Research Software Engineer

Are you an early-career researcher with experience in developing research software and are you eager to support cutting-edge research? If so, join us!

The TU Delft Digital Competence Centre (DCC) is looking for two Research Software Engineers (RSE) to join their team. We especially welcome applications from early career researchers (recently graduated MSc, PhD candidates or Postdocs) with a passion for and experience in developing research software. By joining our team of RSEs and Data Managers, you will embark on a new career path dedicated to driving digital innovation within academia. The position offers a unique opportunity to develop your skills in research software engineering while contributing to cutting-edge research projects at TU Delft.

In this function, you will support the development of research software in collaboration with researchers across TU Delft. Projects are varied and can include topics such as developing reproducible analysis workflows, designing Graphical User Interfaces, optimising software performance, or setting up computing infrastructure. These specific periods of work last between three and twelve months per project, with the possibility of working on more than one project at the same time. This type of support is aimed at research projects which see the creation of scientific data or development of scientific software as one of their primary outcomes.

The function is funded by the NWO and aims to expand and solidify Digital Competence Centres in the Netherlands. To that effect, you will be sharing the latest developments in the field of FAIR and open-source research software, and help set up, maintain and disseminate relevant policies and guidelines.

What you will be doing:

• Collaborate with research software engineers, data managers, and researchers to co-develop research software solutions on a project basis.
• Support the management of collaborative software development through the process of design, implementation, and testing of software applications.
• Provide technical support and assistance to researchers, troubleshooting software-related issues and facilitating effective tool utilization.
• Contribute to training initiatives, including workshops and tutorials, to teach digital competencies to researchers.
• Promote the adoption of FAIR principles for research software and Open Source Software development.
• Stay updated with emerging trends and tooling for research software engineering.

As an RSE, you will simultaneously be part of two teams:

ICT Innovation department – official affiliation

Within the ICT Innovation department, we support researchers, teachers and students in understanding and applying IT in the best possible way. We work closely with the Shared Service Center ICT to convert promising technologies into campus-wide services. We also work closely with the Data Stewards, the Library and the Faculty IT Managers to identify new opportunities for supporting our researchers through IT. Members of the ICT Innovation department contribute to all four pillars of research software engineering: Software Development, Community, Training and Policy.

Digital Competence Centre – daily team

The Digital Competence Centre (DCC) is a multidisciplinary team consisting of research software engineers and data managers. The DCC assists and empowers researchers to develop skills in applying FAIR principles to their research activities and software development practices. The support team complements other colleagues supporting good data and software management at TU Delft, including the Faculty ICT Managers and Data Stewards.

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate should have the following qualifications:

• A good understanding of the role that research software plays in contemporary research
• At least a Master’s degree, preferably in an academic discipline relevant to those studied at TU Delft.
• Proficiency in software development, with experience in a modern scientific programming language such as Python, R, MATLAB, or C++.
• Familiarity with software engineering principles and best practices for research, such as collaboration through platforms like GitHub/GitLab.
• Experience in project management, documentation, and reporting.
• Pedagogical skills or experience in delivering hands-on workshops would be a plus.
• Knowledge of applying Machine Learning or Artificial Intelligence in a research context would be a plus.

Competences:

The following competences are required for functioning as a Research Software Engineer in our environment:

• You have excellent collaboration skills in an academic setting and are able to work independently.
• You have a structured, curious and innovative attitude.
• You are able to define your own work tasks taking into account the balance between quality and efficiency (understand what is ‘good enough’).
• You have a proactive disposition and are willing to challenge our current working methods.
• You are willing to learn about and engage with a variety of types of software and research projects across multiple research domains.  
• You genuinely enjoy working with people, helping to solve problems, and building professional relationships.

• Duration of contract is 18 months.
• A job of 36-40 hours per week.
• A salary based on scale 10 of the CAO for Dutch Universities with a minimum of €3.226 and a maximum of €5.090 gross per month based on a fulltime contract (38 hours), plus 8% holiday allowance and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%.
• An excellent pension scheme via the ABP.
• The possibility to compile an individual employment package every year.
• Discount with health insurers.
• Flexible working week.
• Every year, 232 leave hours (at 38 hours). You can also sell or buy additional leave hours via the individual choice budget.
• Plenty of opportunities for education, training and courses.
• Partially paid parental leave
• Attention for working healthy and energetically with the vitality program.

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values  and we actively engage  to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

At the ICT Directorate, we work with approximately 200 colleagues divided into several teams: Shared Service Centre, Project Management Services, Information Management, Security, Privacy & Architecture and Innovation.

We, as the ICT Directorate, work on a variety of projects, together with the faculties and other directorates of Delft University of Technology (TU Delft). The complexity and size of the organisation often cause our work to be challenging yet rewarding. The biggest task we face in the coming years as TU Delft is to accelerate digitalisation to strengthen our position as a world-class university.

We often work together with the specialists in our own ICT department and with our colleagues spread across the university. The campus is a vibrant environment that buzzes with activity. The culture is informal and inclusive. There is room for a casual chat at the coffee machine and, if you like, you can participate in various activities organised on campus. Moreover, within the ICT directorate, you will be given the trust and freedom to manage your own work. There are many possibilities in terms of training and we consider your personal development to be very important.

Please note that this position is based in the Netherlands (working remotely from abroad is not possible). EU citizenship or a European working permit is required to apply.

For more information about this position, please contact Julie Beardsell, e-mail: [email protected] .

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply before 4 April 2024 via the application button and upload:

• Your motivation (max. 2 pages)
• CV (max. 2 pages)
• List of any publicly available software contributions which you may have (i.e. GitHub / open source projects).

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

• A pre-employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.