Senior Software Engineer (MULTIPOD Research Project)

The Open University; Milton Keynes; Hybrid; GBP 39,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

The Open University is seeking a Senior Software Engineer for the MULTIPOD research project in Milton Keynes. The role is hybrid with some home working and requires delivering research software, coordinating with team members and external collaborators, and creating robust demonstrations.

The role reports to the IDEA team in KMi, with responsibilities across development, testing, and documentation while maintaining security best practices. This is a fixed-term position ending 30 November 2027.

Qualifications

• Degree in IT or equivalent experience.
• Experience with full‑stack development using Node.js, TypeScript and Python.
• Experience with SQL and NoSQL databases.
• Ability to draft technical reports and contribute to teamwork.
• Willingness to learn quickly and meet deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Create, test, integrate and maintain research software.
• Plan, organise and deliver software components and systems.
• Develop and integrate software for the MULTIPOD project and related technologies.
• Engage with collaborators inside and outside the University.
• Create reports and documentation to support software delivery.
• Participate in team meetings and assist with planning software projects.
• Research new software trends and components to aid delivery.
• Develop new software skills to support innovative outputs.
• Attend conferences/workshops to liaise with collaborators.
• Apply secure-by-design principles and ensure cybersecurity compliance.

Skills

Node.js

TypeScript

Python

Angular

Education

IT degree

Tools

SQL/NoSQL

Firebase

Job description

Senior Software Engineer (MULTIPOD Research Project)

Job Location: Milton Keynes, Remote/Hybrid Department: Knowledge Media Institute Salary: £38,784 to £46,049 Closing Date: 5 November 2026 Weekly Working Hours: 37 Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract Fixed Term Contract: End Date: 30 November 2027 Welsh Language: Not Applicable

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About the Role

The Senior Software Engineer will support the MULTIPOD research project - "Multilingual and multicultural spaces for political deliberation"- granted by European Commission. The project involves the development of online deliberation technologies, data processing/analysis and integration with consortium technologies/codebases The role holder will be required to be self‑motivated in learning new skills as and when required, with support given from lead colleagues and the team manager.

The role holder will be required to work on and manage software development activities for the MULTIPOD project. They will be required to create, test, deliver and maintain software components and demonstrators under the guidance of the team manager. Occasionally they will be required to direct other team members assigned to assist them with specific software deliverables.

They will be required to engage with collaborators outside the immediate team on research and innovation projects. These collaborators can be inside the department, across the university or external to the university. The role holder will need to listen actively, communicate clearly and maintain positive relationships with any collaborative partners they are required to liaise with.

The Senior Software Engineer reports to Prof Anna De Liddo of the IDEA team in KMi.

Key Responsibilities

The role holder will work as part of a team of researchers and developers creating innovative software solutions for the MULTIPOD project within KMi at The Open University.

The main responsibilities of the role are:

• To create, test, integrate and maintain research software.
• To plan, organise and deliver a range of software from discrete software components through to whole software systems.
• To develop and integrate software for the MULTIPOD project, including online deliberation technologies, data processing and analysis, and integration with consortium technologies and codebases.
• To engage with collaborators inside and outside the University, including academic and industry partners within the MULTIPOD consortium.
• To create reports and documentation to support software they, or their team, have produced.
• To participate actively in team meetings, contributing their knowledge and expertise to assist in decision-making when planning software projects.
• To undertake any required research around new software trends or components that may assist the team in delivering innovative research software outputs.
• To develop new software skills to support the creation of innovative software solutions.
• To periodically attend conferences and/or workshops to liaise with potential collaborators and promote the work of their team and department.
• Apply “secure by design” principles in all aspects of technical work, maintaining awareness of cyber security risks and ensuring compliance with University policies and guidance issued by the Information Security team.

About You

• Degree level education in an IT subject or equivalent experience.
• Experience with full‑stack software development using technologies such as Node.js, TypeScript and Python, along with JavaScript/HTML5, CSS and front‑end frameworks such as Angular.
• Experience with SQL and/or NoSQL databases and database technologies such as Firebase.
• Experience of planning, creating, testing and delivering software for a variety of situations and needs.
• Ability to draft technical reports and contributing to teamwork.
• Experience of and willingness to learn new skills and capabilities in short timeframes.
• An ability to quickly demonstrate understanding of a project’s aims and specific tasks.
• An ability to document code and write supporting user documentation.
• An ability to work to challenging targets and deadlines.
• A proven ability to develop potential solutions to problems that a project can encounter.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to disseminate information effectively to a wide range of audiences.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, ensuring objectives and deadlines are met within resource constraints.
• A strong commitment to excellence in working with a diverse student population.

Desirable:

• Experience of developing accessible software such as the WCAG standard.
• Experience of giving presentations.
• Experience of mentoring or training others.

What's in it for you?

At The Open University, we offer a range of benefits to recognise and reward great work, alongside policies and flexible working that contribute towards a great work life balance. Get all the details of what benefits we offer by visiting our Staff Benefits page (clicking this link will open a new window).

Flexible working

We are open to discussions about flexible working. Whether it’s a job share, part time, compressed hours or another working arrangement. Please reach out to us to discuss what works best for you.

Work Location

It is anticipated that a hybrid working pattern can be adopted for this role, where you can work from home and the office. However, as this role is contractually aligned to our Milton Keynes office it is expected that some attendance in the office will be required when necessary and in response to business needs. We’d expect this to be approximately twice per month.

Next steps in the Recruitment process

It is anticipated that interviews will take place in early December.

Early closing date notification

While most roles will remain open until the advertised closing date, applications may be reviewed on an ongoing basis. In some cases, vacancies may close earlier if a sufficient number of suitable applications have been received and equality impacts have been appropriately considered. All roles will remain advertised for a minimum of one week before any early closure is implemented.

If you have started an application or were in the process of applying when the advert closed, we encourage you to get in touch. We are committed to understanding individual circumstances and can offer further support where needed, including reasonable adjustments for applicants with protected characteristics.

The Open University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion which is reflected in our mission to be open to people, places, methods and ideas. We aim to foster a diverse and inclusive environment so that all in our OU community can reach their potential. We recognise that different people bring different perspectives, ideas, knowledge, and culture, and that this difference brings great strength.We strive to recruit, retain and develop the careers of a diverse pool of students and staff, and particularly encourage applications from all underrepresented groups. We also aspire to make The Open University a supportive workplace for all through our policies, services and staff networks.