Research Software Engineer

Cardiff University; Cardiff; On-site; GBP 41,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading academic institution in the UK is seeking a skilled IT professional to join their team, focusing on delivering high-quality technical solutions and improving software engineering capabilities. The role requires expertise in programming and knowledge of computational science. Successful candidates will collaborate with academics, maintain system performance, and provide user support. This full-time position offers a competitive salary of £41,064 - £46,049 per annum and is open-ended, promoting diversity and flexible work arrangements.

Qualifications

• Expertise in programming with a focus on computational science.
• Experience in data science, AI, or software engineering.
• Ability to assist in user training and support.

Responsibilities

• Develop and document technology designs and specifications.
• Specify and develop user/system interfaces and protocols.
• Maintain and support system infrastructure.

Skills

Programming expertise

Customer service

Technical communication

Problem-solving

Organisational skills

Education

Relevant degree in computer science or related field

Job description

You will work as part of a professional service delivery team dedicated to the provision of an efficient, effective and quality driven Information Technology service to staff and students within the Corporate, Administrative, Academic Research and Learning and Teaching functions of the University.

You will provide a highly professional, friendly and customer focused face to the services offered by Information Services.

You will have expertise in programming as well as an understanding of research within a computational science domain, using your experience and knowledge of best practices to enhance the world‑class software engineering capability of the university. There are 3 posts available with an emphasis in one of the following areas:

1. Data science and Artificial Intelligence
2. High Performance Computing Dev Ops - infrastructure‑as‑code and automation
3. Scientific software engineering – e.g. statistics or modelling

As a key member of the ARCCA team, you will foster collaborations and build partnerships with leading academics, both internally and with the wider external community, to enable the translation of innovative research into functioning software, using techniques and best practices at the forefront of current knowledge.

Your technical skills should be matched by your proven ability to communicate complex technical issues clearly, professionally and in a way which can be understood by a wide range of people. A highly organised and flexible approach to work is required.

The role holder will provide a highly professional, friendly and customer focused face to the services offered by Information Services.

Responsibilities

• The development of technology and infrastructure designs and specifications, including the documentation of architectures, topologies and configuration items.
• The specification and development of user/system interfaces, including validation and error correction procedures, processing rules, access, security and audit controls. You will assess associated risks, and specify recovery routines and contingency procedures. You will also assist with the translation of logical designs into physical designs.
• The provision of infrastructure maintenance and support services, both to users of the systems and to service delivery functions. You will pro‑actively monitor system performance, investigating and resolving faults and problems in a timely fashion. You will provide information, advice or training to users on functionality, correct operation and system constraints.
• The role may also involve the line‑management and leadership of staff supporting technical and functional solutions and/or services in the role‑holder’s technical domain.

This post is full‑time and open‑ended.

Salary: £41,064 - £46,049 per annum (Grade 6). Appointments to roles at Cardiff University are usually made at bottom of scale unless in exceptional circumstances.

Closing date: Sunday, 25 January 2026

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds who have the ambition to create a University which seeks to fulfil our social, cultural and economic obligation to Cardiff, Wales, and the world. In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements. Applications may be submitted in Welsh, and an application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.