Senior Software Engineer

OVERVIEW We're looking to strengthen our IT Infrastructure Team with a Linux / Network Engineer. This role reflects increasing demand for Linux and networking expertise across both our client project work and our core infrastructure, including a planned expansion of work within our secure environments. THE ROLE This role will increase our Linux and Network capability at a senior level. You'll work alongside other Systems Engineers to design, implement, maintain and support physical and virtualised Linux operating systems across our corporate estate, our secure environments, and infrastructure delivered for client projects. You will also play a key role in the development and continuous improvement of network design, implementation, and support. You'll join an infrastructure team of 5, within a wider department of 29, to support the ever-changing needs of the business. You'll work closely with key stakeholders and develop relationships with colleagues from across the business, including project teams who depend on Linux infrastructure to deliver their work. Cambridge Consultants is a growing and developing company, so you'll be given a diverse and substantial workload from the get-go, with real ownership over how Linux and networking support is delivered across the business. RESPONSIBILITIES Due to the nature of this role, you should expect to be on-site much of the time. Your responsibilities may vary but here's a list of the types of things you can expect to be doing: * Designing, implementing, maintaining, and supporting physical and virtualised Linux operating systems and associated applications within an Enterprise environment * Network design, implementation, maintenance and support * Supporting Linux and network infrastructure within secure environments, including working towards the appropriate clearance where required * Developing scripts to automate system configuration and processes where appropriate (Infrastructure as code) * Monitoring of Linux logs and proactively highlighting any potential problems * Ensuring compliance for Linux operating systems with applicable security standards (i.e. Cyber Essentials Plus) * Supporting Linux based software licencing * Supporting Linux desktop provisioning and lifecycle management as part of a shared team responsibility * Maintaining up-to-date knowledge of relevant infrastructure technologies and embracing a continuous improvement mindset * Working alongside the Cyber security team to assist investigating security incidents as required You'll be given ownership of your responsibilities and the support to shape the role further as Cambridge Consultants continues to grow. WHAT YOU CAN BRING We're looking for someone with the following skills and experience: * Experience implementing and supporting Linux, Debian and Redhat distributions in an enterprise environment, including authentication, security, and networking * Experience in automating desktop deployments and life-cycle management with provisioning tools like Ubuntu Landscape, Foreman/RHEL, Satellite, Ansible etc. * Experience in network design, implementation and support that underpins an enterprise size environment * Experience of programming or scripting * Troubleshooting skills within complex environments * An appreciation of secure by design and DevOps principles * Willingness to undergo security vetting and clearance, given this role will involve work within Cambridge Consultants' secure environments. Existing clearance is not required, but you must hold a UK passport to be eligible ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By submitting an application to Cambridge Consultants, you confirm that the information provided in this application, together with any supporting documentation, is true, complete, and accurate to the best of your knowledge and belief. You understand that any false statement, misleading information, or material omission may render you liable to disqualification from the recruitment process, withdrawal of any offer of employment, or dismissal without notice if discovered following appointment. You acknowledge that the organisation reserves the right to verify the information supplied. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ABOUT US At Cambridge Consultants, we believe the future of technology isn't just smart, it has agency. We're moving past passive tools and building human-centred digital services and products: systems that reason, plan, and act around the people who use them. Our work spans autonomous systems at the frontier of biology, sensing, and AI. We hire self-motivated builders, not ticket-takers. If you thrive in highly agile environments, can cut through ambiguity with first-principles thinking, and want to ship things that matter, this is the kind of place where you'll feel at home. ABOUT THE ROLE You'll be working on systems that haven't existed before. Think of an Agentic Coach that navigates the unpredictability of human biology, or the software architecture behind a fully automated Dark Lab. These aren't chatbots waiting for questions. They're proactive systems that maintain world models, interpret human intent, and intervene before the user knows to ask. These systems create genuine impact for clients tackling problems no one else can solve. Building them means designing and wiring agent harnesses: layered architectures that span from sensor-edge reasoning to high-level planning, backed by stateful multi-turn reasoning, persistent per-user memory, and robust evaluation pipelines. You'll work in two directions at once. Internally, you'll use the latest AI tools to sharpen how we build, prototype, and ship. Externally, you'll deliver the breakthrough systems our clients deploy, designed to move from prototype to production at pace. There's no single technology stack. You'll work with agents, multi-agent systems, and the latest generative AI tools, but your work will always be grounded in solid software engineering. Expect to build scalable distributed systems in core languages like Python and TypeScript, leveraging frameworks such as NextJS and Pydantic, agent orchestration tools (LangGraph, CrewAI), and protocols like MCP. You'll deploy on cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) using Docker, Kubernetes, and infrastructure-as-code, backed by rigorous CI/CD and observability (OpenTelemetry, Prometheus). Due to the clients we work with, you must be eligible for UK security clearance. WHAT WE ASK OF YOU The examples below describe the core domains our AI Engineers own within the Digital Services team. We don't expect every candidate to have mastered all of these, but if you can demonstrate a strong combination of the following, we'd love to hear from you. AI System Architecture: Designing and implementing the logic for autonomous systems, including maintaining world models, integrating multimodal sensing, and building real-time human-machine interaction loops. Infrastructure & Production Engineering: Designing the underlying software for scalable, secure, and observable cloud deployments. You will apply the engineering rigor required to take experimental AI from concept to robust live launch. Rapid Client Prototyping: Driving a demo-first delivery model. You will focus on fast experimentation to actively show tangible value and working software to clients, rather than describing it in slide decks. Domain Translation & Integration: Partnering directly with deep-tech subject matter experts (like biologists and roboticists) to apply software solutions to complex physical constraints. INDICATORS YOU'LL BE A GOOD FIT Applied AI Expertise: You have hands-on experience utilising multi-agent frameworks, long-term memory systems, RAG pipelines, vector/graph databases, and reasoning-loop patterns (such as ReAct and Chain-of-Thought). Core Software Fluency: You possess strong programming skills in Python and TypeScript, coupled with practical experience in cloud engineering, containerisation, and modern DevOps. You know that great agents still require rock-solid software foundations. High Tolerance for Ambiguity: You are energised by uncertainty and shifting targets. You treat changing requirements as a normal part of frontier work, and you know exactly when to ship a rough prototype to learn quickly versus when to slow down for architectural rigour. Cross-Disciplinary Communication: You can seamlessly navigate the gap between code and reality, collaborating with clients, roboticists, and scientists to clearly deliver the "art of the possible." BENEFITS Variety of work: Projects spanning biotech, finance, robotics, and beyond. No two engagements look alike. Continuous learning: A mentoring and learning package shaped by your goals, backed by squad-based knowledge sharing across the company. Engineering autonomy: A free hand in choosing the right tools and processes. We trust your engineering judgement. Access to world-class experts: You'll share a building with biologists, roboticists, electronics engineers, and mathematicians. Few places let you tap that range of expertise on a single project. Hybrid working environment: We're flexible about where you work on a day-to-day basis. We also love the energy of collaborating in person, so we’d love you to be in Cambridge for key meetings. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By submitting an application to Cambridge Consultants, you confirm that the information provided in this application, together with any supporting documentation, is true, complete, and accurate to the best of your knowledge and belief. You understand that any false statement, misleading information, or material omission may render you liable to disqualification from the recruitment process, withdrawal of any offer of employment, or dismissal without notice if discovered following appointment. You acknowledge that the organisation reserves the right to verify the information supplied. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------