Research Software Engineer/Physicist (Data Acquisition Systems)

Ref Number

B04-07554

Professional Expertise

Research and Research Support

Department

UCL BEAMS (B04)

Location

London

Working Pattern

Full time

Salary

£54,931-£64,644

Contract Type

Fixed-term

Working Type

Hybrid

Available for Secondment

No

Closing Date

19-Jul-2026

About us

UCL is one of the world's top universities based in the heart of London. It is a modern, outward-looking institution. UCL's staff and former students have included 33 Nobel prizewinners. It is a truly international community: more than one-third of our student body – more than 50,000 strong – come from 150 countries and nearly one-third of staff are from outside the UK.

About the role

The postholder will design, develop, and maintain software and system components for high-performance data acquisition and trigger systems in large-scale particle physics experiments. This includes contributing to real-time data processing pipelines, distributed computing systems, and hardware–software integration.

The role aims to ensure reliable, efficient, and scalable data-taking operations, while supporting research objectives through innovative software development and system optimisation. The postholder will also contribute to collaborative research outputs and provide technical expertise within international experiment collaborations.

If you have any informal queries about the role, please contact Prof Gavin Hesketh -gavin.hesketh@ucl.ac.uk

About you

We are looking for someone with a degree (or equivalent experience) in Physics, Computer Science, Engineering, or a closely related field. You must have demonstrable experience developing software for scientific, real-time, or high-performance systems. It is expected that the successful postholder will have working knowledge of data acquisition or distributed computing systems in a research or industrial context. A strong understanding of programming in C++ and/or Python is needed to carry out the role and experience with hardware-near programming (e.g. FPGA, GPU, or embedded systems) or low-latency computing.

Knowledge of software development best practices, including version control (e.g. Git), continuous integration, testing, and documentation plus a familiarity with Linux-based environments and command-line tools is essential. The successful postholder will have the ability to design and implement efficient, scalable software solutions for complex systems. Strong problem-solving skills and ability to debug complex software and system-level issues is required.

The ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to both specialist and non-specialist audiences alongside being able to work effectively both independently and as part of an international collaborative team is essential. Strong organisational skills and ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines is a necessary requirement.

Experience working on large-scale particle physics experiments is desirable.

What we offer

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, UCL also offers competitive benefits, such as:

41 days annual leave (including 6 University closure days and 8 UK bank holidays)

Additional 5 days’ annual leave purchase scheme

Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)

Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan

Immigration loan and relocation assistance

On-campus nursery

On-campus gym

Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay

Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service

Discounted medical insurance

Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/reward-and-benefits to find out more

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.

We particularly encourage applications from candidates underrepresented in UCL’s workforce, including those from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds, disabled people, and – for Grade 9 and 10 roles – women.”: UCL Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

Applicants should also familiarise themselves with UCL’s policies on: Prevention of Bullying, Harassment and Sexual Misconduct Policy and Personal Relationships Policy