Software Lead

Ellison Institute of Technology Oxford

. Lead and develop the core software team, setting priorities, delegating effectively, providing feedback, and supporting recruitment and professional development .

Posted 10/28/2026full-timeOxford • United KingdomSeniorWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in leading software engineering teams while delivering complex integrated systems and AI-driven capabilities. Proficient in software architecture, development, testing, and operational deployment with a focus on quality and collaboration across diverse teams.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Team LeadershipPython DevelopmentSoftware ArchitectureAgentic AI SystemsSoftware Verification and Validation

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Software EngineeringDevelopment SkillsService APIsTyped InterfacesAI-Integrated SystemsAsynchronous ExecutionConcurrencyPersistenceDebuggingDeployment

Soft Skills

Effective CommunicationMentoringDelegationFeedback ProvisionCollaboration

Tools & Technologies

Communications MiddlewareRobotic SimulatorsROS 2DDSContainerised Cloud DeploymentsWorkflow EnginesMCPModel Serving

Industry Keywords

RoboticsIndustrial AutomationInstrumentationAI-Enabled CapabilitiesOperational UseIntegrationReliabilityUsabilityMessage-Based ArchitecturesPublish-Subscribe Architectures

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

CloudPythonC++

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead and develop the core software team, setting priorities, delegating effectively, providing feedback, and supporting recruitment and professional development
Own platform delivery by translating product needs into achievable plans and managing capacity, dependencies, and technical risks
Design, implement, test, and deploy substantial software capabilities
Remain closely involved in integration and operational troubleshooting
Set technical direction and define modular architectures, shared interfaces, and reusable platform components
Guide and contribute to agentic capabilities, including tool integration, context and state management, orchestration, and evaluation
Establish boundaries between AI-driven decisions, deterministic execution, human oversight, and actions affecting physical systems
Develop distributed services, communications middleware, APIs, and integrations with equipment and external platforms
Take prototypes into supported operation, addressing reliability, security, performance, maintainability, and usability
Lead verification and validation through automated testing, simulation, agent evaluation, and system testing
Establish code review, deployment, observability, and documentation practices
Coordinate with infrastructure, data, and application teams
Work with scientists, product teams, hardware engineers, and AI specialists to turn requirements and prototypes into reliable platforms

Requirements

What you’ll need

Degree or equivalent practical experience in Software Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, or a related discipline
Experience leading a software engineering team, including planning, delegation, mentoring, and individual development
Strong, current hands-on development skills, including Python, service APIs, typed interfaces, and AI-integrated systems
Evidence of personally delivering substantial software into operational use
Experience combining team leadership with sustained contribution to architecture, coding, testing, debugging, and deployment
Experience delivering software platforms or complex integrated systems through deployment and ongoing operation
Practical knowledge of agentic AI systems, including tool use, context management, orchestration, evaluation, and controlled interaction with external systems
Experience with communications middleware and message-based or publish-subscribe architectures
Understanding of asynchronous execution, concurrency, persistence, and recovery from partial failures, including message delivery, retries, and idempotency
Experience applying software verification and validation, supported by clear requirements, acceptance criteria, and test evidence
Ability to balance delivery priorities with engineering quality and communicate effectively across technical and non-technical teams
Desirable: experience deploying AI-enabled or agentic capabilities, including agent frameworks, MCP, retrieval, or model serving
Desirable: experience with robotics, industrial automation, instrumentation, or software controlling physical equipment
Desirable: familiarity with robotic simulators, ROS 2, DDS, workflow engines, containerised cloud and edge deployments, C++, scientific data provenance, shared platforms, and recruiting engineers

Benefits

Comp & perks

Enhanced holiday pay
Pension
Life Assurance
Income Protection
Private Medical Insurance
Hospital Cash Plan
Therapy Services
Perk Box
Electric Car Scheme
Collaborative, inclusive and supportive work environment
Creative risks encouraged
Commitment to excellence