"Research for a life without cancer" is our mission at the German Cancer Research Center. We investigate how cancer develops, identify cancer risk factors and look for new cancer prevention strategies. We develop new methods with which tumors can be diagnosed more precisely and cancer patients can be treated more successfully. Every contribution counts – whether in research, administration or infrastructure. This is what makes our daily work so meaningful and exciting.

The German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) in Heidelberg is Germany’s largest biomedical research institution. Within the thriving biomedical research hub of the Rhine-Neckar region, the DKFZ is contributing to the " Health + Life Science Alliance Heidelberg Mannheim " promoting research and innovation through synergy by bridging world-leading life science and biomedical research institutions and by bringing together a highly diverse range of disciplines and a cluster of top researchers. Heidelberg University with its faculties of Medicine, Biosciences, and Engineering Sciences, the University Hospital Heidelberg and the University Hospital Mannheim, the German Cancer Research Center, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, and the Central Institute for Mental Health have the common goal to develop the Rhine-Neckar region into a world-leading innovation cluster by supporting cutting-edge research and promoting transfer of knowledge into new diagnostics and therapeutics.

Within the Alliance, we are building the "Health + Life Science Alliance Data Space” as an inter-institutional data space to facilitate data sharing, joint data analyses, and seamless integration with existing projects and data ecosystems with the ultimate aim to enable research in medicine in life sciences. Our platform will empower researchers to collaborate across institutions, utilizing cloud and on-premise computing and storage resources to drive scientific innovation.

To strengthen our team, we are seeking for the next possible date a

Reference number: 2025-0229

We are seeking a technical lead to guide the design, development, and integration of the Health and Life Science Alliance Data Space platform. As a senior member of the team, you will oversee the architecture and technical direction of the compute infrastructure and web applications. You will work closely with developers, engineers, domain experts, and institutional stakeholders to ensure the successful delivery of a robust, secure, and scalable system that supports cutting-edge biomedical research.

Key Responsibilities:

• Define and maintain the overall system architecture, ensuring alignment with project objectives and interoperability requirements
• Provide hands-on technical leadership across cloud, frontend, and backend development efforts
• Mentor engineers and developers while promoting best practices in software design, cloud architecture, security, and DevOps
• Coordinate integration of AWS-based systems with on-premise infrastructure
• Ensure compliance with privacy, security, and regulatory standards for handling sensitive research data
• Lead technical decision-making and solution design across the development lifecycle
• Collaborate with the project manager and product owners to align timelines, resource allocation, and deliverables

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related field
• Proven experience in technical leadership roles on cloud-native or distributed system projects
• Deep understanding of AWS services and architectures (e.g., EC2, S3, Lambda, IAM, VPC, EKS)
• Proficiency in designing APIs and scalable system architectures
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code (Terraform or CloudFormation) and CI/CD pipelines
• Familiarity with modern frontend frameworks (e.g., React) and backend technologies (e.g., Python, Node.js)
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with hybrid cloud environments and integrating on-premise resources with cloud services
• Familiarity with privacy regulations like GDPR and security protocols in health/life science domains
• Background in interdisciplinary research or academic technology platforms
• Experience leading distributed and cross-functional team

• Excellent framework conditions: state-of-the-art equipment and opportunities for international networking at the highest level
• 30 days of vacation per year
• Flexible working hours
• Remuneration according to TV-L incl. occupational pension plan and capital-forming payments
• Possibility of mobile work and part-time work
• Family-friendly working environment
• Sustainable travel to work: subsidized Germany job ticket
• Unleash your full potential: targeted offers for your personal development to further develop your talents
• Our Corporate Health Management Program offers a holistic approach to your well-being

Contact:
Dr. Pascal Kraft
Phone: +49 6221/42-3601

Duration: The position is initially limited to 2 years, with the possibility of prolongation.

Application Deadline: 13.09.2025
Applications by e-mail cannot be accepted.

Then become part of the DKFZ and join us in contributing to a life without cancer!

We are convinced that an innovative research and working environment thrives on the diversity of its employees. Therefore, we welcome applications from talented people, regardless of gender, cultural background, nationality, ethnicity, sexual identity, physical ability, religion, and age. People with severe disabilities are given preference if they have the same aptitude.

Notice: We are subject to the regulations of the Infection Protection Act (IfSG). Therefore, all our employees must provide proof of immunity against measles.

Share this job!

Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum | Im Neuenheimer Feld 280 | 69120 Heidelberg | www.dkfz.de