVBC (https://evbc.uni-jena.de) and ViroINF (https://viroinf.eu) networks. Within the Marz group, the subgroup of Dr. Noriko Cassman leads the development of VirJenDB: the comprehensive virus sequence database based in Jena as part of the NFDI4Microbiota consortium.

The NFDI4Microbiota and FSU Jena invites applications for a

Postdoctoral researcher (m/f/d) or PhD Candidate (m/f/d)
in Frontend development of virus database
and community engagement

commencing as soon as possible.

The full-time position is for 3 years (until 30.09.2026) or until the end of the project. In accordance with German law there will be a 6-month trial period.

We are looking for a skilled and enthusiastic candidate to join the database development team at FSU Jena within the NFDI4Microbiota consortium. Your main tasks include the maintenance and development of the front-end website of the virus database, creation of analysis workflows and communication with bioinformaticians, virologists and other researchers to get user feedback on the use of the front-end.

The position will be supervised by Dr. Noriko Cassman (Junior Group Leader).

Your responsibilities:

• Maintenance and development of the database frontend and website
• Collect and implement feedback on the website from the research community and represent the VirJenDB at local meetings and national and international conferences
• Create (meta)data analysis and visualisation workflows with excellent provenance (documentation)
• Create training documents and help train researchers on the use of the website
• Contribute to high-quality written reports and draft papers
• Contribute to maintaining a fair, friendly and collaborative environment

Your profile:

• A PhD or MSc (or equivalent) in Computer Science, Bioinformatics, Science Communication or a closely related field. Candidates in the final stages of obtaining their degree are eligible to apply.
• Excellent programming skills: Java (REACT) & Python programming, website development (CSS, HTML); SQL, R a plus
• Experience with an OpenStack project and/or or working on a cloud infrastructure
• Excellent communication skills (both written and spoken) in English; German a plus
• Experience with at least one of the following: virus-related multi-omics data analysis, visualisation or stewardship
• Experience in interdisciplinary team cooperation or a demonstrated willingness and ability to work in such a setting
• Interest in supporting virus research through improving research infrastructure

We offer:

• Affiliation to the Jena School for Microbial Communication, a graduate school offering a comprehensive education program to develop your career skills both in- and outside academia
• Jena – City of Science: a young and lively town with a vibrant local cultural agenda. Situated on the Saale River and surrounded by the famous Thuringian Forest, this city is ideal for lovers of nature and hiking.
• A family-friendly working environment with a variety of offers for families: University Family Office ‘JUniFamilie’ and flexible childcare (‘JUniKinder’)
• University health promotion and a wide range of university sports activities
• Attractive fringe benefits, e.g. capital formation benefits (VL), Job Ticket (benefits for public transport), and an occupational pension (VBL)
• Remuneration based on the provisions of the Collective Agreement for the Public Sector of the Federal States (TV-L) up to salary scale E 13 (depending on the candidate’s personal qualifications) including a special annual payment in accordance with the collective agreement
• 30 days of vacation per calendar year plus two days off on December 24 and 31

The full-time position (40 hours per week) will be funded through the DFG until 30.09.2026 or until the end of the project. A part-time contract can be discussed. To promote gender equality in science, applications by women are especially welcome. Candidates with severe disabilities will be given preference in the case of equal qualifications and suitability.
Applications (in English) should comprise a cover letter, a detailed curriculum vitae and copies of academic certificates. Please submit your application as one PDF file.
Are you eager to work for us? Then apply by 1 November 2023 using our online form.