Research Software Engineer

About us

University College London (UCL), located in the heart of the historical area of Bloomsbury in central London, UK, is one of the top-rated universities in the world. The Department of Physics and Astronomy at UCL is located on our main Bloomsbury campus in central London. The department currently has over 80 academic staff organised into 5 research groups – Atomic Molecular Optical and Positron Physics (AMOPP), Astrophysics (Astro), Biological Physics (BioP), Condensed Matter and Materials Physics (CMMP), and High Energy Physics (HEP).

The applicant will be embedded in the Astrophysics Group in UCL’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, one of the largest in the UK and internationally leading in several aspects of data-intensive science. 

About the role

A Research Software Engineer position has become available to undertake software development for the data processing and analysis of two major new galaxy surveys for cosmology: the recently launched ESA Euclid mission and the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) at the newly built Vera Rubin Observatory (starting 2024).

The post holder will join a small team that is responsible for developing, maintaining, and validating key elements of the data processing and analysis pipelines of Euclid and the LSST. They will join these international science collaborations and contribute to their mission as a member of the UCL contingent.

The position is available immediately. This post is funded for 12 months in the first instance by STFC and the UK Space Agency, with the possibility of an extension.

The successful candidate will also be an Associate member of UCL's Advanced Research Computing Centre (ARC) during the initial fixed term period.

Upon the ending of this funding, the post-holder will have the opportunity to apply to an open-ended position within UCL’s Advanced Research Computing Centre (ARC). Further information about ARC can be found at www.ucl.ac.uk/arc.

About you

You will have a PhD Degree in a relevant field or equivalent professional expertise appropriate to the role. The role requires experience with authorship, development, and maintenance of software for scientific research & development, as well as knowledge of, and commitment to, software engineering best practices (including issue tracking, testing, documentation, version control and continuous integration) that enable the delivery of reliable, sustainable, and trustworthy outputs.

Experience with the programming language Python and its use in research, at a level and breadth commensurate with seniority, is essential, while additional knowledge of C-family languages is a bonus. Knowledge of the foundations of fundamental physics, cosmology, and/or astronomy is desirable but not required.

For information on how to apply and contact details, please press ‘Apply’ to see the full advert on the UCL website. 

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.

We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce.

Our department holds an Athena SWAN Silver award, in recognition of our commitment and demonstrable impact in advancing gender equality.

You can read more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here : https://www.ucl.ac.uk/equality-diversity-inclusion/

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