Software Engineer - Python & AWS (we have office locations in Cambridge, Leeds and London)

Genomics England; City Of London; On-site; GBP 66,000 - 81,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous Leave

Pension

Health & Wellbeing

Learning & Development

Job summary

Genomics England is seeking an experienced Software Engineer with strong Python and AWS skills to join the Scientific R&D team. You will work on data processing systems across cloud and on-prem environments, enabling high-quality genomic datasets and preparing data for release into the National Genomic Research Library.

The role collaborates across projects like Cancer 2.0 and Generation Study, driving innovative genomic research.

Qualifications

• Strong Python skills and experience building scalable backend services.
• Hands-on experience with AWS, microservice architectures, and containerised environments.
• Experience working on data-heavy or distributed systems.
• Familiarity with agile delivery and test-driven development.

Responsibilities

• Think through, design and enable future facing research cohorts end to end.
• Write clean, scalable Python code, following engineering best practices.
• Develop working solutions to enable processing of long read data, including AWS.
• Design and maintain services on AWS, focusing on resilience and performance.
• Work on distributed systems that handle big data processing at scale.
• Build and evolve our test automation frameworks.
• Troubleshoot issues, collaborating with colleagues.
• Stay up to date with latest tools, libraries and tech approaches.

Skills

Python

AWS

Backend services

Distributed systems

Agile

Education

BSc in Computer Science

Tools

GitLab

Jira

Confluence

Job description

Company Description

Genomics England is a global leader in enabling genomic medicine and research, focused on creating a world where everyone benefits from genomic healthcare.

Building on the 100,000 Genomes Project, we support the NHS’s world-first national whole genome sequencing service and run the growing National Genomic Research Library, alongside delivering numerous major genomics initiatives. By connecting research and clinical care at national scale, we enable immediate healthcare benefits and advances for the future.

Our mission is to provide the evidence and digital systems so that by 2035 genomics could play a role in up to half of all healthcare interactions, whilst securing the UK’s position as the best place to discover, prove and benefit from genomic innovations.

We are accelerating our impact and working with patients, doctors, scientists, government and industry to improve genomic testing, and help researchers access the health data and technology they need to make new medical discoveries and create more effective, targeted medicines for everybody.

Behind the Healthcare and Research outcomes, Genomics England delivers through designing, developing and operating complex healthcare software systems.

We’re on the cusp of big changes with the real prospect of genomics becoming the fabric of everyday healthcare through the lifetime - from birth to old age.

Job Description

Software Engineer - Python & AWS

Genomics England is hiring an experienced Software Engineer with strong Python and AWS experience to join our Scientific R&D team, which sits within our Generate Research Data (GRD) service. GRD works across our organisation and with external partners to generate, obtain and enrich high-quality genomic, multi-omic and clinical datasets.

The service supports the journey from new research studies and emerging technologies through to preparing data for release into the National Genomic Research Library (NGRL), helping enable research, discovery and clinical impact.

The Scientific R&D team develops and tests new genomic and multi-omic approaches and provides scientific expertise across GRD. The team operates wet‑lab and bioinformatics capabilities, including long‑read sequencing, data analysis, technology assessment and pilot development. It supports programmes such as Cancer 2.0 and Generation Study‑related discovery work, while investigating how emerging technologies can be applied to future research.

This Software Engineer role develops and maintains data processing systems within the Scientific R&D team, working across a mixture of cloud and on‑premises infrastructure to support the assessment of cutting‑edge sequencing technologies for clinical genome sequencing.

What you’ll be doing

• Thinking through, designing and enabling the future facing research cohorts end to end
• Writing clean, scalable Python code, following engineering best practices
• Developing working solutions to enable processing of long read data, including future facing solutions in AWS
• Designing and maintaining services on AWS, with a focus on resilience and performance
• Working on distributed systems that handle big data processing at scale
• Building and evolving our test automation frameworks
• Troubleshooting issues, working closely with colleagues
• Staying up to date with the latest tools, libraries and tech approaches
• Using GitLab, Jira, and Confluence to work effectively in a modern agile setup

What you’ll bring

• Strong Python skills and experience building scalable backend services
• Hands‑on experience with AWS, microservice architectures, and containerised environments
• Experience working on data‑heavy or distributed systems
• Familiarity with agile delivery and test‑driven development
• Self‑sufficiency combined with a collaborative mindset and openness to learning from others

Nice to have

• Hands on orchestration skills and experience using Terraform
• Experience with big data tools (e.g. Spark, AWS Glue, or similar)
• Strong grasp of code review best practices
• Some knowledge of JavaScript
• Cloud Migration/AWS knowledge
• Understanding/experience working with orchestration and data flows
• Solution building expertise

Qualifications

BSc in Computer Science or equivalent experience

Additional Information

Closing date for applications: Wednesday 18th November 2026 at 23:00 (UK time)

Salary from: £73,500 per annum

Please note:we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

Being an integral part of such a meaningful mission is extremely rewarding in itself, but in order to support our people, we’re continually improving our benefits package. We pride ourselves on investing in our people and supporting them to achieve their career goals, as well as offering a benefits package including:

• Generous Leave: 30 days’ holiday, plus bank holidays, plus additional leave for long service, and also the option to apply for up to 30 days of remote working abroad annually (approval required).
• Family-Friendly: Blended working arrangements, flexible working, enhanced maternity, paternity and shared parental leave benefits.
• Pension & Financial: Defined contribution pension (Genomics England double-matches up to 10%, however you can contribute more if you wish), Life Assurance (3x salary), an Electric Vehicle salary sacrifice scheme and a Give As You Earn scheme.
• Learning & Development: Individual learning budgets, support for training and certifications, and reimbursement for one annual professional subscription (approval required).
• Recognition & Rewards: Employee recognition programme and referral scheme.
• Health & Wellbeing: Subsidised gym membership, a free Headspace account, and access to an Employee Assistance Programme, eye tests, flu jabs.

Equal opportunities and our commitment to a diverse and inclusive workplace

Genomics England is actively committed to providing and supporting an inclusive environment that promotes equity, diversity and inclusion best practice both within our community and in any other area where we have influence. We are proud of our diverse community where everyone can come to work and feel welcomed and treated with respect regardless of any disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, or social background.

Genomics England’s policies of non-discrimination and equity and will be applied fairly to all people, regardless of age, disability, gender identity or reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, being pregnant or recently becoming a parent, race, religion or beliefs, sex or sexual orientation, length of service, whether full or part‑time or employed under permanent or fixed‑term contract or any other relevant factor.

Genomics England does not tolerate any form of discrimination, harassment or victimisation or bullying at work. Such behaviour undermines the mission and core values and diminishes the dignity, respect and integrity of all parties. Our People policies outline our commitment to inclusivity.

We aim to remove barriers in our recruitment processes and to be flexible with our interview processes. Should you require any adjustments that may help you to fully participate in the recruitment process, we encourage you to discuss this with us.

Culture

We have four key behaviours that represent what we would like Genomics England to feel like and the culture we want to encourage, in order for us to achieve our mission. These behaviours help us all work well together, deliver on our outcomes, celebrate our successes and share feedback with each other. You can read about them and other aspects of our culture here