Overview
Senior Research Software Engineer – Strand, London, WC2R 2LS
About us:
King’s Digital Lab (KDL – https://kdl.kcl.ac.uk/) is a Research Software Engineering (RSE) team embedded within the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at King’s College London. We design and implement systems, infrastructure, tools and processes needed to produce a diverse range of high-quality digital scholarship. We have an open, collaborative culture, both within the Lab and with our research partners. We are deeply committed to co-research, working together through discovery, design, building and maintaining research outputs. KDL is constantly evolving as we explore new tools and methods.
We are a small team that emphasises inclusivity and trust in our staff. We embrace flexible working, including flexible hours and extensive hybrid working – 80% remote and 20% on campus is typical. In-person work is based in a small open-plan office on King’s busy Strand campus, operating on a hot-desking basis in line with our hybrid approach. Whether remote or in-person, we support our staff to ensure they have the right equipment to work safely and effectively.
This flexibility requires mutual trust. Our team members do much of their work independently and we rely on each other to work collaboratively at a distance, checking in and coordinating according to project and team needs.
We encourage applicants to read our blogs to understand more about the culture and working environment.
About the role:
Your main responsibility is to develop high-quality code to support product specifications and requirements in collaboration with research leads and the wider RSE team. You will have advanced expertise in at least one programming language and proficiency in others, along with a keen interest in software development. Your role involves producing research solutions, from data analysis pipelines to web applications, in a variety of domains. You may have specialised skills in areas such as machine learning/AI, data visualisation, creative technologies, or DevOps, alongside a core competency in web development.
You will have the ability to work independently and collaborate effectively as part of small to large research projects. A crucial aspect of the role is contributing to e-Research capability within the Lab and Faculty, as well as across the University. Awareness of best practices in software development, digital research methods, and data management is essential.
As a Senior Research Software Engineer, you will have advanced expertise and take a leading role in planning and decision-making related to the research solutions KDL produces.
Within this role, you will have opportunities to expand your skills working with new and emerging technologies across multiple disciplines and sectors. In addition to your core design and development responsibilities, you will be encouraged to develop a personal research agenda and explore opportunities for external funding and collaboration with academic colleagues. Our projects typically span several years, with periods of high and low activity. This means you will be engaged with multiple projects at any given time, across a range of disciplines, supporting academic partners to explore their research questions. Combined with an Agile approach to project management, this offers variety – both in the projects themselves and in the approaches and tools you use.
Success metrics are related to the research question the project is seeking to answer. Most of our work is funded by public research councils; while this means complying with regulatory reporting requirements (e.g. tracking time for charging purposes), it also means you will have opportunities for significant intellectual engagement. You will work with partners to determine the best approaches to meet their requirements, adapting as the project develops.
Interest in and/or skills related to one or more of KDL’s research themes would be desirable.
Collaborative engagement is central to our work, and we believe that diversity strengthens our team and the research we support. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and career paths, and encourage candidates to think broadly about their transferable skills, including those gained outside traditional academic or technical routes. We particularly welcome applications from women and gender‑minoritised candidates, candidates from minoritised ethnic backgrounds, and disabled candidates, as they are underrepresented within King’s in this type of role. We are happy to discuss reasonable adjustments at any stage of the process. Alongside our established hybrid working and flexible hours, we are open to conversations, within the scope of the role, about less traditional working arrangements to support individual needs.
Additional references:
https://github.com/kingsdigitallab/sdlc-for-rse/wiki/RS-engineer
This is a full time post (35 hours per week), and you will be offered an indefinite contract.
About you:
To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:
Essential criteria
- Expertise with modern web development stacks (e.g. JavaScript/TypeScript/Python, HTML/CSS, Node.js/Django, containerisation, CI/CD pipelines) including the ability to write and advocate for maintainable and well-tested code following best practices.
- Advanced proficiency in making well‑reasoned, complex technical decisions, using appropriate technologies and methodologies. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills enabling responsibility for the technical direction within a project or service.
- Excellent collaboration, leadership and communication skills, with flexibility to thrive in a fast-paced teamworking environment with changing requirements. An inclusive approach, supporting a positive and open team culture, including the ability to guide/mentor others.
- Skills in data modelling for database design for research applications, ensuring flexible, extensible data schemas.
- Motivation for learning and integrating new technologies and digital humanities research methodologies, alongside the ability to contribute a strategic perspective on emerging technologies.
- Demonstrable understanding of accessibility, security, privacy and ethical concerns for research apps.
Desirable criteria
- Understanding of agile software methodologies and experience leading or participating in sprints/timeboxes.
- Experience contributing to training, workshops, or knowledge-sharing activities related to software engineering practices, advanced research methods, technical tools, design approaches or accessibility.
- Knowledge of/experience working in digital humanities, social sciences, or research within higher education or cultural heritage contexts.
- Experience with composable architectures (e.g. Jamstack), static web development, progressive enhancement and/or minimal computing.
- Knowledge of/experience with tools and practices related to KDL’s research themes (machine learning and AI, data visualisation, digital creativity, indigenous digital humanities) or other relevant specialist areas.
Downloading a copy of our Job Description
Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.
IMPORTANT: Before applying for this role, please make sure you have the right to work in the country where the role is based. Unless it clearly stipulates within in the job advert above that the hiring company is looking to or able to sponsor applicants it is deemed that the hiring employer will only consider applications from those able to comply with and work in the country where the role is based.
