Job summary

We are seeking a research software engineer to work on high-impact projects implementing web-based bioinformatic tools within the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at Imperial College London. These projects will help translate cutting-edge genomics research into accessible web applications that can be used by public health institutions, global health researchers and hospitals for the surveillance and control of streptococcal pathogens.

Two projects directly supported by this post will involve working with the Global Pneumococcal Sequencing Project (https://www.pneumogen.net/) and the Juno project (https://www.gbsgen.net/) on development and deployment of web-based software tools for analysis of genomic data from two important bacterial pathogens. A primary aim of the position will be to design tools and visualisations to present the results of bioinformatics software developed for the wider project, which can analyse large datasets of bacterial genomes in real-time. Some parts of the code-base will be compiled into WebAssembly and run client-side. An early prototype of one such tool can be found at https://web.poppunk.net.
Duties and responsibilities

You will:

- Develop open-source software in Python and TypeScript to support the work of infectious disease researchers
- Have the opportunity to be involved in all steps of development from capturing user requirements, to user interface design, to crafting full technical solutions.
- With the rest of the team, select the best tools for the job and provide technical leadership for the department
- Help us to improve our existing continuous integration and test-driven development practices

We are:

- A small collaborative team of research software engineers
- Seven software generalists with diverse specialisms
- Part of a world top ten university with an international reputation for excellence in teaching and research.

Essential requirements

MSc in Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Engineering, and/or equivalent experience in related quantitative discipline (several years working as a software engineer in industry is sufficient). We are also interested to hear from researchers who have exposure to these technologies and are interested to develop their skills further. Knowledge of Python programming and web development is essential, and experience of working in a combination of languages is an advantage.
Further information

This role is offered on a full time, fixed term basis until 30 November 2023

Should you have any queries please contact: Rich Fitzjohn (r.fitzjohn@imperial.ac.uk) or Nick Croucher (n.croucher@imperial.ac.uk)