Software Engineer – Data Platforms

Aurora Energy Research; Oxford; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Parental Support

Salary-Exchange Pension

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

Local Oxford Discounts

Cycle-to-work Scheme

Flu Jabs

Job summary

Aurora Energy Research, based in Oxford, is hiring a founding Software Engineer on the Data Platforms team. You will build and own the infrastructure to make half-hourly, generator-level simulations fast, reliable and useful for tracking and modeling power grids worldwide.

You will join a small, fast-paced team releasing changes daily and work on high-uptime platforms serving massive data. The role suits problem solvers who collaborate well and own big projects from conception to production.

Qualifications

• 3+ years developing backend systems used in production environments.
• Ability to operate in fast-paced, high-ownership settings.
• Proficiency in Python and writing reliable tests and automation.
• Familiarity with AI-assisted coding tools and modern development workflows.
• Strong collaboration and low-ego team player with initiative.
• Genuine interest in transforming energy markets and infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Build high-uptime platforms that serve large-scale data fast and reliably.
• Develop tools and platforms for engineers, modellers, and analysts across Aurora.
• Be a founding member of the Data Platforms team, shaping culture and technical direction.

Skills

Backend development

Python

Testing & automation

AI coding tools

Team player

Energy markets interest

High ownership

Distributed systems

Tools

Terraform

AWS

Job description

Description

Aurora helps governments, investors, and utilities make billion‑dollar decisions on the journey to net‑zero. Based in Oxford, you will work in a dynamic and growing engineering organisation that builds cloud-based software to track and model power grids around the world.

Department: Tech - Software Engineering

Location: Oxford, UK

Description

Aurora helps governments, investors, and utilities make billion‑dollar decisions on the journey to net‑zero. Based in Oxford, you will work in a dynamic and growing engineering organisation that builds cloud-based software to track and model power grids around the world.

Aurora's models produce some of the most data‑intensive outputs in the energy industry – half hourly, generator‑level simulations across 30-year horizons. As a founding Software Engineer on the Data Platforms team, you will build and own the infrastructure that makes that data fast, reliable, and useful. You will work in a small, fast‑paced team that releases changes multiple times a day. The successful applicant will be an excellent problem solver, a strong team player, and a proven ability to take big projects from conception to production.

We're open to a range of candidates - the role and compensation will reflect your experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Build high-uptime platforms that serve 100TB -1PB data fast and reliably
• Build tools and platforms that empower engineers, modellers, and analysts across Aurora
• Be a founding member of the Data Platforms team - shaping its culture, practices, and technical direction from the ground up

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Required attributes:

• 3+ years developing impactful, mission-critical backend systems
• The ability to work in fast-paced, high-ownership environments
• Excellence in one or more language (we mostly use Python)
• Strong discipline in testing and automation
• Experienced, judicious user of AI coding tools
• An exceptional team player - low-ego, high-initiative
• Genuine interest in the transformation of energy markets and infrastructure

Desirable attributes:

• Hands-on experience with large distributed systems
• Previous experience building data platform - including scheduling, streaming, storage, compute
• Python, Lakehouse architectures, Terraform, AWS

What we offer

• Private Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Parental Support
• Salary-Exchange Pension
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• Local Oxford Discounts
• Cycle-to-work Scheme
• Flu Jabs

At AER, we are committed to offering flexibility in the way we work. Most of our roles are hybrid with a mix of in-office/home working and potentially adjustable working hours. Let’s discuss what works for you and AER during the interview process.

The Company is committed to the principle that no employee or job applicant shall receive unfavourable treatment on grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy, and maternity.