Lead Software Engineer

Waters; Wilmslow; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading clinical diagnostics company in the United Kingdom seeks a Lead Software Engineer to drive software development in their Clinical Systems Development team. This role involves guiding architectural decisions, mentoring engineers, and collaborating across teams to deliver integrated solutions. Ideal candidates should have a degree in a science-related field and extensive software development experience with a focus on analytical systems. Flexible working arrangements available.

Benefits

25 days of annual leave

Attractive employer pension contributions

Private medical insurance

Career development opportunities

Qualifications

• Extensive software development experience in relevant programming languages.
• Strong knowledge of LC and LC/MS‑based technologies.
• Genuine passion for clean, scalable, and maintainable code.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a technical leader for clinical software development.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with product management and hardware teams.
• Mentor and support engineers across the team.

Skills

Software development experience

Analytical systems knowledge

Excellent communication skills

Problem-solving abilities

Education

Degree in science, engineering, or computing

Job description

The Clinical Systems Development team is responsible for the design and development of Waters' Clinical and IVD Systems, encompassing both hardware and software. Our mission is to deliver meaningful customer benefits in the clinical segment through the evaluation, development, and deployment of cutting‑edge system capabilities.

What You’ll Do

• Serve as a technical leader for clinical software development, guiding architectural decisions and best practices.
• Ensure engineering efforts are aligned with product and business goals.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with product management, hardware teams, and quality assurance to deliver integrated solutions.
• Contribute to the strategic direction of clinical software platforms.
• Mentor and support engineers across the team, fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation.

Qualifications

• A degree (or equivalent experience) in a science, engineering, or computing‑related discipline.
• Extensive software development experience in relevant programming languages or related technologies.
• Strong knowledge of analytical systems, particularly LC and LC/MS‑based technologies.
• A genuine passion for clean, scalable, and maintainable code, demonstrated through your work and experiences.
• Excellent communication and decision‑making skills.
• A creative approach to solving complex technical problems.
• The ability to work independently and proactively, with minimal supervision.

About the Opportunity

At Waters, we’re on a mission to transform clinical diagnostics through groundbreaking software and analytical instrumentation. We’re seeking a Lead Software Engineer to join our Clinical Systems Development team – a pivotal role for an experienced software engineer who will serve as a technical authority for Waters’ clinical software solutions. Flexible working arrangements support work‑life balance.

Benefits

• 25 days of annual leave, plus public holidays.
• A comprehensive benefits package including:
  • Attractive employer pension contributions
  • Life assurance
  • Income protection
  • Private medical insurance
  • A supportive environment with opportunities for career development through mentoring, coaching and training.

We’re actively building diverse teams and welcome applications from everyone. We aim to build an inclusive environment, where everyone can contribute their best work and develop to their full potential. We celebrate our differences and recognize the importance of teams reflecting the communities they serve. We can make reasonable adjustments to our interview process according to your needs.