Senior Software Engineer

About Meridial

Meridial is a Focused Research Organisation (FRO) with a mission to bring connectomics into the living brain. We are building a platform for longitudinal, synapse‑resolution mapping of functional neural circuitry in preclinical models. Our aim is to deploy this platform for translational projects and improve drug development outcomes for disorders of the Central Nervous System. Meridial is a new not‑for‑profit FRO in the Convergent Research Ecosystem, powered by the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA).

About the role

Meridial is seeking an entrepreneurial Software Engineer to take ownership of the software systems at the heart of our multi‑photon microscopy platform. This is a broad hands‑on role spanning hardware control, data acquisition, user interfaces, and analysis pipelines. You will work at the intersection of software and science, collaborating closely with FPGA engineers, experimental neuroscientists, and a growing data team. The near‑term priority is maintaining, debugging, and extending our existing MATLAB‑based microscope control software. Immediate goals include adding new experimental functionality, improving data handling, and developing real‑time analysis modules. You will need to learn the workings of a legacy system quickly, including by working with external contractors, and deploy solutions with an eye toward future fundamental improvements. Longer term, you will help define and drive the architectural evolution of the software stack, potentially including migration from MATLAB toward open‑source systems. As the company grows, there will also be opportunities to contribute to data architecture, offline scientific analysis pipelines, and web portals. This role will report to the Director of Engineering and work closely with experimentalists, with clear scope to grow into technical leadership of the software function.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and evolve the microscope software stack, from low‑level hardware control to user interfaces and real‑time analysis layers
• Maintain, debug, and extend the existing MATLAB codebase as the near‑term priority, keeping experimental workflows unblocked
• Develop and maintain new interfaces for data acquisition, instrument control, and synchronisation across complex instrument subsystems
• Collaborate with FPGA engineering to define and implement software control and acquisition architectures
• Work across software and mechatronics boundaries — stages, robotic platforms, motion control, inverse kinematics, and collision avoidance
• Build and evolve real‑time and offline image‑analysis pipelines supporting the full experimental workflow
• Work with the team to translate scientific requirements into robust software systems
• Contribute to longer‑term architectural evolution — modularising the stack, defining APIs, and evaluating migration pathways toward more scalable and maintainable systems

Required Qualifications

• Strong background in software engineering for hardware‑integrated or instrumentation systems
• Experience with Python for data analysis and pipeline development
• Experience designing modular software architectures: layered systems, clean APIs, separation of concerns
• Experience interfacing software with hardware: data acquisition, control systems, synchronisation
• Ability to work across abstraction layers, from low‑level control to higher‑level application logic
• Strong debugging and problem‑solving skills across software, hardware, and system‑level interactions

Preferred Qualifications

• Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering or related field
• Genuine scientific curiosity — an interest in neuroscience, imaging, or the underlying biology is a real advantage
• Experience with scientific instrumentation, microscopy, or imaging systems
• Proficiency in systems‑level programming — Rust, C, or C++ — with a focus on performance, reliability, and maintainability
• Exposure to large‑scale or longitudinal data processing (e.g. volumetric or time‑series datasets)
• Experience refactoring or migrating software into modern architectures
• Familiarity with motion control, robotics, or kinematic systems
• Experience working with or alongside FPGA‑based systems

Physical Demands

• Fine motor skills for operating computers and lab/instrumentation tools

Position Type / Schedule

• Full‑time, 40 hours per week
• Lab location based in London or Cambridge — ability to travel to both preferred
• Work arrangement: Hybrid with expected regular onsite presence

Salary: 85,000 – 100,000 GBP per year.

We are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and do not make hiring or employment decisions on the basis of race, color, religion or religious belief, ethnic or national origin, nationality, sex, gender, gender‑identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law or company policy. We strive for a diverse, healthy and safe workplace and strictly prohibit harassment of any kind.