A leading high-tech life sciences company is looking for a C++ Software Engineer to play a central role in the international deployment of performance-critical production systems across Europe, the Middle East, and the United States.

This role offers the opportunity to turn advanced research into robust, scalable software that operates reliably in real-world, high-stakes environments.

The challenge

High-performance scientific systems rarely fail because the algorithms are wrong. They fail because the software around them isn’t built to survive real production conditions: scale, observability, operational constraints, and long-term maintenance. Our client operates at the intersection of advanced research, AI-driven analytics, and live operational deployment. Their systems must run efficiently, be observable, and remain stable while evolving rapidly. This role exists because bridging research-grade code and production-grade C++ systems requires serious engineering discipline.

The role

This is not a research-only position. And it’s not a simple “translate Python to C++” job. You will design, build, and maintain performance-critical C++ systems that run at scale in production environments. You’ll take ownership across the full software lifecycle, from architecture and implementation through deployment, monitoring, and long-term operation. You’ll work closely with Research and Operations teams, ensuring that experimental ideas can be safely, efficiently, and observably deployed into real systems. If you enjoy owning systems once they’re live, not handing them off, this role will suit you.

What you’ll actually build

• Design and implement high-performance C++ systems used in production environments
• Architect and optimise performance-critical algorithms and data structures
• Leverage parallelism, concurrency, and hardware capabilities to push system performance
• Own systems end-to-end: design, implementation, testing, deployment, and maintenance
• Integrate observability into production systems (metrics, logging, alerts, dashboards)
• Build operational tooling for calibration, diagnostics, monitoring, and maintenance workflows
• Collaborate with Research teams to productionise prototypes and experimental components
• Enable safe data collection, optimisation, and gradual deployment of research modules

The level of expectation

You’ve likely done several of the following:

• Built and shipped production C++ systems used in real operational environments
• Worked on performance-critical or real-time systems rather than purely application-level code
• Owned systems beyond initial delivery, including debugging live issues and operational trade-offs
• Designed software with concurrency, scalability, and long-term maintainability in mind
• Operated comfortably in environments where research, production, and operations intersect

If your experience is limited to isolated components or short-lived prototypes, this role will stretch you.

Technical requirements

• Strong professional experience with C++ (typically 4–5 years)
• Solid computer science foundations:
• Algorithms and data structures
• Concurrency and parallel programming
• Systems-level thinking
• Experience building and maintaining production-grade software
• Comfortable debugging, optimising, and supporting live systems
• A clear production mindset — correctness, performance, and reliability matter

Nice to have (but not required)

• Experience with GPU programming or FPGA-based systems
• Exposure to edge or embedded platforms
• Frontend experience (Vue.js + TypeScript) for operational or research tooling
• Computer vision or AI-driven systems experience

If you meet around 60% of the above, you’re encouraged to apply.

Who thrives here

• Engineers who want real ownership without founder-level risk
• People who enjoy turning complex research into reliable production systems
• Builders who care about performance, observability, and long-term quality
• Engineers comfortable operating at the boundary between research and production

Your consultant

As a Senior Recruitment Consultant at Aspire Life Sciences, Julien Funes (julien.funes@aspirelifesciences.co.uk) specialises at the intersection of technology and life sciences. He partners with biotech and life sciences companies across Europe and North America to recruit senior software and data engineers working on mission-critical systems. His focus is on aligning technically strong engineers with roles where real-world impact, ownership, and engineering quality genuinely matter.