About the Role
We now have an opportunity for a senior software engineer within the DAQ group to lead a team supporting the Soft Condensed Matter (SCM) and Crystallography (X) Science Groups.
These science groups cover a wide range of scientific disciplines from life sciences, answering fundamental questions about life itself, through to the physical sciences, answering questions about advanced materials, formulations and processing.
As the team leader you will drive both the support for Diamond's data acquisition needs for our users today using our GDA (Generic Data Acquisition) software package, but also our needs for the future in the form of our next generation data acquisition endeavor - Athena.
GDA is in use on ~35 beamlines at Diamond, it is a highly matured, monolithic, software package written in Java from which, as part of our upgrade programme for Diamond-II, we are transitioning away from. However, during this transition phase support is required in order for this software to be maintained so that Diamond's users can continue to collect data.
Athena is a modernised experiment control/orchestration software platform being written for Diamond-II. In development with up-to-date technologies and software development practices, it aims to be easier to set up, support, extend and develop than GDA, which it is intended to replace.
Central to the Athena architecture is Bluesky and Ophyd-Async, a set of Python libraries for experiment control and collection of data. It is currently used at several facilities around the world.
You will be responsible for transitioning the experimental capabilities of GDA, to Athena, whilst offering new experimental capabilities to the beamlines.
You will actively collaborate with the beamline scientists and DAQ Core team members to deliver SCM and X DAQ features using the new Athena services and provide insight to the Core team to help them to refine Athena’s generic capabilities. You will also potentially participate in international collaborations within this domain, sharing best practice and supporting other facilities and synchrotrons within the collaboration.
About You
Suitable candidates will hold an appropriate first degree in a STEM subject, preferably with a relevant MSc or PhD. You will demonstrate experience in the Software Development Lifecycle, using a modern high-level language, and with an understanding of good software design principles and design for usability.
Knowledge and experience of developing software to control and monitor scientific or industrial equipment or IoT is preferable. Knowledge and experience of synchrotron or neutron central facility experiments is preferable.
Experience of working with large and complex code bases would be a distinct advantage, as would experience of Python, the HDF5 file format, Typescript, UI development, Java, the Eclipse RCP platform, REST and Kubernetes and asynchronous computing.
You should display good communication, interpersonal and analytical skills, with a personal interest or experience in science.
Benefits
Diamond offers an exceptional benefits package to support staff in achieving a positive work/life balance. This includes 26 days annual leave plus Christmas closure, public holidays, 2 annual volunteering days and flexible working hours. We also offer an excellent defined benefit pension scheme. Staff also have access to a range of amenities on site including a nursery, cafes, a restaurant and sports and leisure facilities. A relocation allowance may also be available where applicable.
This role qualifies for a non-pensionable allowance of £ per annum.
As standard this role offers a hybrid working arrangement with a minimum of 3 days working onsite per week.