Senior Research Software Engineering Lead

Senior Research Software Engineering Lead

Are you an experienced Research Software Engineer who thrives on solving complex problems through hands‑on development and technical leadership? The Urban Big Data Centre (UBDC) is seeking a Senior RSE Lead to play a central role in designing and delivering innovative software and data science solutions that unlock the potential of urban data for research, policy, and public impact. This is a strategic yet technical role, ideal for someone who enjoys collaborating with researchers and end‑users, architecting systems, and building tools that make complex datasets accessible, interactive, and actionable.

As Senior RSE Lead, you will be responsible for the end‑to‑end development of robust data analytics pipelines, scalable applications, and intuitive user interfaces. You will work directly with interdisciplinary teams of researchers, data scientists, and external partners to co‑create impactful solutions that support data‑intensive social research. Your work will span the full software lifecycle—from requirements gathering and design to implementation, testing, and deployment—ensuring that research outputs are reproducible, user‑friendly, and technically sound.

You will also contribute to the design of research projects and funding proposals, embedding software engineering expertise into the heart of UBDC’s research strategy.

In addition to your technical contributions, you will manage UBDC’s technician team, providing leadership, mentorship, and coordination across multiple projects. You will foster a collaborative and inclusive working environment, ensuring that the team delivers high‑quality software and support services to the UBDC research community. You will also act as a key liaison with infrastructure providers, helping researchers make optimal use of high‑performance computing resources, including cloud platforms and university services.

This is a unique opportunity to join a mission‑driven organisation that values innovation, technical excellence, and real‑world impact. At UBDC, you’ll be part of a dynamic environment that encourages creativity, collaboration, and continuous learning. You will also be associated with a team of Research Software Engineers working across the University through a close relationship with the university‑wide Research Computing as a Service.

We’re looking for someone who thrives in a fast‑paced research setting, brings strong leadership and software engineering skills, and is excited to contribute to meaningful societal change through thoughtful, user‑focused software engineering.

This position is full‑time (35 hours per week) and is available for 3 years in the first instance. Relocation assistance will be provided where necessary.

To apply online at:

• A1 Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 9, 10 or 11 (Ordinary/Honours Degree, Post Graduate Qualification), or equivalent including being professionally qualified in relevant discipline, with a broad range of professional experience in management role(s)
• OR Ability to demonstrate the competencies required to undertake the duties associated with this level of post, having acquired the necessary professional knowledge and management skills in a similar or a number of different specialist roles.
• A3 Excellent understanding of best practices in project management for producing reliable software and reproducible analyses, including version control, issue and backlog tracking, automated testing and package management.
• A4 Experience with designing, developing, deploying and maintaining production‑ready web systems.
• A5 Excellent knowledge of software tools and computational resources associated with multiple research disciplines.
• A6 Excellent communication skills and ability to work in interdisciplinary teams.
• B1 Knowledge of geospatial data structures and visualisation tools.
• B2 Skills in user‑centred design, including working with collaborative design software such as Figma or Adobe Creative Suite.
• B3 Familiarity with SCRUM project management, including backlog tracking and sprint planning.
• B4…