Role: C++ R&D software engineer
Start date immediate.
Full time. Salary highly competitive and depending on experience.
Candidates will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Company Profile
OptimalSlope is a young and dynamic start-up growing fast with a global outlook. Recently we have been awarded a prestigious SMART grant from Innovate UK (the UK Innovation Agency of 500k) and we have just started our seed round.
We are very passionate about what we do. Our mission is to make the world a better place by contributing to decarbonise the mining industry via our software products which bring a paradigm shift in the way open-pit mines are designed and excavated.
At present mining is responsible for 8% of the world CO2 emissions. Our groundbreaking software, designed to create topologically optimized pitwalls at various stages of an open-pit mine, holds the potential to generate remarkable reductions. Based on data extracted from our comprehensive studies of metalliferous mines, published in esteemed peer-reviewed mining Journals[1], we anticipate savings in waste rock of up to 600,000 tonnes per mine.
We are intrigued by the prospect of deploying our cutting-edge technology to extract vital metals, e.g. copper, lithium, iron and Rare Earth Elements. These metals play a pivotal role in the construction of renewable energy infrastructure and the electrification processes crucial for achieving a net-zero emissions goal, thereby reducing reliance on fossil fuel.
We are proudly a member of the Centre for Climate Change and Innovation of the Grantham Institute at Imperial College (cohort 2) and of the Australian Think and Act Differently, the business acceleration funded by BHP to bring disruptive innovations to mining. Here in the UK, we have partnered with a few large consulting companies engaged in the design of metalliferous open pit mines across the whole world.
[1] see https://optimalslope.com/Case-Studies.html
Role Description
This job position involves translating our research knowledge, i.e., developed algorithmic formulations into a new codebase to handle complex arrangements of rock layers. The job position is a good fit for people who enjoy collaborating with team members but can also independently conduct research and apply their problem-solving skills to propose and practically implement solutions in the code.
The development of performance-driven scientific applications will require a knowledge and/or willingness to explore existing advanced computational C++ libraries as well as math and analytical skills to successfully integrate new algorithms as highly efficient code. This will also include working on systematic benchmarking and testing to assess newly implemented solutions in terms of speed-up and functional correctness using different case studies.
Responsibilities
The role encompasses the following key responsibilities:
· Develop new algorithms or extend the current ones.
· Translating algorithmic formulations or analytical expressions to working solutions in the code.
· Find computationally efficient ways to implement the code (e.g., through more efficient algorithms) with the help of existing robust numerical libraries or other custom solutions.
· Preparation of profiling environment to evaluate speed-up improvements and running case study simulations to validate the functional correctness of the developed software.
· Document, review and amend software features according to the feedback received from the company team.
Skills and Qualifications
· A minimum requirement of a BSc degree in Computer science or Software engineering. Applicants with other STEM degrees are welcome to apply as long as they can demonstrate equivalent computing experience. Possession of an MSc, PhD, or comparable experience in Research and Development (R&D) will be taken into consideration when determining the compensation package.
· Proficient in C++ with at least 3 years of experience in the industry.
· Strong numerical and analytical skills and/or is comfortable working with maths data modelling.
· Practical experience in analysing and manipulating data using existing numerical software packages is highly desirable.
· Hands-one experience in the field of mathematical optimisation, for instance, pattern search / direct search is a plus.
· An ability to benchmark and optimise the performance of scientific applications is considered as an advantage.
· UK residency is essential.
· The job is remote working within the UK (we have an office at Harwell campus for occasional meetings)
How To Apply
To apply for the role, please send to stefano_utili@optimalslope.com your full CV highlighting all your skills, education and work experiences relevant for the job and a one page cover letter outlining your motivation to apply for the job. We aim to provide feedback within 5 working days with the outcome of your application. At the end of every week we will make a short-list of candidates for interviews.