Research Software Engineer - ATLAS

Corehr; Oxford; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

OxRSE at the University of Oxford seeks a Research Software Engineer to join our embedded RSE group in the Department of Physics. The role focuses on developing software for scientific research and reproducible workflows, with an initial two-year focus on the ATLAS project.

You will work with researchers across physics and related groups, delivering training and advancing software engineering practices at a world-leading university. The position is full-time and based in Oxford.

Qualifications

• Doctoral degree or near completion with significant software development component.
• Experience in Python and Django, REST APIs, Linux and shell scripting.
• Ability to collaborate with researchers to design reliable software solutions.
• Experience with large relational databases.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain software for scientific research and reproducible workflows.
• Deliver workshops and training in software development best practices.
• Contribute to data management and public data availability aspects of research projects.
• Collaborate with researchers across groups to advance software engineering in science.

Skills

Python

Django

REST API

Linux

Databases

Education

Doctoral degree (PhD) in a relevant field

Tools

Git

SQL

Job description

UK date and time: 26-September-2026 12:30

MPLS Doctoral Training Centre, 1-4 Keble Road

The Oxford Research Software Engineering Group (OxRSE - www.rse.ox.ac.uk ) is looking to recruit a Research Software Engineer (RSE) to join our team. We work with other research groups across the University of Oxford to create, improve and maintain software used for scientific research and translational projects, as well as providing consulting and training to other researchers on best practices in software development and reproducible research. This post is part of OxRSE’s embedded RSE group within the Department of Physics.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing team and work as an RSE on world-leading and impactful projects. For the first two years, the RSE will work exclusively on the ATLAS project in the Department of Physics. ATLAS is an asteroid impact early warning system developed by the University of Hawaii and funded by NASA. It consists of five telescope units (2 in Hawaii and 1 each in Chile, South Africa and Tenerife), which automatically scan the whole sky several times every night looking for moving and transient objects. The University of Oxford is a key partner in the data management, data processing and public data availability aspects of ATLAS. Oxford scientifically leads the exploitation of the extragalactic transients that are discovered and monitored by ATLAS. The project has become the leading "all-sky every night" transient and moving object survey and is aiming to expand the network beyond the five currently operating sites.

We offer RSEs the potential to advance their career and to make a significant contribution to the development of good software practices at a world-leading university. The successful candidate will, following the initial two year period, have the opportunity to work on a variety of research projects across the Physics subject area and the broader University of Oxford. They will also have the opportunity to deliver workshops and training in software development best practices, and further develop their own technical and research skills as well as those outside of software development, such as project management and consultancy.

We are looking for candidates who hold a doctoral degree (or are close to completion, i.e., thesis submitted) with a significant software development component. We will also consider candidates without a doctoral degree but with equivalent experience of software development in a research environment. Candidates must be able to collaborate effectively with other researchers to design and implement reliable and maintainable software solutions to scientific questions and must be able to rapidly acquire skills in new programming languages, libraries and technologies. The successful candidate will have substantial experience, and proven efficiency across the majority of: Python and web frameworks (especially Django) programming; REST API development; Linux and shell scripting; implementation, deployment and management of large (multi-billion row) relational databases.

This post is offered as an open-ended position subject to external funding. It is full time, but flexible options will be considered (e.g., part-time, job share).

The closing date for applications is 12 noon on 23rd October 2026.