Senior Research Software Engineer for Digital systems for sustainability science

Job Description

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Senior Research Software Engineer for Digital systems for sustainability science

Job requisition Id: 16685

Job type: Academic staff

Contract hours min: 38

Contract hours max: 38

Location: Leiden

Applying is possible until: 31 december 2026

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Teaser Text

The Institute of Environmental Science CML at Leiden University is looking for a Senior Research Software Engineer with a research systems and infrastructure profile. You will play a central role in developing and maintaining‑ the digital infrastructure powering CML’s work in industrial ecology, sustainability assessment, and circular economy.

You will have freedom to shape a research infrastructure strategy with the support of a Junior RSE and in collaboration with the scientific staff of the institute. This includes making foundational decisions about software architecture, computing and storage environments, cloud/hybrid setups, security, and long-term data governance.

Beyond technical leadership, you will help define institute wide standards for reproducibility, collaborate closely with researchers to translate scientific needs into scalable solutions, and contribute to project acquisition through grant writing and collaborative proposals. You will architect robust platforms and workflows that enable transparent, reproducible, and high-performance environmental research—supporting not just individual projects, but the institute’s long-term digital vision.

What you will do

In your role, you will work closely with a Junior Research Software Engineers, Principal Investigators and PhDs to strengthens the scientific software engineering basis of our institute. Specifically, you will be responsible for tasks such as:

Owning the technical roadmap for CML’s software and data ecosystem: architecture, standards, and long-term sustainability.

Designing and operating research platforms & infrastructure

Defining and implementing institute-wide software engineering and data management protocols for FAIR, metadata, documentation, versioning, licensing, and release processes.

Leading reproducible computational pipelines (workflow engines, packaging, CI/CD

Mentoring junior developers/researchers; run code reviews and technical design reviews.

Expanding collaborations with the institute of computer science of Leiden University LIACS and other university initiatives on research software and data.

Advising on and support computing & storage solutions; liaise with central IT, LIACS, and faculty services, as well as Surf and e-Science center.

Contributing to project acquisition: help develop grant proposals, technical work packages, budgets, and risk & data management plans.

Where you will work

Leiden University is situated between Amsterdam (36 km) and The Hague (15 km) and was founded in 1575, making it the oldest university in the Netherlands. It houses around 35,000 students originating from 112 nationalities, facilitated by approximately 8,000 staff.

The Institute of Environmental Science (CML) at Leiden University offers a vibrant and supportive community of scientists committed to the challenges of sustainability. CML distinguishes itself for its attention to professional development in coordination with the interests of its scientists. As such, there are plenty of opportunities to learn new skills, expand your knowledge, collaborate across discipline