At a Glance
- Tasks: Develop and deploy innovative software solutions in a dynamic team environment.
- Company: Join Oxford Dynamics, a leader in AI and robotics innovation.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible hours, rapid career growth, and private healthcare.
- Other info: Inclusive culture that values authenticity and diverse perspectives.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on cutting-edge projects while learning from industry experts.
- Qualifications: Strong experience in Docker, Python, and backend system design.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
Contract: Permanent
Salary: 80-110K
Location: Greater Oxford Area (Harwell, Didcot)
Working Pattern: Flexible
Responsibilities:
- Grow the people around you.
- Communicate clearly with stakeholders of varying technical backgrounds, including non-engineers and customers.
- Contribute to infrastructure as code (Terraform/CloudFormation) and CI/CD (GitHub Actions/Argo CD) alongside the DevOps team.
- Support cloud operations with sensible defaults, cost awareness, and clean promotion across dev/staging/prod.
Requirements:
Essential:
- Strong hands-on experience with Docker and containerised deployment – building images, debugging containers, and running containerised services in production.
- Strong programming ability in Python, or demonstrable depth in a comparable language with a willingness to work primarily in Python.
- A track record of building and operating production backend systems at a level where you set the design, not just implemented it.
- Proven experience designing and operating production APIs – versioning, security, documentation and automated testing.
- Solid grounding in relational database design, indexing, performance tuning and migrations (PostgreSQL or equivalent).
- Experience with asynchronous or event-driven architectures and the failure modes that come with them.
- Fluency with Git-based workflows and code review as a team practice.
Nice to have:
- Experience integrating with AI/ML systems or model-serving infrastructure.
- Exposure to enterprise data platforms (for example Palantir Foundry, Databricks or Snowflake).
- Observability tooling (Prometheus/Grafana, ELK/OpenSearch).
- Container orchestration (Kubernetes, ECS) and infrastructure as code.
- Experience in regulated, safety-critical or security-cleared environments.
- Prior experience as a technical lead, or as the senior engineer on a small team.
How you work:
- High agency — you own outcomes end to end and pull on threads without being asked.
- Pragmatic and research-driven, with a bias to ship and iterate.
- A clear communicator, in writing as much as in conversation.
- Comfortable defining SLAs, making trade-offs explicit and operating production systems.
Why Oxford Dynamics?
Join one of the most exciting growth areas in the UK: AI and robotics. Every member of the team has a major impact on the products and services we provide. Regardless of job title, you will make a real difference and learn from colleagues across the whole business.
Benefits include:
- Rapid career progression and personal growth
- Flexible working hours
- The opportunity to shape the future of a fast-growing business
- Hybrid working model
- Company pension (NEST) with 4% employer contribution
- Private healthcare
- 29 days holiday plus public holidays
Oxford Dynamics is committed to creating an inclusive team experience for all. Regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability or parental status, we believe our work is at its best when everyone feels free to be their authentic self.
Senior Software Engineer employer: Oxford Dynamics
At Oxford Dynamics, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment where every team member plays a crucial role in shaping the future of AI and robotics. Located in the Greater Oxford Area, our hybrid working model promotes flexibility, while our commitment to employee growth ensures that you will have opportunities to learn and make a significant impact in the biotech sector. With competitive compensation, generous holiday allowances, and a culture that values inclusivity and collaboration, joining us means being part of a team that is not just building technology, but also fostering meaningful relationships and partnerships.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Software Engineer
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Oxford Dynamics or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Oxford Dynamics.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Oxford Dynamics.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Oxford Dynamics that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Software Engineer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Oxford Dynamics.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Oxford Dynamics and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Oxford Dynamics
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Oxford Dynamics uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
