Senior Research Software Engineer

CamWebDir; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough; Remote; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Aviation Impact Accelerator (AIA) at the University of Cambridge invites applications for a Senior Research Software Engineer to join the Whittle Laboratory in West Cambridge. You will lead efforts to develop scientific software, infrastructure and interactive tools underpinning aviation research and its communication to government, industry and the public.

The role covers new tool development, cloud infrastructure, data pipelines and public-facing web apps, with mentoring responsibilities

Qualifications

• Background in engineering or physical sciences with strong software development skills.
• Experience deploying and operating web services in AWS.
• Proficiency in Python for scientific computing and data processing.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of scientific software and interactive tools.
• Build cloud infrastructure and data pipelines.
• Develop public-facing web applications for dissemination of findings.
• Mentor students and colleagues; contribute to reports and publications.
• Collaborate with external partners and software contractors.

Skills

Python

AWS

Web services

Data pipelines

Scientific computing

Education

Engineering or physical sciences background

Tools

Bilt framework

JAX

Job description

# Senior Research Software EngineerUUniversity of CambridgeCB2 1TNvia University of CambridgePosted 16 Oct 2026Apply on cam.ac.uk →Are you ready to drive innovation at the intersection of advanced software engineering and sustainable aviation research? The Aviation Impact Accelerator (AIA) at the University of Cambridge is seeking a Senior Research Software Engineer to join our team at Whittle Laboratory in West Cambridge. As part of this team, you will lead efforts to develop the scientific software, infrastructure and interactive tools that underpin our research and communicate its findings to government, industry and the public.This is a broad senior engineering role which is technically demanding and intellectually engaging spanning new tool development, support for analyst-led projects, cloud infrastructure, data pipelines and public-facing web applications. We are particularly interested in candidates with an engineering or physical-science background, an understanding of low-order physical systems modelling, and experience deploying and operating web services, ideally using AWS.The AIA combines physics-based and data-driven modelling to study aviation as an interconnected system. Our software includes modern, typed Python modelling toolboxes and Bilt, an in-house framework for building a causal, composable and unit-aware engineering models, which are deployable to JAX. Much of our development is greenfield, giving team members significant influence over software architecture, engineering practices and technical direction.The role also offers opportunities to mentor students and colleagues, contribute to reports and publications, and engage with external partners and software contractors where appropriate. We value code quality, testability, automation, and maintainable research software. This role is suitable for engineers looking to deepen their expertise in scientific and data-intensive software while maintaining industry-aligned practices.If you are eager to contribute your skills to a meaningful mission, we would love to hear from you. Apply now to join the AIA team and play a key role in advancing sustainable aviation solutions.Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 12 months in the first instance.Applications are welcome from internal candidates who would like to apply for the role on the basis of a secondment from their current role in the University.Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.Please ensure that you upload your Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a covering letter in the Upload section of the online application.The closing date for applications is Monday 24 August 2026.Informal enquiries are welcomed and if you have any queries regarding either the vacancy or the application process, please contact the HR Office in the first instance on [e-mail] or 01223 332615Please quote reference NM50695 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.