Job Description

Job number

COO01238

Faculties

Chief Operating Officer (COO) Team

Departments

Information & Communication Technologies

Salary or Salary range

45,700 - 55,240 per annum

Location/campus

White City Campus - Hybrid

Contract type work pattern

Full time - Fixed term

Posting End Date

5 Jun 2025

About the role

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Are you passionate about good software? Would you like to get involved with the cutting-edge research done at Imperial? Then search no more, since these Research Software Engineering (RSE) positions within Imperial's Research Computing Service might be the next stop in your career.



As an RSE you will contribute to the team's success by developing innovative software, promoting the importance of good software engineering, and ultimately accelerating the research process. You will work under general direction with a clear framework of accountability, while exercising substantial personal responsibility and autonomy, applying novel technologies to diverse and meaningful challenges.

What you would be doing

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Some of the specific duties and responsibilities associated with your new role will be:


Engage with Imperial College researchers to build reliable, usable, and maintainable research software.

Identify user requirements and deliver solutions that ensure they are met.

Collaboratively select appropriate technology and system architecture.

Employ best-practice approaches to software engineering, like testing, issue tracking and version control.

Assist with software deployment and maintenance.

Write and maintain documentation to support ongoing use and development of the software.

Efficiently communicate progress, including through regular reports.

Work to agreed schedules and prioritise day-to-day tasks appropriately.

Maintain an awareness of technical developments, tools, and ideas in research computing and in software engineering, including attending seminars, conferences, and other community events.

Promote the activities of the team where appropriate, including publishing code, contributing to journal articles, and giving presentations.

Assist with other initiatives offered by the Team.

Deliver training related to sustainability and software engineering best practices.

Actively participate in the RSE community at Imperial and beyond

What we are looking for

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A list of some of the requirements for this job are included below. For a more comprehensive list of essential and desirable requirements, please check the person specification section in the job description document.


Degree or equivalent working experience, preferably a technical qualification or comparable.

Experience writing software as part of a team.

Experience of analysing, researching, and solving complex programming problems

Knowledge of and commitment to software development best practise including issue tracking, testing, documentation, version control (git), build automation and continuous integration.

Demonstrable knowledge in at least one language commonly used for research, e.g. Python, C++, Fortran, R or Matlab.

Ability to work autonomously but willingness to seek advice where necessary regarding software design and implementation.

Rigorous time management and prioritisation skills.

Curiosity and intellectual flexibility, with an interest in understanding unfamiliar disciplines.

What we can offer you

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The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution and be part of our mission to use science for humanity.


Benefit from a sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 39 days' annual leave and generous pension schemes).

Access to a range of workplace benefits including a flexible working policy from day one, generous family leave packages, on-site leisure facilities and cycle-to-work scheme.


Interest-free season ticket loan schemes for travel. Be part of a diverse, inclusive and collaborative work culture with various staff networks and resources to support your personal and professional wellbeing

Further information

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This is a full time, fixed term role for 24 months based at the White City Campus.



There are 2 positions available.



Our mission at the RSE Team is to increase the quality, impact and sustainability of the research software developed at Imperial, supporting the College in improving its world-leading research outputs. The Team has been in place since 2017 and has worked on dozens of projects across all faculties of the College. We have experience developing and maintaining performant, reliable, and sustainable research software in a variety of research domains, training researchers in best coding practices and supporting the writing of grant proposals with a software component. Our Team is supported by the resources of the ICT division and works in collaboration with the academic research community. We are passionate about open-source software and firm supporters of the FAIR principles of open research.



If you require any further details about the role, please contact: Dr Diego Alonso Alvarez, Head of Research Software Engineering - d.alonso-alvarez@imperil.ac.uk .

Available documents

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Attached documents are available under links. Clicking a document link will initialize its download.

Please note that job descriptions are not exhaustive, and you may be asked to take on additional duties that align with the key responsibilities mentioned above.

We reserve the right to close the advert prior to the closing date stated should we receive a high volume of applications. It is therefore advisable that you submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.



If you encounter any technical issues while applying online, please don't hesitate to email us at support.jobs@imperial.ac.uk. We're here to help.


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About Imperial

Welcome to Imperial, a global top ten university where scientific imagination leads to world-changing impact.



Join us and be part of something bigger. From global health to climate change, AI to business leadership, here at Imperial we navigate some of the world's toughest challenges. Whatever your role, your contribution will have a lasting impact.



As a member of our vibrant community of 22,000 students and 8,000 staff, you'll collaborate with passionate minds across nine London campuses and a global network.



This is your chance to help shape the future. We hope you'll join us at Imperial College London.


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Our Culture

We work towards equality of opportunity, to eliminating discrimination, and to creating an inclusive working environment for all. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries, and are committed to employing a team that has diverse skills, experiences and abilities. You can read more about our commitment on our webpages.



Our values are at the root of everything we do and everyone in our community is expected to demonstrate respect, collaboration, excellence, integrity, and innovation.