Research Software Engineer in Black Hole Astrophysics, Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge (Part Time)
Job Description
Cambridge’s Institute of Astronomy is hiring a Research Software Engineer for Professor Sera Markoff’s black hole group, with funding available for five years. The salary is £35,608 to £46,049 a year and applications close on 9 November 2026.
At a glance
- Post: Research Software Engineer in Black Hole Astrophysics
- Where: Institute of Astronomy and Kavli Institute for Cosmology, University of Cambridge
- Salary: £35,608 to £46,049 a year
- Reference: LG50949
- Apply by: 9 November 2026
Read the official University of Cambridge advertisement before you apply.
About the work
The Institute of Astronomy and the co-located Kavli Institute for Cosmology are internationally known for a multi-disciplinary research environment, and Cambridge has a long history in black hole research. The group of Professor Sera Markoff, the Plumian Professor, studies these systems across the full black hole mass scale, combining GPU-accelerated supercomputer simulations and semi-analytic modelling with data from facilities including the Event Horizon Telescope.
The group sits at the meeting point of several international efforts: a growing Cambridge node where this post is based, an established group at the University of Amsterdam, the ERC Synergy Grant project Blackholistic with partners at Oxford, Radboud University Nijmegen, Turku, Namibia and South Africa, and major collaborations including the Event Horizon Telescope and the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory. Through the ERC project the group is also helping commission a new 14-metre radio telescope in Namibia, the Africa Millimetre Telescope.
This is a part-time, fixed-term post. Funds are available for five years in the first instance, and extension may be possible if more funding is secured.
What you need
- Strong research software engineering skills, since the group’s research is built on a developing software base
- Experience with GPU-accelerated simulation or scientific computing is directly relevant
- Read the official advertisement for the full person specification
Pay
The advertised range is £35,608 to £46,049 a year. This is a fixed-term post.
How to apply
Apply online through the Cambridge job page. Click Apply, register an account with the University’s recruitment system if you do not have one, and complete the form. Quote reference LG50949 on your application and in any correspondence about the vacancy. You will normally be asked for a CV and the contact details of academic referees, so line those up before you start.
One thing to check first. The University states that it has a responsibility to ensure all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK. If you are applying from outside the UK, read the visa position for this post before you spend time on the application.
Browse more research jobs on ResearchJobs.in, or search our Find a supervisor page.
Hiring institution: University of Cambridge
Official advertisement: www.jobs.cam.ac.uk
How to prepare for this application
- Five years of funding is unusual. For a research software role this is real stability, and worth weighing against a shorter postdoc.
- Show code as well as papers. A repository with tests and documentation says a lot here.
- It is part time. Check the hours before you apply if you need a full-time post.
- Quote the reference, LG50949. Cambridge asks for it on the form and in every email about the post.
- Line up your referees early. Cambridge contacts them during selection, so tell them before you apply.
- Check your right to work in the UK. Every Cambridge advert carries this condition, and it is the usual reason an overseas application stalls.
About the University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge was founded in 1209 and is one of the world's leading research universities. Its research posts are advertised centrally at jobs.cam.ac.uk, with each department running its own selection.