Backend Software Engineer in Sheffield

Anticipated start date: As soon as possible

Closing Date: 23rd February 2026

Salary Band: £40k - £55k (depending on experience)

Full Time, Sheffield, UK

Do you want to build the backend systems that power autonomous laboratories? Do you enjoy designing reliable, high-performance services and data systems that other engineers depend on? Do you want to work at the intersection of software, hardware, and real-world scientific workflows, where correctness actually matters?

At Unicorn Biotechnologies, we are building autonomous laboratory systems that combine robotics, biology, and software. We are looking for a Backend Engineer to build the core backend services and data foundations that enable our scientist-facing products and internal tools.

You will play a crucial role in building the future of autonomous science, creating tools to help scientists discover and manufacture new medicines and products, and in helping us fulfil our ambition to be one of the largest biotech companies in the world.

WE VALUE

• A bias for action to build products with customer value.
• Engineers who care about what they build, not just how.
• Clear thinking, pragmatism, and sound judgment over buzzwords.
• Friendly, organised, efficient, and enthusiastic people with a can-do attitude.
• People who take responsibility and follow problems through.
• Using the right tools, including AI, to work smarter, not harder.
• Low-ego individuals who love asking questions & go above and beyond to help the team succeed.

THE ROLE

As a Backend Engineer at Unicorn, you will be responsible for designing and building the backend systems that support our platform. This role is fundamentally about reliability, data integrity, security, and scalable system design. You will build services, APIs, data models, and supporting infrastructure that enable our full-stack engineers, scientists, and hardware teams to build great products on a trustworthy foundation.

You will work closely with our engineering and science teams to define and implement backend systems that support:

• Instrument control and orchestration workflows.
• Data capture, storage, auditability, and traceability.
• Secure user management and permissions.
• Integrations with internal systems (LIMS, ERP, accounting, QC workflows).
• cGxP-adjacent requirements where needed (e.g., CFR Part 11 compliance).

This is a role for someone who enjoys building the “spine” of a product, the systems that must be correct, observable, and dependable. The startup journey is not easy, nor for the faint of heart. You must see this challenge as invigorating rather than intimidating. Your work will be exciting, and the learning opportunities will be significant. Expect to expand your skill set more in a year than many do in five years.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design and implement backend services that support Unicorn’s products and internal tooling.
• Own database design and data modelling (including performance, integrity, migrations, and traceability).
• Build and maintain APIs and service contracts that enable product features.
• Ensure systems are observable, debuggable, and reliable (logging, metrics, monitoring, alerting).
• Build secure authentication/authorization and permission systems.
• Support integrations across internal operational systems (e.g., ERP, accounting, LIMS).
• Collaborate with embedded and hardware teams to support instrument workflows and machine data.
• Contribute to cGxP-adjacent compliance efforts when required (audit trails, access controls, electronic records, validation support).
• Identify and reduce technical risk (failure modes, data loss, security issues, operational fragility).

NEED TO HAVE

• A pragmatic, builder’s mindset, you enjoy rapid iteration, fabrication, and practical problem-solving.
• Demonstrated experience building and managing scalable data infrastructure systems.
• Strong proficiency in Python (or equivalent backend language; Python preferred).
• Solid experience working with relational databases (e.g., PostgreSQL) and data modelling.
• Experience designing and maintaining reliable APIs and backend services.
• Comfort taking ownership of system reliability and technical risk.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work cross-functionally with non-software experts.

NICE TO HAVE

• Experience with event-driven systems, async processing, job queues, or workflow orchestration.
• Experience working with time-series data, scientific data, or instrument telemetry.
• Experience in regulated environments (GxP, CFR Part 11, validation, audit trails).
• Familiarity with infrastructure tooling (containers, CI/CD, deployment pipelines, observability).
• Experience interfacing with embedded systems (e.g., C/C++ for machine control or hardware integration).
• Proficiency with AI-assisted software engineering tools (e.g., Cursor, Claude, Gemini).
• Previous experience embedded in a biology laboratory or a scientific research team.
• Comfortable working in small, fast-moving startup environments.

While we consider applicants from any relevant background, you will likely have >3-5 years of industry experience.

BENEFITS

• Join a fast-moving, transformative industry in a high-growth environment.
• The opportunity to work on real systems with real-world impact - your products could help scientists cure deadly diseases like cancer and heart failure.
• Direct influence on product direction and technical decisions.
• Close collaboration with world-class scientists and engineers.
• A culture that values autonomy, responsibility, and thoughtful work.
• You will be based in the UK's greenest city on the doorstep of the Peak District with world-class hiking, biking, running, and climbing, 15 minutes from our custom-built, independently owned R&D centre.

ABOUT US

Unicorn Biotechnologies is building the next generation of autonomous laboratory and bioproduction systems. Our mission is to both accelerate scientific discovery by combining robotics, biology, and software into powerful, easy-to-use platforms and to enable rapid, affordable scale-up to turn bleeding-edge innovations into real-world products that help people. We are an early-stage company. This means moving fast, learning constantly, and taking responsibility, but it also means having real ownership, real influence, and the chance to build something genuinely new and a generational business.

JOIN OUR TEAM

Submit your application here: https://forms.gle/8tmejoeyP4C6YLDa. Please fill out the application form; however, if you get stuck or have any questions email: careers@unicornb.io.

Unicorn Biotechnologies is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a working environment that embraces inclusion and diversity.