Principal / Senior Principal Software Engineer

F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG; Welwyn; On-site; GBP 95,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Roche is seeking a Software Engineer (Principal / Senior Principal) to lead the design and development of modern computational and data ecosystems enabling drug discovery. You will work across interactive tooling, scalable data platforms, and AI-powered capabilities, collaborating with scientists to translate complex challenges into scalable software solutions.

The role demands deep full-stack expertise, cloud mastery (AWS), and a track record of technical leadership in life sciences contexts.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. or equivalent experience in life sciences with full-stack software delivery experience.
• Experience across backend (Python/Java) and frontend (React/Vue).
• Strong data engineering, REST/GraphQL, ETL/ELT, and cloud-native deployments (AWS).
• Proven SDLC governance: automated tests, CI/CD, observability, maintainable codebases.
• Experience with AI-assisted and agentic coding workflows.

Responsibilities

• Design and build modern, interconnected computational and data ecosystems to accelerate drug discovery.
• Develop scalable tools and platforms for small and large molecule design and data workflows.
• Lead architectural decisions using microservices, event-driven patterns, and AWS cloud-native approaches.
• Integrate AI/ML models and agentic capabilities into engineering solutions.
• Collaborate with scientists to translate complex problems into high-performing software solutions.
• Mentor junior developers and establish reusable architecture patterns.

Skills

Full-stack engineering

Backend development

Frontend development

Data engineering

Cloud architecture

AWS

SDLC & CI/CD

AI-assisted development

Technical leadership

Communication

Education

Ph.D. in life sciences or related field

Job description

At Roche you can show up as yourself, embraced for the unique qualities you bring. Our culture encourages personal expression, open dialogue, and genuine connections, where you are valued, accepted and respected for who you are, allowing you to thrive both personally and professionally. This is how we aim to prevent, stop and cure diseases and ensure everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Join Roche, where every voice matters.

The Position

The Computational Sciences Center of Excellence (CS CoE) is a strategic, unified group whose mission is to harness the power of data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to assist scientists in delivering innovative, life-changing medicines to patients worldwide. Within the CS CoE, the Data and Digital Catalyst (DDC) organization leads the modernization of our computational ecosystems.

The Role & Opportunity

As a Software Engineer (Principal / Senior Principal) within our Solutions team, you will design and develop the modernized, interconnected computational and data ecosystems foundational to our research. You will build robust, scalable systems that unlock the potential of diverse scientific data, directly accelerating drug discovery and development.

Key Responsibilities Interactive Tooling & Platforms: Design and build interactive tools for small and large molecule drug discovery, seamlessly integrating molecular design workflows, data, computational algorithms, and AI models. Scalable Data Ecosystems: Build and enhance a modern, scalable ecosystem of applications and pipelines to acquire, capture, move, store, transform, link, share, and prepare scientific data for analysis. Architectural Leadership: Leverage modern architecture patterns—such as microservices, event-driven architectures, and cloud-native frameworks (AWS)—to improve data workflows across key scientific domains. AI & Agentic Engineering: Integrate diverse data sets to power Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Natural Language Search capabilities. Apply and champion modern AI-assisted and agentic coding practices within the engineering team. Stakeholder & Scientific Collaboration: Partner directly with computational and research scientists to translate complex scientific challenges into high-performing, user-friendly technology solutions. Technical Excellence & Mentorship: Provide technical leadership on ongoing strategic initiatives, define reusable architecture patterns, and mentor junior developers to uphold high engineering standards.

Who You Are

You are a passionate, collaborative full-stack engineering leader who thrives on solving complex scientific problems and driving software engineering best practices.

Key Qualifications & Experience Domain Expertise: Ph.D. or equivalent experience in the life science domain building full-stack software solutions, with a strong preference for drug discovery or pharmaceutical environments. Full-Stack Engineering: Deep technical expertise across all stack layers, including backend (e.g., Python, Java) and modern frontend technologies (e.g., React, Vue). Data Engineering & Cloud Architecture: Extensive experience in modern data engineering (ETL/ELT, SQL/NoSQL, REST & GraphQL APIs) and cloud-native deployments (preferably AWS). SDLC & Engineering Excellence: Proven track record in establishing robust SDLC patterns, including versioning, automated testing, CI/CD, observability, and maintainable code bases. Agentic & AI-Assisted Development: Demonstrated proficiency in adopting AI-assisted and agentic coding workflows individually and across teams. Communication & Collaboration: Exceptional communication skills with the ability to articulate complex architectural concepts to technical and non-technical stakeholders alike. Apply if you are ready to shape the future of computational medicine! #ComputationCoE #tech4lifeComputationalSciences

Who we are

A healthier future drives us to innovate. Together, more than 100’000 employees across the globe are dedicated to advance science, ensuring everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Our efforts result in more than 26 million people treated with our medicines and over 30 billion tests conducted using our Diagnostics products. We empower each other to explore new possibilities, foster creativity, and keep our ambitions high, so we can deliver life-changing healthcare solutions that make a global impact. Let’s build a healthier future, together. The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees, and are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. Furthermore, they do not establish a contract for employment and are subject to change at the discretion of Roche Products Ltd. At Roche Products we believe diversity drives innovation and we are committed to building a diverse and flexible working environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion or belief, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, disability or age. We recognise the importance of flexible working and will review all applicants’ requests with care. At Roche difference is valued and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer where you are encouraged to bring your whole self to work. We believe it’s urgent to deliver medical solutions right now – even as we develop innovations for the future. We are passionate about transforming patients’ lives. We are courageous in both decision and action. And we believe that good business means a better world. That is why we come to work each day. We commit ourselves to scientific rigor, unassailable ethics, and access to medical innovations for all. We do this today to build a better tomorrow. We are proud of who we are, what we do, and how we do it. We are many, working as one across functions, across companies, and across the world. We are Roche.