Data Acquisition - Beamline Support Team Leader

Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire

About Us

Diamond Light Source is the UK’s national synchrotron; a huge scientific facility designed to produce very intense beams of X-rays, infrared and ultraviolet light. Our scientists use the light to study a vast range of subject matter, from new medicines and treatments for disease to innovative engineering and cutting-edge technology.

About the Data Acquisition Group

The Data Acquisition (DAQ) group develops software to interface with and control the hardware which allows experiments to be performed and monitored as well as guiding the end user to tools for data reduction and analysis. The group works closely with scientists, motion, and controls engineers to continuously develop and improve software solutions for scientific data acquisition and on-the-fly monitoring and data analysis. 

The current DAQ software platform is a client server application called GDA (Generic Data Acquisition) which is written in Java and uses the Eclipse RCP framework. To facilitate the advanced scientific capabilities that are expected from Diamond-II (the planned Synchrotron upgrade) the DAQ software is being modernised and will result in a service-based architecture. The new Acquisition Platform will be configured to deliver advanced capabilities for a new collection of state of-the-art Flagship Beamlines.

About the Role

We now have an opportunity for a senior software engineer within the DAQ group to lead the team supporting and developing DAQ software for Diamond’s Soft Condensed Matter (SCM) and Crystallography science groups.

As a team leader in the DAQ Group you will work alongside other software engineers supporting a range of experimental techniques and developing DAQ capabilities in an open and collaborative environment. You will be required to interact with scientists and translate their specifications for scientific capabilities into software requirements.

You will liaise with controls and motions engineers to put these requirements into action. You will collaborate with the beamline scientists and science group leaders to prioritise the work of your team and you will support the DAQ Core Team in the modernisation of the Acquisition Platform. You will also potentially participate in international collaborations within this domain, sharing best practice and supporting other facilities and synchrotrons within the collaboration. 

About You

You will be qualified to degree level in a STEM subject, with experience in the full Software Development Lifecycle, using a modern high-level language, and with an understanding of good software design principles and design for usability. Knowledge of developing software to control and monitor scientific or industrial equipment or IoT would be ideal. 

Experience of working with large and complex code bases would be an advantage, as would experience of Python, Java, Spring, JMS message-oriented middleware, Java RMI, the HDF5 file format, the Eclipse RCP platform, REST and Kubernetes.

You should additionally be able to demonstrate the following essential capabilities:

• Strong leadership and organisation.
• Proven experience in managing small teams of software engineers.
• Proven experience in providing technical leadership.

Benefits

Diamond offers an exceptional benefits package to support staff in achieving a positive work/life balance. This includes 25 days annual leave plus 13 days of statutory and company holidays, along with flexible working hours and an excellent pension scheme. Staff also have access to a range of amenities on site including a nursery, cafes, a restaurant and sports and leisure facilities.

The closing date for applicants is 23rd April 2023

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