Location: York / Hybrid (Wednesdays in-person at Eagle Labs, The Catalyst YO10 5GW) Hours: Full-time (37.5 hours). Part-time applications considered. Salary: £45,000–£50,000 + Equity Share Options
About MORF-Bio
MORF-Bio is an ambitious, venture-backed spin-out from the University of York, dedicated to building SaaS tools to help life science researchers use Big Data. We are at a pivotal moment: we have investment, a functional product, and early market traction. Now, we need a driven Senior Software Engineer to join our small, high-performing team and help us scale.
Our platform empowers customers tackling the world's most urgent challenges, from climate change to pandemic preparedness. If you want to use your engineering skills to drive genuine global impact, we want to hear from you.
Located in the heart of the University of York's academic community, MORF-Bio offers a flexible hybrid working culture with the vibrant coworking environment at the Catalyst for our in-person days. The site perfectly balances convenience and wellbeing, featuring excellent public transport links and free parking alongside scenic lakeside walks and nearby sporting amenities.
Core Responsibilities
* Full-Stack Engineering: Contribute to and evolve our core stack using Python (Flask) for the backend and JavaScript for the frontend, supported by MongoDB.
* Architecture & Security: Develop and maintain our cloud infrastructure (AWS/Azure/Private Cloud), ensuring the platform is secure, scalable, and robust enough to handle sensitive biological data.
* Deployment & Quality: Oversee GitHub integrations and maintain high engineering standards through rigorous code reviews and automated CI/CD pipelines.
* Agile Orchestration: Manage sprint planning and task organisation via Jira, ensuring development cycles are efficient, goals are transparent, and progress is well-documented.
Skills & Experience
Required:
* Proven experience in back-end Python development.
* Proficiency with the Flask framework.
* Experience of and aptitude for database design.
* Experience with (or a strong willingness to learn) JavaScript.
Desired:
* Approx 3-5 years of professional software engineering experience.
* A track record of developing and scaling cloud-based SaaS tools.
* Solid understanding of containerisation (Docker) and security best practices.
* Experience with MongoDB or similar NoSQL databases.
* A natural ability to coach and mentor less experienced developers.
* A background or interest in biology/bioinformatics is a bonus, but not essential.
Why Join MORF-Bio?
* Strategic Influence: Join at a critical step-change in our journey. You will have a front-row seat and a leading voice in our technical evolution.
* Accelerated Career Path: By joining an early-stage startup, you will have the opportunity to transition rapidly into a formal leadership role as we grow.
* Flexible Culture: We work from home most of the week, meeting in person on Wednesdays at Eagle Labs in York to collaborate. We support flexible working around core hours (10:00–15:00).
* Collaborative & Positive Culture: Join a friendly, mission-driven team that values open communication, intellectual honesty, and mutual support. We foster a high-trust environment where your well-being and professional happiness matter.
Benefits
* Competitive Salary: £45k–£50k depending on experience (with performance-based increases as the company scales)
* Ownership: Equity in early stage, venture-backed startup via share options
* Time Off: 28 days holiday (including bank holidays)
* Modern Workspace: Access to the vibrant Catalyst community in York, with good public transport and free parking on campus
* Latest Tools: High-spec laptop and software licenses
* Opportunity to travel: Occasional visits to clients, conferences and training
Please apply!
We are dedicated to creating an inclusive, diverse, and welcoming environment where everyone feels valued. If you're passionate about building innovative technology that solves real-world problems and believe you can thrive in this role (even if you don't meet every requirement listed), we encourage you to apply – we'd love to hear from you!