Staff and Team Lead, Onyx Application Engineering

WISE Campaign; London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company is seeking a Staff and Team Lead for Onyx Application Engineering. This role involves overseeing the development of data-driven applications, leading a high-performing team, and ensuring best practices in software development. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in application development and excellent communication skills to align technology solutions with business goals. This hybrid role requires 2-3 days onsite weekly, with a closing date for applications on May 4, 2025.

Qualifications

• Experience managing and developing engineers or technical contributors.
• Deep knowledge of at least one web backend language.
• Experience deploying applications in cloud environments.

Responsibilities

• Build and lead a team of high-performing engineers.
• Lead the architectural design and development of applications.
• Mentor engineers to develop technical and interpersonal skills.

Skills

Communication

Time Management

Leadership

Python

Java

JavaScript

DevOps

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science

Tools

Git

Jira

Confluence

Job description

Staff and Team Lead, Onyx Application Engineering

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 Staff Application Engineer and Team Lead will play a pivotal role in advancing the technological landscape of GSK, focusing on the design, delivery, and support of state-of-the-art data-driven applications. This role requires leadership and hands-on technical expertise, overseeing development, deployment, and maintenance of high-performance applications tailored to our scientific users. Responsibilities include collaborating with cross-functional teams to understand requirements, designing scalable architectures, and integrating cutting-edge data analytics.

The role also involves building and leading a high-performing team of engineers, resource allocation, employee development, and ensuring best practices in software development. Additionally, it includes maintaining existing applications, ensuring security, high availability, reliability, and performance. The ideal candidate will have a strong track record in large-scale application development and system design, with excellent communication skills to liaise with stakeholders and align technology solutions with business and scientific goals.

Key Responsibilities:

• Build and lead a team of high-performing engineers to deliver impactful solutions.
• Lead the architectural design, development, and maintenance of full-stack, data-driven, cloud applications for scientific use.
• Develop and monitor key metrics for applications and services, iterating for improvement.
• Operate and support applications in production, transforming mock-ups into MVPs and production-grade solutions.
• Mentor engineers to develop technical and interpersonal skills.
• Champion quality standards through test automation and best practices.
• Work with product teams on roadmaps and end-user requirements.
• Foster a culture of innovation, feedback, and high performance.
• Manage external development partners to ensure capacity and timely delivery.

Why You!

We seek professionals with these skills:

Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in communication or Computer Science, with significant engagement experience in IT or Pharma.
• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Effective time management, organization, and prioritization skills.
• Experience managing and developing engineers or technical contributors.
• Deep knowledge of at least one web backend language: Python, Scala, Java, JavaScript (Node.js), including tools for documentation, testing, and operations.
• Experience deploying applications in cloud environments like Google Cloud (preferred), AWS, Azure.
• Proficiency with modern development tools (git/GitHub, DevOps, monitoring).
• Front-end skills: JavaScript, Typescript, React.js, Angular.js, or similar.
• API development using REST, GraphQL, gRPC, or similar standards.
• Experience with open-source web frameworks in Python, Java, Scala, or similar.
• Knowledge of Authentication & Authorization mechanisms like OAuth2.
• Experience with CI/CD pipelines and tools.
• Familiarity with agile development, Jira, Confluence.

Preferred:

• Master’s degree or higher.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams.
• Knowledge of database modeling, SQL, and data visualization frameworks like D3.js, Plotly, Matplotlib.

Interested in joining? Please apply via our online portal with your CV and Cover Letter. Remember to keep a personal copy of this Job Description, as it will not be available online after the application closes.

Closing Date: 4th May 2025

This role is hybrid, expecting 2-3 days onsite weekly.