Senior Research Software Engineer Digital systems sustainability science

Senior Research Software Engineer – Digital Systems for Sustainability Science

Job

Requisition  
• Academic staff
• Contract hours: 38 per week
•

Location:

Leiden
• Final date to receive applications: 31 December 2026

The Institute of Environmental Science CML at Leiden University seeks a Senior Research Software Engineer with a research systems and infrastructure profile. You will develop and maintain the digital infrastructure that powers CML’s work in industrial ecology, sustainability assessment, and circular economy. Your role includes shaping the research infrastructure strategy, making foundational decisions about software architecture, computing and storage environments, cloud/hybrid setups, security, and long‑term data governance.

You will also help define institute‑wide standards for reproducibility, translate scientific needs into scalable solutions, and contribute to project acquisition through grant writing and proposals.

• Own the technical roadmap for CML’s software and data ecosystem: architecture, standards, and long‑term sustainability.
• Design and operate research platforms and infrastructure.
• Define and implement institute‑wide software engineering and data management protocols for FAIR principles, metadata, documentation, versioning, licensing, and release processes.
• Lead reproducible computational pipelines (workflow engines, packaging, CI/CD).
• Mentor junior developers and researchers; conduct code reviews and technical design reviews.
• Expand collaborations with the Institute of Computer Science (LIACS) and other university initiatives on research software and data.
• Advise on and support computing and storage solutions; liaise with central IT, LIACS, and faculty services, as well as Surf and the e‑Science Centre.
• Contribute to project acquisition by developing grant proposals, technical work packages, budgets, and risk & data management plans.

• PhD in computer science, software engineering, environmental informatics, AI, or a closely related field.
• Strong Python skills; additional languages or stack knowledge is a plus.
• Experience in system administration or platform engineering for research or data‑intensive environments.
• Experience with software development architecture (service design, APIs, observability, reliability).
• Expertise in data governance and FAIR practices.
• Knowledge of database administration, data catalogs, and metadata standards.
• Excellent communication skills and commitment to open science, documentation, and reproducibility.
• Experience with grant writing and technical leadership in projects is a plus.

• Opportunity to shape CML’s long‑term digital and computational strategy with real institute‑wide impact.
• Collaborative academic setting with the freedom to make fundamental technical decisions.
• Professional development and leadership opportunities, including publications on digital solutions for sustainability.
• Close collaboration with LIACS and access to university‑wide networks on research software and data management.
• Internationally diverse and welcoming team focused on sustainability challenges.

Initial one‑year contract with the option to extend to a permanent contract based on performance, following pay scale 10 in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities. Salary ranges from €3,546 to €5,538 gross per month for a full‑time position.

Full‑time position (38 hours per week) with 232 vacation hours per year (30.5 days). Flexible working hours are allowed, including options to work 40 hours or 36 hours per week, with corresponding adjustments to compensation and vacation use. Hybrid working options are available for eligible roles; a home‑working allowance and a university‑supplied laptop will be provided.

At the Faculty of Science, we value inclusiveness and strive for a diverse community with equal opportunities for all. We give full support to our staff in achieving their potential to become independent academic researchers and teachers. For more information about our policy on diversity and equality, please visit https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below). Female researchers are also welcome to join the Researchers In Science for Equality network of the Faculty of Science (rise.nu).