Senior Software Developer
Oxford, United Kingdom
Application deadline: 02 Mar 2018
Position available at Instruct-ERIC
Salary in the region of £50K pa
Overview of the role
You will be part of the Instruct-ERIC Operations team located in Oxford. You will join a very lively and motivated international and interdisciplinary group of scientists. You will join a small team to develop and implement new digital solutions that exploit and support common processes identified across very diverse research infrastructures (RIs). You will participate in projects that will shape and influence strategies for managing structural data, to enable the storage, use and reuse of large datasets and the implementation of FAIR principles in data management.
We are looking for a confident, motivated candidate with an academic background and the vision and ability to create digital solutions for our Instruct-ERIC user communities. The role requires creative thinking, excellent developer and communication skills, professional rigour and a ‘can-do’ philosophy. This role is based in Oxford UK and will have interactions with pan-European data management initiatives for RIs in the Life Sciences and Environmental Sciences sectors. There is a requirement to travel mostly within Europe and occasionally to non-European countries.
This is a full-time appointment, fixed term for 3 years in the first instance. You will be required to upload a CV and supporting statement as part of your online application. Only applications received before 12.00 midday on 2nd March can be considered.
Please quote ref. INST002a on all correspondence.
Responsibilities/duties
- Developing software solutions to serve the future needs of the user community for structural biology services that are provided through Instruct-ERIC.
- Working with the lifesciences community on future needs for the ARIA system and its implementation across various platforms;
- Contributing to a time-dependent and prioritised development strategy for these future needs;
- Managing integration with other systems as required, e.g. provision of cloud services through European Open Science Cloud as it develops;
- Delivering the plan to time and with appropriate documentation and testing to ensure a robust and well-supported service.
- Handling the Instruct internal computing infrastructure including server maintenance: virtualised infrastructure and networking infrastructure: switches, firewalls and routing.
- Co-developing and implementing an integrative single entry point solution for 13 European RIs to offer access to their resources in a cross-platform model.
- Working with developers from large European data management service providers and cloud resource providers to test and implement software that delivers an integrated cross-RI model system;
- Monitoring and fixing defects in functionality, especially to ensure coherence between Instruct systems and other systems in sister RIs;
- Creating and maintaining detailed documentation of the software landscape across RIs;
- Drafting reports on the development activity for the Instruct Director and Coordinator;
- Managing the day to day communications between all stakeholders in the process;
- Maintaining good and effective relationships with internal and external collaborators.
- Coordinating with the technical teams in other related projects in the integration of their systems including:
- Representing Instruct-ERIC at relevant meetings;
- Taking responsibility for the administrative management of IT-related contractual delivery of several EC-funded projects including:
- Managing team effort and timelines to deliver on each contract;
- Managing financial budgets for the work.
Selection criteria
Essential
- Degree in a science based discipline (biological sciences, physics) with an interest in computer sciences including practical experience in software and web design and functionality;
- Excellent communication skills, including the ability to respond to user support requests both efficiently and appropriately and deliver both written and oral presentations of technical work at international symposia and to non-specialist audiences;
- Website development skills in PHP using current web technologies (HTML4/5, XHTML, CSS3, JavaScript, AJAX, XML);
- Knowledge and experience of using SQL;
- Knowledge and experience of command-line Linux;
- Good knowledge of modern IT systems and project methodologies, practises and approaches; an understanding of software design patterns;
- Excellent time and task management;
- Quick learning ability and a high end-user focus, building high value solutions;
- Experience of managing complex projects; able to steer a project even when requirements are vague;
- Ability to deliver results to a high standard on time, including working to demanding deadlines;
- Positive attitude and the ability to overcome obstacles and resistance;
- Ability to travel.
Desirable
- Some interest or experience in biological sciences or bioinformatics;
- Experience of web development in Java/JSP;
- Team leadership and people-management experience;
- Familiarity with ticket-based request/defect tracking systems;
- Experience of web analytics tools (eg Google Analytics, Piwik, awstats);
- Experience of systems monitoring tools, particularly nagios;
- Creativity and an interest in the visual representation of biological subject matter;
Instruct-ERIC is a service provider for the European structural biology community. It provides access to high-value structural biology facilities from where researchers can undertake important research. Service delivery is managed through an on-line portal through which users can apply, choose, schedule and complete their research work. Instruct-ERIC is one of 13 RI service providers in Europe and the objective is to integrate the systems of each RI into a single entry point to facilitate cross-RI service provision.
Instruct-ERIC is funded by the national membership contributions of ten European Member States and the Coordination Hub is based in Oxford, UK.
Instruct-ERIC provides a contributory pension scheme, 38 days leave inclusive of public holidays.
Instruct-ERIC is an equal opportunities employer.
Applications should be sent by email to Dr Susan Daenke and include:
- A statement letter outlining your suitability for the role;
- A curriculum vitae;
- The names of three referees;
- A statement on your right to work in the UK
Interviews will be held in the weeks 12-16th March 2018 in Oxford, UK.
