Software Engineering Industrial Placement
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Overview
The Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre (CCDC) is excited to offer a 12-month industrial placement for a motivated and talented Undergraduate Computer Science student from a leading university. The CCDC is a world leader in the collation, preservation, and analysis of crystal structure data. Our software engineering teams work on developing state‑of‑the‑art tools that help scientists, researchers, and industry professionals make sense of molecular structures. We focus on high‑quality, reliable software that enables efficient data analysis, visualization, and reporting, particularly in fields such as chemistry, materials science and pharmaceuticals. This placement provides an opportunity to work on real‑world projects that directly impact our product development, automation processes, and business intelligence efforts. We are particularly interested in candidates with strong programming skills in Python and C++, with an ability to work in a modern, scientific, software engineering environment.
Programming Focus
* 70-80% Python
* 20-30% C++
Structure of the Placement
The placement will be structured into phases to provide the student with experience across different aspects of software engineering within the CCDC. An indicative schedule follows:
* Onboarding & Training (September 2026) – 1 month. Includes introduction to codebase, workflows, testing, training on Python & C++.
* Test Automation and API Testing Improvements (October - December 2026) – 3 months. Focus on developing test suite, enhancing automated testing frameworks, improving robustness.
* Product Development for Scientific Features (January - March 2027) – 3 months. Contribute to scientific feature development, integrate C++ and Python, agile sprints.
* Reporting and Business Intelligence (April - June 2027) – 3 months. Develop reporting scripts using CSD Python API and data presentation.
* Data Integrity and Fraud Detection (July - August 2027) – 2 months. Validate scripts, implement fraud detection algorithms, improve automated checks.
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Responsibilities
* Write scripts to extract, analyze, and present data from the API.
* Support business decision‑making through insightful data analysis.
* Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to meet reporting requirements.
* Develop validation scripts for enhanced data integrity.
* Implement algorithms for fraud detection.
Requirements
* Currently pursuing an BSc/MSc in Computer Science, or similar, at a leading university.
* Proficiency in Python and a working knowledge of C++.
* A-Level Chemistry at a good grade will be a decisive advantage.
* Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
* Keen interest in software testing, automation and product development.
Application Process
For more information, contact or see the full Job Description and Person Specification. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply via the 'Apply for this job' link, attaching a copy of their CV and a covering letter. We will be reviewing applications through November 2025 or until the placement is filled.
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