Research IT Software Engineer

About IT Services

IT Services at the University of Manchester is a vibrant and fast-moving department, we focus on delivering excellent customer service and quality services for our staff, students and researchers.

The Department

The Division of Research IT provides research-focussed, specialist computing infrastructure, software engineering, data science, application support and training to researchers across a wide range of domains, who have diverse technical requirements. The Research Software Engineering department within Research IT is responsible for providing a range of software engineering services including development, consultancy and training. Research IT are a friendly, open, inclusive and diverse group of skilled people within a passion for helping others and delivering world-class research. You can find out more about life in the RSE department by reading our blog post.

The Role

This role is a graduate-level position which aims to provide you hands-on experience working with our senior engineers to help you establish your own Research Software Engineering career. You will develop research software within cutting-edge research groups in all faculties at a world leading institution, while also building the skills and experience necessary to advance your career path and develop to the next level.

At any given time you will work on one or more projects, each ranging from weeks to months in duration. You will be involved in these from conception to completion, getting to the heart of some of the world’s most important challenges and applying cutting-edge knowledge through software. This may involve assisting with gathering requirements, designing, building, testing, deploying, documenting and maintaining software in a wide range of domains.

The Person

The successful candidate should be able to demonstrate:

• Experience or academic knowledge of scientific computing, data science, web development, mobile app development or high-performance computing.
• Experience using one or more programming languages including, but not limited to, Python, R, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, MATLAB, Ruby or Fortran.
• Knowledge of professional, industry-standard software engineering tools and processes such as version control, agile tooling, testing, code review, and pull requests.
• Practical experience of having written working application software.
• Good organisation skills and the ability to effectively manage work.
• Experience of communicating technical concepts to non-specialist audiences.
• A passion for supporting research and a desire to work as a team to deliver a high-quality service.
• A desire to learn and develop.

What You Can Expect in Return

• Generous annual leave allowance, including Christmas/New Year closure;
• Pension scheme membership to provide benefits for you and your family;
• Well-being programme with counselling, fitness and leading sports facilities;
• Learning and development opportunities;
• Season ticket loans for public transport;
• Cycle to Work Scheme;
• Workplace nursery scheme;
• Staff recognition schemes;
• Staff discounts on a range of products and services including travel and high street savings.

For a more complete picture see our Staff Benefits Page.

Find out more about our organisation and values:

• IT Services: About us and ITS Practice Charter
• Benefits of working at The University of Manchester

The University of Manchester

The University of Manchester is a truly global institution with a reputation for education and innovation that resonates across the world, offering a wide range of courses and boasting outstanding facilities in the centre of Manchester. With 25 Nobel Prize winners among its current and former staff and students, it has a history of world firsts and brilliant discoveries. Manchester’s industrial and cultural heritage is mirrored by the achievements of some of the University’s most celebrated names.  The computer revolution started here in June 1948 when a machine built by Tom Kilburn and Sir Freddie Williams, known affectionately as ‘The Baby’, ran its first stored program. The celebrated wartime codebreaker Alan Turing worked on this computer during his time at Manchester.

The University is committed to world-class research, an outstanding learning and student experience and social responsibility in everything it does.  It is making one of the largest investments in facilities ever seen at a UK university, with £750 million spent so far and a further £1 billion to follow by 2022. Its goal is to become one of the world’s leading Universities.

Screening Questions

Please answer the following questions about your experience (roughly one or two paragraphs each):

1. Describe your experience of scientific computing, data science, web development, mobile app development or high-performance computing.
2. Describe your proficiency in one or more programming languages.
3. Describe any professional, industry-standard software engineering tools and processes including version control, agile tooling, testing, code review and pull requests and any time you may have used them.
4. Give examples of any software applications you have a) written yourself from scratch, and/or b) heavily modified to add new functionality.
5. Give examples demonstrating your organisation skills and how you manage your workload.
6. Give an example of a time when you have needed to communicate something technical to a non-specialist audience and describe how you achieved this.
7. Give an example which demonstrates your passion for supporting research, your ability to deliver work to a high standard and your ability to work closely with others.
8. Give a recent example of activities that you have undertaken that demonstrates your desire to learn and develop.

Please address the screening question in addition to submitting a CV

Equal Opportunities and Flexible Working

As an equal-opportunity employer, we welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of age, sex, gender (or gender identity), ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation and transgender status.  All appointments are made on merit.

Our University is positive about flexible working – you can find out more here. Research IT offers a range of hybrid working options as standard. Blended working arrangements may be considered.

As an equal opportunities employer, we welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation and transgender status.  All appointments are made on merit

Our University is positive about flexible working – you can find out more here

Blended working arrangements may be considered

Please note that we are unable to respond to enquiries, accept CVs or applications from Recruitment Agencies.

Enquiries about the vacancy, shortlisting and interviews:

Email: Dr Adrian Harwood (adrian.harwood@manchester.ac.uk)

General enquiries:

Email: People.recruitment@manchester.ac.uk

Technical support:

https://jobseekersupport.jobtrain.co.uk/support/home

This vacancy will close for applications at midnight on the closing date.