Software Engineer

UKCEH is looking for two experienced software engineers to join a team at the forefront of digital research and innovation, designing and developing world-leading platforms that enable cutting-edge environmental science. Working at the intersection of research and engineering, you'll help build and operate critical national research infrastructure that supports groundbreaking scientific discovery, informs policy, and delivers lasting impact for society. 

You will join the Digital Engineering Group within the National Capability and Digital Research science area at UKCEH Lancaster, contributing to the development of cloud-based systems that support Digital Research Infrastructure (DRI), including national capability projects and programmes such as the Environmental Information Data Centre (EIDC) — one of the UK's five national environmental data centres, hosting over 26,000 datasets — FDRI and NC-UK. These are long-lived systems that hold irreplaceable environmental data. 

You will help build and operate platform-agnostic systems within a hybrid cloud environment, applying cloud-native principles to keep these systems reliable, scalable, and robust, while improving integration and interoperability across diverse systems, data sources, and heterogeneous datasets contributing to the wider digital vision of the environmental science community. 

You'll join a growing multidisciplinary team developing sustainable software that supports environmental science and collaboration across UKCEH and its partners. Working closely with researchers and technical specialists, you'll create digital tools and infrastructure that drive scientific discovery and inform environmental policy. This hands-on software engineering role involves designing, building, testing, and maintaining innovative solutions, including research cloud infrastructure, data lakes, digital twins, and collaborative research platforms. You'll be part of a team at the forefront of digital research and innovation, helping to deliver world-leading environmental science through critical national research infrastructure that creates real-world impact. 

Your main responsibilities will include: 

• Build and operate services: Design, build, test, review and deploy software services and data pipelines 

• Own your work: Take ownership of specific components or project tasks end to end 

• Work with modern infrastructure: Containers, CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure-as-code 

• Apply FAIR principles: (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) to software, data and metadata you produce 

• Contribute to open source: Including the licensing, documentation and packaging that make releases usable by others 

• Co-Design with users: Understanding what they actually need, showing them early work and iterate based on feedback 

• Communicate clearly: Explain technical choices and trade-offs clearly to people who are not software engineers, in writing and in conversation 

• Take part in planning, estimation and retrospectives, and helping the team improve how it delivers 

For the role of Software Engineer, we’re looking for somebody who: 

• Has a good degree in an appropriate subject, or significant experience of working in a Software Engineering environment. 

• Solid, practical experience writing production software in at least one general-purpose language (Python is desirable, as it matches our current stack, but we welcome strong candidates from other languages). 

• Good software engineering practices: version control and branching (Git), automated testing, code review, debugging systems you did not write, and working with SQL and/or NoSQL data stores. 

• Working knowledge of cloud and containers: comfortable deploying to at least one cloud platform (Azure, AWS or GCP) and working with Docker or similar, with an understanding of CI/CD. 

• Clear communication and collaboration: able to work with non-specialists, write documentation and take and give feedback 

• An appetite to learn. Our stack and the wider landscape both move; we need people who stay curious. 

How to apply and what happens next 

If you’re interested in joining us, we’d love to hear from you. Apply through our Workday portal by uploading your CV and answering the three questions below. A separate cover letter is not required. 

Please keep each response to 150 words or fewer, using clear examples that highlight your own contribution and relevant experience. 

 
Q1. Tell us about a piece of software you've built or maintained that other people depended on. 

Q2. Describe a time you worked with someone who wasn't a software engineer to work out what they needed, or to explain a technical trade-off to them. 

Q3. Tell us about a time you had to get up to speed quickly with an unfamiliar codebase, tool or technology. 

What happens next? 
Our panel will review your application, and we are committed to providing an outcome to all applicants. 

Working at UKCEH is genuinely rewarding 

You’ll be joining a leading independent, not-for-profit research institute, where your work will have real impact. Our science helps people and the environment to prosper and informs decisions that benefit society as a whole. We’re proud to be custodians of over 60 years of environmental data, and just as proud of the people behind it. You’ll be supported to develop your career, grow your skills and thrive in a collaborative, purpose-driven environment. 

What we offer 

At UKCEH, we recognise your dedication and provide a comprehensive benefits package designed to support you both at work and at home. When you join us, you’ll benefit from: 

• Generous annual leave - 27 days (rising to 29 days after 5 years) +3 for Christmas closure 

• 10% employer pension contribution 

• Financial protection through life assurance and income protection

• Enhanced family-friendly policies

• Flexible and hybrid working options (depending on your role)

• Lifestyle perks including dental, gym, retail and cycling discounts

• A commitment to wellbeing, supported by a range of internal initiatives

• Employee Assistance Programme and health benefits, including 24/7 support with remote GP access, mental health, physiotherapy and lifestyle services

• Peer recognition and rewards that celebrate your contribution

• Salary sacrifice agreement benefits including Electric & Plug-in Hybrid vehicle and Cycle2Work schemes

• Interest-free annual travel season ticket loans (terms apply)

Our commitment to inclusion

At UKCEH, we believe everyone should feel welcome and able to be themselves at work. We warmly encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences and identities. As a Disability Confident employer, we’re happy to support you with any adjustments you may need throughout the recruitment process.

Our approach to AI and applications

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to support their application. We encourage you to ensure your submission reflects your own experience, skills and suitability for the role. Every application that meets the essential criteria will be reviewed by our recruitment panel.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this role, and the role is not eligible for endorsement under the Global Talent visa route.

If you already have, or intend to obtain, the right to work in the UK through another visa route that does not require UKCEH sponsorship, please tell us in your application.