About Us
Diamond Light Source is the UK’s national synchrotron facility, accelerating electrons to near light-speed to produce intense beams of light ranging from infra-red to X-rays. This cutting-edge technology enables researchers across academic and industrial sectors to make breakthroughs in diverse scientific fields, including structural biology, physics, chemistry, materials science, engineering, and environmental sciences.
Software plays a vital role in supporting world-class science at Diamond. Whether managing hardware control on synchrotron and beamlines, facilitating experiments, handling data archiving and visualization, applying for beamtime, or enabling remote experiment planning — our software systems are integral to the facility’s operations. Our dedicated software engineers collaborate closely with scientists to design innovative, robust solutions that ensure Diamond remains an international leader in scientific research.
About the Role
We are now seeking two Software Engineers to join our Data Acquisition Core Team, participating in the redevelopment of Diamond’s Scientific Software Stack, which underpins experiments conducted across all beamlines and instruments. Collaborating with software and support teams as well as beamline scientists, this position is central to developing Diamond’s next-generation software platform essential to executing and managing scientific experiments.
In this role, you will gather requirements, design, develop, and deploy software solutions as part of the overall Diamond II software architecture. Your work will directly shape Diamond’s software systems for the years to come, embracing modern technologies and practices. This modernisation project relies on industry-standard tools and methodologies, focusing on streamlining processes, enhancing deployment standards, and adopting contemporary DevOps practices.
You will utilize advanced programming frameworks and tools, including asynchronous Python, Rust, Typescript, REST, GraphQL, and web interface technologies, to create essential components that will underpin data analysis and visualization systems. These developments will empower scientists with the tools they need to run experiments efficiently and extract crucial data effectively.
Key Responsibilities:
- Collaborate with SSCC members and beamline scientists to develop, test, maintain, and support software solutions across beamlines.
- Apply industry-standard software engineering practices to ensure longevity and sustainability of solutions.
- Adopt a problem-solving approach to proactively address challenges throughout the software lifecycle.
- Modernize code with a strong focus on reliability, performance, robustness, and portability to meet user community needs.
- Implement thorough testing and foster streamlined development processes, emphasizing automation and CI/CD methodologies.
About You
You should hold a degree in a relevant field, or have equivalent experience, and demonstrate proficiency in the following areas:
- Professional software design and development, ideally in a technical, service-oriented environment.
- Expertise in modern Python (3.10 ) with asynchronous methods and familiarity with at least one other high-level programming language, such as Rust, Typescript, or Java.
- Experience with cloud-native technologies and container orchestration tools (e.g., Kubernetes, ArgoCD, Helm).
- Background in developing within CI/CD environments with a strong focus on testing and coverage.
- Exposure to hardware-controlling software (e.g., EPICS), ideally using NSLS-II Bluesky/Ophyd library.
- Knowledge of Oauth2 authentication flows and rules-based authorization frameworks like OPA/OpenFGA.
- Experience designing systems in collaborative settings across multi-disciplinary teams.
- Familiarity with agile methodologies, including sprint-based workflows.
You should also possess a solid understanding of technical software engineering methods and approaches.
Benefits
Diamond offers a highly competitive benefits package that promotes work-life balance, including:
- 26 days of annual leave plus public holidays, Christmas closure, and two volunteering days per year.
- Flexible working hours.
- Access to an excellent defined benefit pension scheme.
- Onsite amenities such as a nursery, restaurants, cafés, and sports and leisure facilities.
- A relocation allowance (if applicable).
This role operates on a hybrid working arrangement, requiring a minimum of three days per week on-site.
How to Apply
To apply, please use our online application system and provide details on why you are suitable for this role.
Closing Date: 23rd November. However, early applications are encouraged as interviews may be held before the closing date