Senior Software Engineer (Data & AI Enablement)
Closing date: 13 May 2026
UCLH is looking for a Senior Software Engineer to lead the design and delivery of secure, high‑quality data pipelines. This will ultimately lead to AI‑ready platforms that enable clinicians and researchers to move faster from hypothesis to patient impact. The role sits within the SAFEHR team, which transforms routinely‑collected NHS data into research‑grade assets. The technology stack is modern (R, Python, and a data platform). The challenges include large‑scale clinical data, governance, and real‑world messiness.
This is a leadership role: you will line‑manage up to three engineers, set priorities, conduct appraisals and mentor your team, develop our technical roadmap, and make architecture and technology decisions. You will drive best practices in software engineering and data quality, and champion these practices across the trust’s data environment.
Responsibilities
* Architect and deliver scalable data pipelines that extract, transform, and load clinical data from UCLH’s sources.
* Design and maintain data models that support reporting, advanced analytics, and research use cases, balancing normalisation, performance, and usability.
* Implement continuous improvements to the existing data warehouse, business intelligence, and analytical products, including identifying and reducing technical debt.
* Evolve the technical roadmap for SAFEHR’s data engineering products, making architecture and technology decisions with key stakeholders.
* Produce and maintain documentation covering UCLH data and analytics systems, collaborating with stakeholders.
* Lead the adoption of software engineering practices across the information services teams at UCLH: automated testing, code review, CI/CD, performance profiling, and documentation.
* Line‑manage up to three technical staff: set priorities, conduct appraisals, identify training needs, and foster an inclusive working environment.
* Mentor and develop colleagues technically, ensuring the team's overall standard of work improves over time.
Knowledge and Qualifications
* Masters degree level or equivalent professional experience within a healthcare information environment.
* Understanding of healthcare data, data retrieval, processing, analysis, and interpretation within acute hospitals.
Experience
* Well‑versed in the use of version control, CI/CD pipelines, and DevOps practices.
* Experience mentoring or leading others, either through line management or guiding junior colleagues.
* Experience with containerisation and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes).
* Substantial experience in a senior information role in an NHS or other healthcare information environment.
* Experience with modern data engineering tools and frameworks (e.g. Airflow, Spark, Snowflake).
* Proven track record of staff, change and performance management.
Skills and Abilities
* Knowledge of information analysis and its use across the NHS.
* Ability to interrogate databases, data warehouses and solve complex problems.
* Strong software engineering fundamentals and architectural patterns (design patterns, SOLID principles).
* Proven ability to acquire new technologies.
* Project management skills and a track record of working closely with engineering teams.
* Experience with at least two programming languages used for research (Python or R, with optional Java, TypeScript or C++).
* Ability to independently interpret the requirements of information users and present detailed, complex reports to a wide audience.
* Substantial experience architecting and building data systems (data modelling and processing).
* Understanding of data quality issues and their organisational impact.
* Understanding of the healthcare business environment.
* Experience with agile methodologies, such as Scrum and Kanban.
Communication
* Ability to communicate effectively with staff at all levels.
* Excellent oral and written communication skills.
* Ability to train information staff in the use of information systems.
* Ability to communicate on complex, multi‑stranded issues.
* Effective leadership of staff.
Planning and Organisation Skills
* Ability to delegate work.
* Ability to plan, prioritise and meet deadlines.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and requires a Disclosure and Barring Service check.
Salary
£66,274 to £73,496 a year inclusive of HCAS.
#J-18808-Ljbffr