Senior Research Software Engineer

The University of Oxford is a stimulating work environment, which enjoys an international reputation as a world-class centre of excellence. Our research plays a key role in tackling many global challenges, from reducing our carbon emissions to developing vaccines during a pandemic.

We have an exciting opportunity to join the University’s Digital Transformation Programme as a Senior Research Software Engineer in our AI Competency Centre working on a hybrid basis.

As part of our Digital Transformation Programme, launched in 2022, we are working closely with staff and students to imagine how the University’s culture, processes and technology must evolve in the digital era. The programme is enabling Oxford to preserve its unique place in the world by being digitally fit for the future.

The post holder will be required to work within the AI Competency Centre (or ‘Centre of Excellence’), where the aim is to provide centralised expertise on modern AI & ML methods and tools, and to support their adoption across the University including in research, administration and teaching.

What We Offer

As an employer, we genuinely care about our employees’ wellbeing and this is reflected in the range of benefits that we offer including 

• An excellent contributory pension scheme
• 38 days annual leave
• A comprehensive range of childcare services
• Family leave schemes
• Cycle loan scheme
• Discounted bus travel and Season Ticket travel loans
• Membership to a variety of social and sports clubs

About the Role

This post will require significant software engineering experience and also hands-on experience implementing machine learning at all levels. You will work closely with the other Research Software Engineers at Oxford to identify opportunities and pull together innovative software solutions. You will also lead in the development and delivery of training courses and workshops to other researchers within the University.

Responsibilities will include:

• Developing an excellent understanding of modern machine learning approaches and building strong working relationships with subject matter experts.  It will also involve collaborating with research colleagues across the University to identify and establish research software projects that require AI/ML approaches.
• Designing and implementing high quality, reliable and re-usable software that will lead to specific research outcomes or enable the translational impact of existing research; as well as maintaining both a catalogue of cloud research computing implementations across the University, and a catalogue of AI/ML applications in use or available from within the University, making this available to all researchers to foster collaboration and adoption of these approaches.

About You

• You will hold a PhD/DPhil with a significant computational component, with post-qualification experience. Candidates without a PhD/DPhil but with substantial experience of software development will also be considered.
• We are also looking for you to demonstrate ability to design, implement and deploy a complex software engineering project while applying software engineering best practices and using common software architecture paradigms (e.g., Object-orientated programming).
• You will also have significant experience with one programming language used for research (e.g. Python, C++, C, Matlab, R, Java, Javascript, Fortran, Rust) and be conversant with at least one more.

Application Process

You will be required to upload a covering letter/supporting statement, CV and the details of two referees as part of your online application.

The closing date for applications is 12 noon on Tuesday 7 May 2024. 

Interviews will take place on the week commencing 20 May 2024 and will be face to face.

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