Description Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Salary: £24,961 per annum Contract Type: Fixed-Term, 12 months Hours: Full-time, 37 hours Location: Science and Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus Didcot Closing Date: Sunday, 19th October 2025 Interview Date: Dec 2025 / Jan 2026 Start Date: September 2026 Come and discover the kind of impact you can make when you work with some of the best facilities and brightest scientists and engineers in the world. We have an excellent opportunity for an undergraduate in software engineering/computer science or related field to work at the Central Laser Facility (CLF). The CLF is part of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), providing advanced laser research facilities for UK and international scientists. The CLF is building two new laser centres - the £100M Extreme Photonics Applications Centre (EPAC) and the world’s most powerful laser facility - £85M Vulcan 20-20 – which will help scientists recreate interiors of stars in the laboratory, work towards clean energy, and develop new types of particle and radiation beams for a wide range of applications in science and industry. We are offering an industrial placement in our dynamic team developing control and data capture software for these facilities. Brief overview of the scheme STFC’s incredibly diverse range of placements allow you to work alongside world leading engineers, scientists and technicians in highly collaborative environments. Whichever you choose, you’ll become a critical member of the team in which you will be exposed to exciting projects and challenges from the start. You’ll be supported every step of the way by our dedicated Graduate Development Team who will also ensure you benefit from a range of personal development opportunities. About the role and a summary of key duties & responsibilities As a sandwich student in software engineering in the CLF, you will join a friendly team writing and maintaining software to manipulate and automate cutting edge, precision instrumentation to deliver ground-breaking research. You will work as part of a multi-disciplinary group of engineers, technicians, and scientists to understand the requirements of our users and deliver software to meet them. Our control system is based on the EPICS open-source controls toolkit, used by large-scale science-facilities across our campus and around the world. We develop software in both Linux and Windows environments in a range of languages including C/C++, Python, and C#. Our engineers work on the whole software stack, from low-level device drivers up to the graphical user-interfaces for staff and external scientists. You will have the chance to develop and apply your skills in a wide range of tasks. Your responsibilities will include: Helping to develop, deploy, and maintain software to control scientific hardware such as motion controllers, two-dimensional detectors, and lasers Hands-on debugging of hardware and software in the laboratory Contributing to technical reports and documentation for users and maintainers of our software Person Specification The below criteria will be scored during Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I). Essential: Currently enrolled on an undergraduate degree course and returning to university/studies to complete your undergraduate degree following the placement (S) Are required or have requested to take an industrial placement year (S) Have the right to live and work in the UK for the duration of the placement (S) Able to commence employment in summer 2026 (S) Experience of programming in C/C++, C# or Python (S&I) Knowledge of software development methodologies (such as Object-Oriented Design, Agile) (S&I) Knowledge of how to test and debug software using various techniques (S&I) Knowledge of version control (eg. CVS, Git, subversion) (S&I) Ability to communicate effectively and collaborate within a team (I) Passion for solving problems using engineering practices and willing to develop their skills (I) Desirable: Experience of programming in a Linux environment (S&I) Some embedded experience interfacing software with electronics (S&I) An interest in scientific research and how it can help to enrich lives (I) Employee Benefits: 30 days holiday (in addition to 10.5 bank holidays and privilege days). Flexible working hours. An excellent defined average salary pension scheme. Easily accessible public transport links/ free parking. Excellent learning and development opportunities. Cycle to work scheme. Link to more benefits: https://stfccareers.co.uk/rewards-and-benefits/ As this job does not fulfil the UK Government minimum criterion for obtaining sponsored migrant worker status we will be unable to apply for sponsorship for anyone not eligible to work in the UK. At interview, all shortlisted candidates are required to bring with them identification documents and original documents that prove they hold or can obtain the right to work in the UK. You can check your eligibility here: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa/y Application Guidance Please note that we can only accept a maximum of 2 applications per candidate. Part of our application process involves submitting your CV and a cover letter. Your cover letter should address your suitability for the opportunity based how you meet each essential criteria stated in this advert. Please note that we hold the right to close this vacancy early if a sufficient number of applications have been received. We ask some of the biggest questions in the universe, to answer some of the biggest challenges in the world. Together, our scientists, technologists, engineers and business support team explore the unknown across every field you could think of. And they turn what they find into work that changes the world around us. What could you achieve with the world-leading facilities and experts of one of Europe's largest research organisations by your side? Join us and discover what's possible!