EdTech Software Engineer (Research Assistant) (Fixed Term)

We are looking to appoint a full-time Research Assistant to work as a Software Engineer on the Isaac online education platform, a collaboration between the University of Cambridge and the Raspberry Pi Foundation. The role involves designing, building and running an online platform to teach STEM subjects.

The Isaac platform uses recent developments in web technology and computer-based educational techniques to improve physics, chemistry, biology, maths and computer science teaching in schools. Our online platform currently reaches tens of thousands of students and thousands of teachers; in peak periods we receive over 5 million question attempts a month. For further information see isaacphysics.org and adacomputerscience.org.

We release all our software for this project under an open-source licence (see: https://github.com/isaacphysics).

The successful applicant will work with the Technical Director, Professor Alastair Beresford, as well as a dedicated six-person research and development team in the Department of Computer Science and Technology in Cambridge. You will also collaborate with the content and product teams at the Raspberry Pi Foundation and in the Department of Physics, and with groups of researchers across the broader EdTech and computing education research communities.

You'll need to have good programming and technical skills, an appetite to learn what you don't know, and a commitment to make a difference for the young people who use our platform. Day-to-day activities will include researching and implementing new features and performing regular maintenance activities.

Candidates will be considered at the Research Assistant level, suited to recent graduates. Some knowledge of Java or TypeScript is desirable, but not essential. The ability to adapt and select appropriate software, languages and tools is more important than previous experience. (For reference, we are currently working with React/TypeScript, RestEasy, Maven, Git, and PostgreSQL.) Previous experience managing or contributing to open source projects is an advantage but not a necessity. Candidates must be able to work independently or as part of a team as appropriate. We welcome applicants with a passion for EdTech, blended learning and/or computing education.

Key responsibilities:

•  Range of full-stack development work, including user experience design and back-end development
•  Collaboratively develop, test and deliver high-quality working software
•  Work with other Software Engineers to improve processes and code quality across our products
•  Help plan the development of our products
•  Develop a detailed understanding of our systems and processes; suggest improvements
•  Build consensus and take accountability for delivering product features
•  Share knowledge with clear communication, technical credibility, and empathy
•  Collaborate with colleagues and stakeholders across other teams to help resolve support issues.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available until 31 July 2026 in the first instance.

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please click the apply button above.

Please ensure that you upload your Curriculum Vitae (CV), a covering letter in the Upload section of the online application.

If you have any questions about this vacancy please contact Alastair.Beresford@cst.cam.ac.uk.

If you have any queries about the application process please contact                 
personnel-admin@cst.cam.ac.uk.

The closing date for applications is: midnight on 23rd May 2024.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

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