DataSHIELD Research Software Engineer

Society of Research Software Engineering; Liverpool; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A renowned educational institution in Liverpool is looking for a Research Software Engineer specializing in geospatial analytics. In this hybrid, full-time role, you will develop R packages and contribute to ethical, privacy-preserving data science in collaboration with NHS and academic partners. Ideal candidates will have strong software development skills and a passion for open-source innovation.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in geospatial analytics.
• Good software engineering practice.
• Experience developing R packages and functions.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain R packages and functionalities.
• Support governance frameworks and software releases.
• Collaborate with NHS partners and academic researchers.
• Contribute to training and community development.
• Mentor junior colleagues and interns.

Skills

Software development experience

R programming skills

Knowledge of geospatial analytics

Interest in open-source development

Ability to communicate technical concepts

Job description

Research Software Engineer – DataSHIELD

Hybrid | Full-time | University of Liverpool

Fixed-term until 30 September 2027

We are recruiting a Research Software Engineer with proven experience in geospatial analytics to join the DataSHIELD team at University of Liverpool. This is a great opportunity for someone who wants to work at the forefront of privacy-preserving, federated analytics. You’ll help develop software that enables privacy preserving analysis of sensitive geospatial and healthcare data without ever viewing, moving or sharing it – contributing to national programmes such as the NHS England Secure Data Environment network and DARE UK’s federated analytics frameworks.

You’ll join a thriving international open‑source community spanning academia, research hospitals and industry. Your work will support real-world health research, collaborative science and responsible data innovation.

What you’ll be doing:

• Developing and maintaining R packages and new technical functionality
• Supporting governance frameworks and contributing to software testing and releases
• Collaborating with NHS partners, public sector teams, academic researchers and international networks
• Contributing to training, documentation, presentations and community development
• Providing mentorship to junior colleagues and interns

What we’re looking for:

• Strong software development experience and good software engineering practice
• R programming skills for package and function development
• Knowledge of geospatial analytics or visualisation
• Interest in open-source development and ethical use of healthcare data
• Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly

If contributing to meaningful, secure and impactful data science excites you, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply via the University of Liverpool job portal.