Principal Developer

• The design and implementation of software applications and components for use within the Life Sciences domain, including both desktop and web (or cloud) based systems.
• Acting as key technical contact for all product team members, including those external to Software Delivery.
• Proactively developing and maintaining best practices and standards to maintain and improve software quality across Software Delivery.
• Ensuring that the software development life cycle is followed in accordance with best practices, standards and policies.
• Coaching and mentoring Software Delivery team members and actively contributing to the Developer community of practice.
• Having a strong focus on learning and continuous improvement, at both the micro and macro levels. Appropriately challenging existing practices.
• Identify future state opportunities and keeping up to date with advances in technology, best industry practices, approaches and tools. Utilising these as appropriate to maximize Software Delivery efficiency and effectiveness.
• Helping to increase engagement and motivation, and skill levels within Software Delivery and building strong working relationships with key stakeholders.
• Proactively identifying problem areas within Software Delivery, and helping to identify and implement appropriate corrective actions.
• Ensure that software applications and components are secure through alignment against both our internal standards and member needs.
• Ensure that architectural characteristics are considered to satisfy intended software, such as performance, data confidentiality, resilience and scalability.
• Collaborate with the Architecture Team and support product architecture.
• Produce architectural design documentation for the product solution., To provide technical expertise from the design to the delivery of software applications within the Life Sciences domain. The Principal Developer will work within, and across, teams to create and maintain software products. The Principal Developer will help to produce the technical roadmap and will work collaboratively with key Software Delivery stakeholders to improve product architecture practices and to ensure best tools are utilised to deliver products most effectively.

• A background in software engineering, software design or database design and architecture.
• Good knowledge of software development life cycle in an Agile environment.
• Proven experience in web-application development using the technologies below:

• Java application frameworks such as Spring.
• Angular, JavaScript, CSS3 and HTML5.
• Relational database.

• Experience of working in continuous integration and continuous deployment.
• Experience of working with code repositories such as GIT.
• Experience of writing technical documentation.
• Ability to optimise database query for performance and memory management.
• Ability to use techniques and profiling tools to optimise performance.
• Ability to develop application for a scalable, high-availability environment.
• Good understanding of message queuing systems.
• Good understanding of responsive web-design.
• General understanding in designing for cloud computing such as AWS.
• Proven experience building complex algorithm.
• Desktop application development using the Eclipse/RCP framework would be an advantage.
• Use of NoSQL databases would be an advantage.
• Able to help drive delivery effectively and guide decision making through balancing results, customer needs and quality.
• Proactive, creative and with analytical thinking skills.
• Able to adapt and respond to change.
• Able to work within multidisciplinary teams and independently.
• Interpersonal skills and understanding of team dynamics.
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written. Including questioning and negotiating skills.

A successful not-for-profit company and educational charity, with an enviable reputation for collaborative scientific development. They develop meaningful science and software that supports the delivery of life-enhancing solutions including the development of safe chemicals to market including drugs and cosmetics as well as making a positive contribution to reducing animal testing. Our charitable status enables us to make altruistic decisions for the public benefit and to work with some of the leading organisations in the world to really make a difference.