Research Software Engineer

The University of Manchester; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK university located in Manchester is seeking a Research Software Engineer to support academic research projects and provide software application assistance. The successful candidate will work with diverse research teams and tackle complex software challenges, requiring strong technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and effective communication. The role offers excellent development opportunities within a collaborative environment, along with a comprehensive benefits package, including generous leave and professional development options.

Benefits

Generous annual leave allowance

Pension scheme membership

Well-being programme

Learning and development opportunities

Cycle to Work Scheme

Workplace nursery scheme

Staff recognition schemes

Staff discounts on products and services

Qualifications

• Proficiency in one or more programming languages such as Java, C++, C#.
• Experience in the complete software engineering lifecycle.
• Meticulous organizational skills capable of managing multiple streams of work.

Responsibilities

• Support researchers with application software and licensing queries.
• Work on diverse research projects from conception to completion.
• Communicate effectively with colleagues of varying technical knowledge.

Skills

Scientific computing

Data science

Web development

Mobile app development

High-performance computing

Problem-solving

Effective communication

Organizational skills

Education

Post-graduate qualification in a relevant discipline

Tools

Git

Jira

GitHub

Job description

Research Software Engineer (Grade 6)

Grade

Grade 6

Contract Duration

Fixed Term (24-months until 31 / 12 / 2027)

Directorate

IT Services (ITS)

Division

ITS Research IT

About IT Services

IT Services at the University of Manchester is a vibrant and fast-moving directorate, we focus on delivering excellent customer service and quality services for our staff, students and researchers.

The Research Software Engineering Department

The Division of Research IT provides research‑focussed, specialist computing infrastructure, software engineering, data science, application support and training to researchers across a wide range of domains, who have diverse technical requirements. Within Research IT, the Research Software Engineering department is responsible for providing a range of services including software development, consultancy and training. Research IT are a friendly, open, inclusive and diverse group of skilled people with a passion for helping others and delivering world‑class research. You can find out more about life in the RSE department by reading this blog post.

The Role

This role is split between two main duties: first, you will take a prominent role in our Research Application Support Service. You will provide on‑demand support for researcher queries around research application software, licensing, code optimisation and best practice. You will run our drop‑in sessions and have oversight of more junior colleagues within the service. There is the opportunity to develop your leadership skills through close collaboration with the Application Support Service lead. You will need strong problem‑solving skills and be able to communicate effectively with colleagues with differing levels of technical proficiency.

The second part of the role requires you work on research projects, from weeks to months in duration, anywhere in their lifecycle from conception to completion. You will work with researchers from across the University getting to the heart of some of the world’s most important challenges and applying cutting‑edge techniques through software design and development. This may involve gathering requirements, or designing, building, testing, deploying, documenting and maintaining software in a wide range of domains using new and established technologies, some of which may be unfamiliar to you. The role expects you to identify any skills gaps you have and address them proactively with a desire to learn continuously throughout your career. The second half of the job is

The Person

The successful candidate should be able to demonstrate :

• Post‑graduate qualification in a relevant discipline or equivalent industrial experience.
• Experience of scientific computing, data science, web development, mobile app development and / or high‑performance computing.
• Proficiency in one or more programming languages and the design and development of object‑oriented software, for example, Java, C++, C#.
• Experience using industry‑standard software engineering processes and associated tools such as version control with Git, agile project management with Jira or equivalent, and code review / automation with GitHub or similar.
• Experience in the complete software engineering lifecycle (requirements engineering through to deployment and maintenance) with experience of software design and testing.
• Strong problem‑solving skills evidencing the delivery of practical solutions to problems.
• Experience in one or more scientific applications such as MATLAB, Mathematica, SPSS, NVivo, Origin, LabVIEW etc.
• Meticulous organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple streams of work.
• The ability to communicate effectively, with people from a variety of backgrounds (educationally and culturally) who will have varying levels of technical knowledge.
• A passion for supporting academic research, delivering high‑quality work and excellent customer service.
• A commitment to personal and professional development and a desire to learn.

What You Can Expect in Return

Our diverse job opportunities all include a top benefits package that includes many features that are hard to find in the private sector :

• Generous annual leave allowance, including Christmas / New Year closure;
• Pension scheme membership to provide benefits for you and your family;
• Well‑being programme with counselling, fitness and leading sports facilities;
• Learning and development opportunities;
• Season ticket loans for public transport;
• Cycle to Work Scheme;
• Workplace nursery scheme;
• Staff recognition schemes;
• Staff discounts on a range of products and services including travel and high street savings.

For a more complete picture see our Staff Benefits Page

Equal Opportunities

As an equal‑opportunity employer, we welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of age, sex, gender (or gender identity), ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation and transgender status. All appointments are made on merit. Our University is positive about flexible working you can find out more here . Research IT offers a range of hybrid working options as standard. Blended working arrangements may be considered.

Enquiries

Please note that we are unable to respond to enquiries, accept CVs or applications from Recruitment Agencies. Any recruitment enquiries from recruitment agencies should be directed to [e-mail]. Any CV’s submitted by a recruitment agency will be considered a gift.

Enquiries about the vacancy, shortlisting and interviews :

Dr Adrian Harwood [e-mail]

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