Lead Computer Scientist - Software Development

Job summary

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Please see below for detailed job description of the role.

Main duties of the job

About the role:

Join us in developing software that directly improves patient care!

We're looking for a Lead Computer Scientist or Software Engineer to drive software development within our Clinical Scientific Computing (CSC) service -- building and maintaining the in-house clinical and healthcare software that supports patient care across the Trust, all within the framework of an ISO13485-certified Quality Management System. This is a hands-on technical leadership role; therefore, if you love writing good quality code and also enjoy shaping how a team builds it, and you want your software skills to make a real, tangible difference to patients, this could be the role for you.

About us

As one of the largest acute teaching Trusts in England, we offer learning and development opportunities to help you achieve the career you aspire to. UHS is rated 'Good' by the CQC and in the latest national NHS Staff Survey, we were in the top 10 acute trusts for staff engagement and for staff recommending the hospital as a place to work or receive care.

We support flexible working and will consider requests taking into account the needs of the service. UHS employees are able to access a range of NHS discounts, are entitled to a minimum of 35 days paid holiday (pro rata), and we offer a generous pension scheme.

Southampton is an attractive place to live and work situated on the south coast, with an international airport and direct trains to London. The New Forest National Park and beaches of the Jurassic coast are also right on our doorstep. The city offers living costs 30% lower than London and 17 schools rated outstanding by Ofsted.

We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalising your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.

Job description

Job responsibilities

This successful candidates will be responsible for:

Leading the software development life cycle of bespoke healthcare software, with an emphasis on JavaScript, TypeScript, and Python, for client and server environments
Establishing and maintaining robust design, version control, and quality assurance practices for in-house systems, in line with the ISO 13485 QMS
Designing, building, and supporting the data layer behind our clinical software, working across both relational and non-relational databases
Troubleshooting complex software faults across highly complex information systems, working closely with software engineers and clinical staff to ensure optimal system uptime
Mentoring and training other members of the CSC team, while contributing to the wider technical strategy for digital and computing solutions across Medical Physics
Supporting R&D and academic activities through collaboration, project management, engineering support and students supervision

What we're looking for:

A good honours degree (MSc equivalent) in computer science, physics, (software) engineering, or a related subject (a higher degree in a physical or computing science is desirable), alongside solid knowledge of software development lifecycles and project management
Strong software development experience in JavaScript, TypeScript, and Python; familiarity with C/C++, shell scripting, or other languages is an advantage
Practical experience with web technologies, client-server frameworks, and AI-assisted development tools; mobile application development experience is an advantage
Hands-on experience working with both relational and non-relational databases
Experience working within a regulated or quality-managed environment, with an understanding of risk assessment, validation, and clinical safety as applied to software
A collaborative, autonomous working style, comfortable leading technical work and mentoring colleagues within a multidisciplinary team

About the team:

This is an exciting opportunity to join our team! We are a multidisciplinary, close-knit team where clinical scientists, computer scientists, and software engineers work side by side. Together, we design, build, and maintain bespoke clinical and healthcare software, collaborating closely with healthcare scientists and clinicians across the Trust. We combine the rigour of a regulated, ISO 13485-certified QMS with the pace and creativity of modern software developmentgiving you the chance to work on genuinely novel in-house systems, rather than off-the-shelf configuration.

Our team values autonomy, technical depth, and continuous learning. We have won several grants and innovation competitions for the software products we have designed and delivered. As the team grows, this role offers real scope to shape both our products and the engineering processes behind them. Furthermore, we maintain strong links with the University of Southampton and proudly run the STP training programme in Clinical Scientific Computing, alongside bespoke work experiences, internships, and fellowships.

This role reports directly to the Head of Clinical Scientific Computing, and will line manage the software development staff, if appointed at Band 8A.

Person Specification

Qualifications, knowledge and experience

Essential

Honours degree in computer science, physics, engineering or appropriate subject
Formal specialist training and accreditation in software development life cycle and Quality Systems
Higher degree (e.g. MSc) in a Physical or Computing Science
Experience in working and maintaining multiple operating systems, such as Windows and/or Linux
Direct experience and knowledge of computing hardware installation, maintenance and troubleshooting
Experience in clinical IT systems' acceptance, commissioning and management
Line management, teaching, supervision and /or mentoring experience required

Desirable

PhD or equivalent level of knowledge and experience to be able to act as an expert in clinical scientific computing
Experience in designing and conducting internal clinical and technical audits
IT infrastructure and server management within a regulated industry (e.g. healthcare, medical technology)
Experience of programming in a variety of different programming languages
Experience in setting up and managing an IT Help Desk and a successful relation with IT services' clients
Experience in the management of server critical applications such as database servers, security and backup systems

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.

Employer details

Employer name

University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust

Address

University Hospital Southampton

Tremona Road

Southampton

SO16 6YD

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.uhs.nhs.uk/home.aspx

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