Scientific Software Engineer

England-Oxfordshire-Didcot

Full Time Senior-level / Expert Clearance required GBP 44K - 56K

UK Research and Innovation

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Posted 2 days ago

Scientific Software Engineer - (2400013G)

Description

Science and Technology Facilities Council
Salary: £44,982 (Band D) or £56,509 (Band E) per annum (dependent on skills and experience)
Hours: Full time
Contract Type: Fixed Term (until the end of March 2027)
Location: Science and Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Harwell, Oxfordshire

Employees applying for any opportunity which may mean being away from your substantive role for a temporary period of time, please refer to the Recruitment Policy for further information in the first instance. If you are made an offer, please ensure you liaise with your Line Manager and the designated HR Team as soon as possible in order that implications of any move are clear and understood, prior to a move taking place.

Discover the kind of impact you can make when you work with some of the best facilities and brightest scientists in the world.

About us

STFC’s Central Laser Facility (CLF) provides advanced laser research facilities for UK and international scientists. The CLF has been awarded £17M funding for a transformation of their ultrafast laser spectroscopy facilities, Artemis and Ultra, (the HiLUX project, https://www.clf.stfc.ac.uk/Pages/HiLUX.aspx). This four-year project will extend the range of techniques for ultrafast laser spectroscopy, and encompasses upgrades to laboratories, new laser systems, new detectors and sample-handling technologies, control systems and data handling.

HiLUX will be the only open-access facility in the world providing access to such a wide range of spectroscopies. The aim is that the combination of scientific information we obtain will enable us to study more complex systems than has previously been possible, with relevance to a wide range of societally, environmentally and industrially important areas. These include biomolecular dynamics, biomedical analysis, energy storage, catalysis and photovoltaics. Our user community will be from both academia and industry.

The CLF has around 180 staff and its function - user facilities and international research – makes it a very friendly, outgoing and externally facing place. The CLF has a welcoming and inclusive culture, and you will find that people will naturally help and support you.

About the role

The HiLUX project will provide higher quality spectroscopic data at higher data rates, and we aim to transform the methods available to our users for both data collection and data analysis. We are seeking to recruit a scientific software engineer to develop the software to maximise scientific exploitation of our data.

You will develop data acquisition and data analysis software for a variety of ultrafast laser spectroscopy experiments, including:

• providing data analysis software for photoemission spectroscopy, to enable on-the-fly analysis of spectra
• adapting commercial data acquisition software for photoemission spectroscopy with a momentum microscope and hemispherical analyser to work with laser-based experiments
• building on existing data acquisition and analysis interfaces for spectroscopy techniques including time-resolved infrared, visible and Raman, multidimensional and sum-frequency generation (SFG)
• applying relevant and new approaches to data analysis such as global analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), lifetime density analysis and machine learning

You will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team, including physicists, chemists, materials scientists and engineers. You will interface directly with scientists to gather requirements, and collaborate closely with our software engineering group. Our controls software team are providing a control system based on EPICS (https://epics-controls.org/) and we plan to use Apache Kafka for data transport. You will also interact with STFC’s scientific computing department, who provide data archiving and cloud-based virtual machines that host our data analysis packages, and with colleagues at other international facilities to develop shared approaches. The data acquisition and analysis packages that you create will be used by many research groups across a wide range of scientific applications.

About you

You will have a scientific or computing background, with a STEM degree and PhD or other professional experience. We are looking for a track record of scientific software development, with experience using Python and its scientific packages, and an understanding of modern software development practices. You will be able to evidence your ability to solve complex problems and achieve solutions. Good communication skills and teamwork are essential. You should also have some awareness of spectroscopy analysis and techniques.

To be considered for the higher salary band, you will also have experience of leading software projects through the full life cycle, and a track record in designing technical solutions independently.

Person Specification

The below criteria will be assessed at Shortlisting (S), Interview (I), or both (S&I)

• degree in physics, chemistry, computer science or a related STEM subject, and a PhD or equivalent professional experience (S)
• demonstrable track record of scientific software development, including data acquisition and/or data analysis (S&I)
• experience developing well-designed, robust software in Python and its scientific packages (such as numpy, scipy, matplotlib, pandas) (S&I)
• understanding of modern software development practices (e.g. testing, version control, continuous integration, Agile, object-oriented design) (S&I)
• evidenced ability to solve complex problems and achieve solutions (S&I)
• good communication skills and ability to work effectively as part of a team (I)
• awareness of spectroscopy, particularly analysis of spectroscopic data (with techniques such as global analysis and principal component analysis), and techniques such as photo-emission spectroscopy (ARPES, momentum microscopes) or ultrafast spectroscopy (S&I)

Appointment at the higher band will also require in addition to the above:

• experience of leading software projects through the full life cycle, from gathering requirements to deployment and maintenance (S&I)
• track record in designing technical solutions independently, and building completed software products (S&I)

We ask some of the biggest questions in the universe, to answer some of the biggest challenges in the world. Together, our scientists, technologists, engineers and business support team explore the unknown across every field you could think of. And they turn what they find into work that changes the world around us.

What could you achieve with the world-leading facilities and experts of one of Europe's largest research organisations by your side? Join us and discover what's possible.

STFC values their employees by offering a benefits package designed to provide an excellent work/life balance including 30 days’ annual leave, 10.5 public and privilege holidays, flexible working hours, exceptional average salary pension scheme, social and sporting activities and societies and a subsidised restaurant.

Qualifications

About The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)

As one of Europe’s largest research organisations, we ask the biggest questions in the universe to find answers that change the world around us. We seek understanding. We’re proud of the impact we make. And we’re committed to helping build a globally competitive, knowledge-based UK economy. Being part of all this means contributing to work that pushes boundaries and creates possibilities. You’ll work with, and learn from, true experts. Whatever your role, you’ll be free to question, and encouraged to share ideas. And, in a positive and supportive culture, you’ll discover just what a difference you can make when you’re equipped and inspired to excel.

We’re a place where curious minds thrive. Not bound by profit, we explore ideas that others don’t, ask questions that others won’t, and discover answers that others are not equipped to find. And, alongside Mars landings and black holes, we also explore diverse, international projects in everything from science and engineering to computing and technology. Whether it’s at the cutting edge or behind the scenes, our work is intellectually challenging. It’s very often ground-breaking. And it’s endlessly, irresistibly fascinating.

For more information about STFC please visit https://stfc.ukri.org/

You can also visit our careers site https://www.stfccareers.co.uk/

About UK Research Innovation (UKRI)

UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.

Supporting some of the world’s most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.

More information can be found at www.ukri.org.

Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.

How we support EDI in the workforce

At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ‘How we support EDI in the workforce’.

Disability Confident Employer

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

How to apply

Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the ‘experience’ section of the application.

UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion – a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.