Lead Developer (Python / Javascript)

A major UK research institution is hiring a Lead Developer to design and deliver critical data infrastructure for a 10-year national programme digitising over 140 million natural science specimens across 90+ institutions.

Location: London (Hybrid) | Rate: £550–£800/day

The Role

You’ll lead a small engineering team delivering core infrastructure for large-scale data mobilisation, integration, and publishing, including pipelines feeding into global biodiversity platforms like GBIF. The work includes a mix of in-house development and integration with procured cloud services (storage, compute) delivered via commercial partners.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead technical design and architecture for national-scale data infrastructure.

• Build and manage a team of developers to deliver robust, scalable services.

• Develop backend systems and data pipelines to support mobilisation and access of scientific data from diverse sources.

• Collaborate with suppliers and partners to ensure seamless integration with procured cloud infrastructure.

• Work closely with product managers, scientists, and stakeholders to ensure technical delivery aligns with long-term goals.

• Contribute to high-quality codebases across backend and frontend systems.

Tech Requirements

• Strong Python backend development experience.

• Solid JavaScript/TypeScript frontend experience.

• Experience with SQL and NoSQL databases, event-driven systems, and cloud-native architecture.

• Experience building and maintaining data pipelines and infrastructure for large or distributed systems.

• Familiarity with data standards and APIs in scientific or public data domains is a plus.

• Proven leadership in technical delivery and architecture design.

Robert Walters Operations Limited is an employment business and employment agency and welcomes applications from all candidates