Research Software Advocate

Applications are invited for a Research Software Advocate in the Software Engineering group at the Bennett Institute.

This is our first ever Research Software Advocate at OpenSAFELY, where you will play a central role in bridging our technical team with our researcher community; in a role modelled on developer relations roles elsewhere. Our community is composed of both NHS analysts, and highly-respected epidemiologists from across UK academia. In this role, you will be responsible for growing these relationships, making use of both your technical expertise and your communication skills.

Your role will focus on engaging with the community, understanding their specific needs and challenges. In any given week, you might be organising events, crafting tailored technical content such as tutorials and blog posts, or representing our platform through public speaking engagements.

Hands-on coding will be part of your role, enabling you to deeply understand our platform, and better relate to our users. Your technical insights will be crucial in developing resources that resonate with the community, and that help our support teams work effectively.

In this position, you will have the unique opportunity to shape the researcher relations strategy and build a strong, engaged community around OpenSAFELY, contributing significantly to the advancement of health research and analytics in the UK and internationally.

You will be formally based in the Radcliffe Primary Care Building, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG as your normal place of work, but you may be able to agree a pattern of regular remote working with your line manager.

The position is full time and fixed term until 31 October 2026 in the first instance.

“Committed to equality and valuing diversity”

You will be required to upload a CV and Supporting Statement as part of your online application. The Supporting Statement should include a cover letter and should also clearly describe how you meet each of the selection criteria listed in the job description. Click

for information and advice on writing an effective Supporting Statement.

The closing date for applications is 12:00noon on 14 May 2024.

Interviews are expected to be held during the weeks commencing 3 June and 10 June 2024.