Lead Research Software Engineer: Consulting Services

Lead Research Software Engineer: Consulting Services

This role is available to current employees within IT Services at the University of Leeds only

This role will be based on the university campus with scope for it to be undertaken in a hybrid manner. We are also open to discussing flexible working arrangements.

The University of Leeds is one of the top 80 universities in the world. We have a truly global community, with more than 39,000 students from 170 different countries and over 9,000 staff of 100 different nationalities.

The Research Computing team at the University of Leeds is a cornerstone of the university's research efforts, designing, building and supporting innovative solutions to research computing problems and supporting our research community across a range of domains, including Artificial Intelligence, Language Models, Bioinformatics, Computational Fluid Dynamics and Data Science. As the hosts of the University HPC (high performance computing) systems, our team also supports researchers from a wide range of departments across the whole University to utilise the HPC systems to perform modelling, analysis, and simulations, which are crucial components of their research.

As our service grows, we are building new leadership roles to ensure we deliver high-quality support at scale. We are looking for an experienced Research Software Engineer to lead our Consulting Service. The Lead Research Software Engineer: Consulting Services role combines specialist research software expertise with a strong focus on coordination, mentoring, and collaboration. You will oversee our portfolio of research software consulting projects, contribute directly to complex or high-impact tasks, and act as a trusted, visible point of contact for academics seeking support.

A key part of the role will be developing and sustaining relationships with researchers across the University - identifying emerging needs, supporting grant applications that fund RSE efforts, and promoting the value and impact of our services. You will also lead our short-term internship programme, which provides undergraduates with the opportunity to work on real research challenges over a few weeks. Our internship program offers both a pathway for early-career talent to explore the RSE profession and a means for academics to test ideas through short proof-of-concept projects, making it an important foundation of our Consulting Service.

This job is an excellent opportunity for a senior RSE who wishes to remain actively engaged in research software practice while taking on a leadership role in shaping services, mentoring colleagues, and enabling cutting-edge research. The role offers both the chance to deepen your expertise and to make a lasting contribution to a vibrant, collaborative research community.

Please note that this post may be suitable for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa route but first-time applicants might need to qualify for salary concessions. For more information please visit:

What we offer in return

• 26 days holiday plus approx.16 Bank Holidays/days that the University is closed by custom (including Christmas) - That's 42 days a year!
• Health and Wellbeing: Discounted staff membership options at The Edge, our state-of-the art Campus gym, with a pool, sauna, climbing wall, cycle circuit, and sports halls.
• Personal Development: Access to courses run by our Organisational Development & Professional Learning team.
• Access to on site childcare, shopping discounts and travel schemes are also available.

And much more!

To explore the post further or for any queries you may have, please contact:

Patricia Ternes, Research Software Engineer Manager