Senior Software Engineer (Python)

In a world of immense uncertainty, digiLab is a pioneering AI company that empowers governments and organisations in safety-critical or highly regulated industries to solve critical, complex, and high-stakes challenges using machine learning and uncertainty quantification.

From forging a path to clean energy to life-saving medical diagnostics and beyond, making critical decisions with unwavering confidence is difficult, especially when data is complex, sparse, or incomplete. This is where digiLab's expertise shines through.

Our trustworthy and explainable AI platform, The Uncertainty Engine, supported by our team of machine learning specialists and data scientists, enables decision-makers to accelerate innovation, reduce the risk of failure, turn insight into action, and deliver greater value through more informed and confident decisions.

Summary:

The Senior Software Engineer (Backend) is a full-time position (Monday to Thursday), reporting directly to the Lead Software Engineer. This role is central to the ongoing development and maintenance of digiLab's core product, The Uncertainty Engine. It encompasses a broad range of responsibilities that leverage expertise in software engineering and machine learning, with a strong focus on Python development within a fast-paced, collaborative, and dynamic engineering environment.

The role:

As a Senior Software Engineer (Backend) at digiLab, you will be responsible for:

Collaborate with a cross-functional team to help lead on the design, development, and maintenance of high-quality software solutions

Contribute to architectural design, development, testing, and deployment of software applications

Utilise expertise in AWS, Python, MongoDB, and other relevant technologies to build scalable, secure systems

Apply security best practices throughout the software development lifecycle

Foster a collaborative, learning-oriented environment within the team

Implement software design patterns, SOLID principles, and architectural best practices

Demonstrate a deep understanding of CI/CD pipelines and ensure efficient deployment processes

Apply site reliability engineering knowledge to enhance system reliability and performance

Champion “Scrum” and contribute to team process improvements

Collaborate with product management to translate business requirements into technical solutions

Provide technical support and lead incident investigations

Ensure adherence to RESTful API design principles

In addition to backend work, you may also be required to support tasks on the frontend.

Duties may evolve, and you may be asked to take on other reasonable responsibilities within your competence to support our growth.

Required Skills & Experience:

Significant industry experience in (scientific) software development

Demonstrable experience deploying AWS infrastructure as code

Experience with DevOps and MLOps

Degree-level qualification in computer science or related field

Professional experience with collaborative software development

Deep understanding of Python

Familiarity with Linux, bash, and the command line

Experience with modern statistical machine learning and AI, including Numpy, Scipy, and Pandas

Ability to write logical, consistent, self-explanatory code

Understanding of software design patterns, SOLID and DRY principles, and architectural patterns

Experience with Git/GitHub and best practices

Knowledge of the software testing pyramid and types of automated testing (smoke, component, unit, performance, load, end-to-end)

Experience with Docker and other containerization platforms

Proven ability to collaborate in a fast-paced 'agile' team, preferably using 'scrum'

In addition, some ‘nice to haves' are:

A Master's-level qualification in a STEM field.

Experience with front-end development: HTML; CSS; React; Javascript/Typescript.

Experience with UI/UX design principles.

Experience with PyTorch or other deep-learning libraries.

An understanding of Bayesian statistics.

Location:

This role is based on-site at either the Exeter or Bristol office.

As an ambitious, rapidly-growing start-up, we're looking for proactive, adaptable people who thrive in a fast-paced environment. Our standard working hours are 9.00–5.30pm, Monday to Thursday, though some flexibility outside these hours may be required to meet business needs.

Our Culture and Values

At digiLab, we prioritise work-life balance with a 4-day workweek (Monday to Thursday), offering a full-time salary and three-day weekends every week! Our team is built on strong connections, with regular socials like game nights, bouldering, and paddleboarding.

We foster a culture of innovation, trust, and collaboration. Our values include:

Creativity & Agility: Encouraging innovation and flexibility in goal achievement.

Trust & Responsibility: Supporting each other in taking calculated risks for bold innovation.

Open & Honest Collaboration: Ensuring transparent communication and alignment.

High-Performance Standards: Continuously challenging ourselves to excel in delivery.

Value-Driven Work: Regularly assessing our contributions toward company goals.

Benefits:

We value enthusiasm and loyalty, and we're committed to offering a great work-life balance. Along with the exciting challenges this role provides, we offer a range of benefits including:

4-day working week

Competitive Salary

BUPA private health care (via salary sacrifice)

Company Cashplan

Cycle to work scheme

Referral Program

Company Events

Equal Opportunities:

Final Note:

We aim to respond to every applicant, but due to high application volumes, we may not be able to respond individually. Thank you for your interest in joining the digiLab team. The information you provide will be stored and used in line with our Privacy Notice.