Application Engineer II

WISE Campaign; Greater London; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading biopharma company in Greater London is seeking an Application Engineer II to design and operate data-driven applications. This role requires collaboration across teams and a focus on delivering high-quality features. Candidates should have a Bachelor's degree and experience with backend languages like Python or JavaScript. The position offers a chance to work in a fast-paced environment that promotes innovation and teamwork, along with opportunities for career growth.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in communication-related field or Computer Science.
• Outstanding verbal and written communications skills.
• Ability to manage time effectively and deliver tasks promptly.
• Deep knowledge of at least one web backend language.
• Experience deploying applications in a cloud environment.
• Strong experience with modern software development tools.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement full-stack, data-driven cloud applications.
• Develop and operate reliable APIs with strong performance characteristics.
• Operate and support applications in production.
• Define and monitor key product metrics and iterate for improvement.
• Produce clear documentation and actively participate in code reviews.

Skills

Strong communication skills

Experience with web backend languages

Knowledge of cloud environments

Familiarity with CI/CD implementations

Experience in agile software development

Education

Bachelor's degree in communication or Computer Science

Tools

Python

JavaScript

Git/GitHub

Google Cloud

Job description

Job description

The Onyx Research Data Tech organization represents a major investment by GSK R&D and Digital & Tech, designed to deliver a step-change in our ability to leverage data, knowledge, and prediction to find new medicines. We are a full-stack shop consisting of product and portfolio leadership, data engineering, infrastructure and DevOps, data / metadata / knowledge platforms, and AI/ML and analysis platforms, all geared toward:

• Building a next-generation data experience for GSK's scientists, engineers, and decision-makers, increasing productivity and reducing time spent on "data mechanics"
• Providing best-in-class AI/ML and data analysis environments to accelerate our predictive capabilities and attract top-tier talent
• Aggressively engineering our data at scale to unlock the value of our combined data assets
• Implementing scientific technology products that leverage the data and capabilities provisioned by Onyx

The Application Engineer II is a solid individual contributor at Onyx. You will design, build, deploy, and operate data-driven applications that serve our scientific community, turning loosely defined requirements into high-quality features and production-grade experiences. You will confidently break down small to medium-sized engineering problems, lead implementation end-to-end, and collaborate across product, data, and platform teams. You are expected to champion engineering excellence through testing, documentation, observability, and secure‑by‑design practices, and to help onboard and mentor engineers so the team collectively delivers at a higher level.

In this role you will

• Design, implement, test, document, and deploy full-stack, data-driven cloud applications; own features end-to-end from MVP to production-grade experiences.
• Develop and operate reliable APIs and services (REST/GraphQL/gRPC) with strong authentication/authorization, observability, and performance characteristics.
• Operate and support applications in production, including participation in on‑call; create and maintain runbooks/playbooks; lead resolution of bugs and incidents in your area.
• Define, measure, and monitor key product and operational metrics (e.g., performance, reliability, cost); iterate to improve them through data-informed decisions.
• Proactively improve test coverage, CI/CD pipelines, and release safety; champion automation and high-quality software engineering practices.
• Identify and address gaps in observability, alerting, and monitoring; implement metrics, logs, traces, and SLOs that enable robust operations.
• Collaborate with product to refine user requirements, break down work, plan milestones, and communicate progress and risks to stakeholders.
• Contribute to system design within the team; propose pragmatic refactoring to reduce complexity and technical debt while balancing short- and long-term needs.
• Produce clear documentation, proposals, and technical guides so others can understand, use, and build upon your work; actively participate in code reviews.
• Help onboard and mentor engineers in your team; share best practices and contribute to a culture of innovation, transparency, and trust with a patient-first mentality.

Qualifications & Skills

• Bachelor's degree in communication related field or in Computer Science discipline together with significant demonstrable engagement experience within IT or Pharma company.
• Strong and dynamic communicator with excellent verbal and written communications skills.
• Ability to manage time effectively without supervision and to organize, prioritize and deliver tasks and projects with a sense of urgency and close follow-up of any open issues.
• Deep knowledge and use of at least one common web backend language: e.g., Python, Scala, Java, JavaScript (Node.js) including toolchains for documentation, testing, and operations/observability.
• Developing and deploying applications in a cloud environment like Google Cloud (preferred), AWS, Azure.
• Strong experience with modern software development tools/ways of working (e.g., git/GitHub, DevOps tools, metrics/monitoring).
• Proficiency in front-end technologies: JavaScript, Typescript, React.js, Angular.js or similar.
• API development using technologies and standards like REST/GraphQL/gRPC or similar.
• Experience in an open-source web framework preferably implemented in Python, Java, Scala, or similar.
• Experience with Authentication & Authorisation Mechanisms e.g. OAuth2.
• Application experience of CI/CD implementations using git and a common CI/CD stack.
• Experience in agile software development and common environments such as Jira and Confluence.

Preferred Qualifications & Skills

• Master's degree or higher.
• Significant experience delivering cross-functional projects.
• Experience of embedding operation excellence culture within their teams.
• Knowledge of database modelling, database concepts and SQL.
• Experience with data visualization frameworks like D3.js, Plotly, Matplotlib, or similar.

Closing Date for Applications: Tuesday 6th January 2026 (COB)

Please take a copy of the Job Description, as this will not be available post closure of the advert. When applying for this role, please use the 'cover letter' of the online application or your CV to describe how you meet the competencies for this role, as outlined in the job requirements above. The information that you have provided in your cover letter and CV will be used to assess your application.

During the course of your application, you will be requested to complete voluntary information which will be used in monitoring the effectiveness of our equality and diversity policies. Your information will be treated as confidential and will not be used in any part of the selection process. If you require a reasonable adjustment to the application / selection process to enable you to demonstrate your ability to perform the job requirements, please contact 0808 234 4391. This will help us to understand any modifications we may need to make to support you throughout our selection process.

Why GSK?

Uniting science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together.

GSK is a global biopharma company with a purpose to unite science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together. We aim to positively impact the health of 2.5 billion people by the end of the decade, as a successful, growing company where people can thrive. We get ahead of disease by preventing and treating it with innovation in specialty medicines and vaccines.

People and patients around the world count on the medicines and vaccines we make, so we're committed to creating an environment where our people can thrive and focus on what matters most. Our culture of being ambitious for patients, accountable for impact and doing the right thing is the foundation for how, together, we deliver for patients, shareholders and our people.

GSK is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This ensures that all qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), military service or any basis prohibited under federal, state or local law.

We believe in an agile working culture for all our roles. If flexibility is important to you, we encourage you to explore with our hiring team what the opportunities are.

Should you require any adjustments to our process to assist you in demonstrating your strengths and capabilities contact us on [e-mail] or 0808 234 4391. The helpline is available from 8.30am to 12.00 noon Monday to Friday, during bank holidays these times and days may vary.

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