Research Associate (Software Engineering)

Fixed-Term - 10 Months

On the 1 August 2026, The University of Greenwich and the University of Kent will form a pioneering new multi-university group called London and South- East (LASE) University Group. Should you join us, you will be employed by LASE but will work as part of the University of Kent academic division, contributing to its distinct strengths, community and identity while also being part of a wider group that brings together the scale, resilience and shared ambition of both universities. Through LASE we aim to deliver outstanding education, impactful research, and meaningful regional and global impact.

Are you interested in applying software engineering skills to modernise internationally used scientific software for computational physics?

We’re looking for a motivated Research Associate with strong software engineering skills and an interest in computational physics, condensed-matter physics or high-performance scientific computing. You'll collaborate with leading developers from the DiagHam and ALPS projects, alongside international research software engineering experts, helping to modernise sustainable scientific software used worldwide for simulations of strongly correlated quantum systems.

Working on the Software Sustainability Institute-funded DiagHam–ALPS project, you’ll help modernise the DiagHam software ecosystem through improved software infrastructure, automated testing, continuous integration, packaging, documentation and support for deployment in high-performance computing environments. You’ll work closely with physicists, research software engineers and international collaborators, with opportunities to explore modern software engineering approaches, including use of AI-assisted development tools where appropriate.

As Research Associate you can expect to be involved in:

• Delivering software engineering objectives for the DiagHam–ALPS project
• Developing and maintaining research software using C++, Python and related technologies
• Improving testing, validation, continuous integration, packaging & documentation workflows
• Supporting interoperability between DiagHam and ALPS and contributing to collaborative open-source software development

What will you bring to the role?

• A degree in Physics, Computer Science, Mathematics, Engineering or equivalent professional software-development experience.
• Software development experience using C++, Python or closely related programming languages.
• Experience with Git, Linux or Unix-based environments, and complex software projects.
• Experience of software testing, validation or continuous integration, together with the ability to develop and validate software involving quantitative or numerical concepts.

Further background on the DiagHam and ALPS software projects is available at:

• DiagHam: https://nick-ux.org/diagham/
• ALPS: https://alps.comp-phys.org/

What we can offer in return:

As a member of our team, you can expect a friendly, open and collaborative working environment and support in your development and wellbeing. You'll enjoy a range of great staff benefits including:

• 43 days' leave per year (personal leave, bank holidays & additional days allocated for the Christmas period, pro-rata for part-time staff)
• Excellent pension scheme with generous employer contributions
• Corporate employee-funded healthcare plan, in partnership with Benenden Health

Applicant guidance:

Applicants are encouraged to provide concise, specific examples drawn from software they have developed or maintained. Where available, links to publicly accessible repositories, software releases or technical documentation are welcomed, but equivalent evidence from commercial or proprietary software projects will be considered equally.

Please include:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• A supporting statement (maximum 1 page) explaining your interest in the role and how your background has prepared you for it
• Responses to application questions

For more information about what you can look forward to if you join us, visit our dedicated webpage: Working at Kent

We are ambitious for our people, our communities and the region we serve – join us in making the world a better place.

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