Research Software Engineer (m/f/d) for image data analysis

The Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association aims to transform tomorrow’s medicine through our discoveries of today. At locations in Berlin-Buch, Berlin-Mitte, Heidelberg and Mannheim, our researchers harness interdisciplinary collaboration to decipher the complexities of disease at the systems level – from molecules and cells to organs and the entire organism. Through academic, clinical, and industry partnerships, as well as global networks, we strive to translate biological discoveries into applications that enable the early detection of deviations from health, personalize treatment, and ultimately prevent disease. First founded in 1992, the Max Delbrück Center today inspires and nurtures a diverse talent pool of 1,800 people from over 70 countries. We are 90 percent funded by the German federal government and 10 percent by the state of Berlin.

Do you want your software development work to advance biomedical research? The Image Data Analysis Team at the Max Delbrück Center and Helmholtz Imaging is looking for a Research Software Engineer to develop robust, user-friendly software solutions for the analysis, processing, and visualization of complex imaging data. Join interdisciplinary projects at the interface of research, data analysis, and software engineering, and help shape the future of scientific imaging.

Job Description

The Image Data Analysis Team at the Max Delbrück Center and Helmholtz Imaging develops open-source software and empowers researchers to analyze and process imaging data across a wide range of scientific domains, including health, environment, energy, matter, and space. As a Research Software Engineer, you will support scientists throughout the imaging workflow, from quality control and registration to quantitative analysis, visualization, training, documentation, and community engagement.


Your responsibilities will include:

• Developing and maintaining user-friendly software solutions for the analysis, registration, visualization, and exploration of scientific imaging data.
• Advising and supporting researchers on methodological questions and the implementation of reproducible scientific workflows.
• Working with large, heterogeneous imaging datasets across different scientific disciplines and scales.
• Contributing to documentation, training activities, and, where appropriate, teaching to promote knowledge sharing and best practices.
• Collaborating independently with scientific partners and coordinating research collaborations in an international and largely remote environment.
• Engaging with the scientific community through workshops, events, and knowledge exchange within the Helmholtz Association and beyond, helping to identify needs and drive the development of new tools and services.

Requirements

We are looking for candidates with a strong background in image processing, AI-based image analysis, statistics, and scientific software development. You have experience working with large datasets and are committed to writing reproducible, well-tested code. You are a proactive problem solver, an effective communicator, and enjoy supporting researchers and scientific communities. A Master's degree or PhD in Computer Science, a STEM discipline, or a related quantitative field is required.

In particular, you should have:

• Excellent programming skills in Python.
• Experience working with diverse imaging datasets and image analysis workflows.
• An interest in developing reproducible and user-friendly software solutions for scientific research.
• A strong motivation to support researchers and scientific communities and help make their work more efficient and impactful.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.

We offer

• international working environment with communication in English and German
• interesting career opportunities and a range of opportunities for further qualification and training
• Compatibility of family and career certified by the workandfamily audit (“berufundfamilie audit”)
• Support for "New Berliners" through the MDC Welcome & Family Office

We offer:

• A creative, interdisciplinary research environment at Helmholtz Imaging and MDC
• Opportunities to work on diverse imaging challenges across Earth & Environment, Energy, Health, and Matter & Space
• An international working environment with communication in English and German

• Interesting career opportunities and a range of opportunities for further qualification and training

• Compatibility of family and career certified by the workandfamily audit (“berufundfamilie audit”)

• Support for "New Berliners" through the MDC Welcome & Family Office

You also benefit from:

• a remuneration in accordance with the collective agreement for the federal public service (TVöD-Bund), including additional company pension schemes
• a secure job
• flexible working hours and childcare support
• the possibility of mobile working
• an idyllic green campus, which is easily accessible by bicycle, public transport or car
• free use of Nextbike from the Buch S-Bahn station to the campus
• Subsidy for the job ticket as well as discounts in the campus canteen
• On-campus health and fitness center
• additional health benefits such as flu vaccination, eye test, ergonomics advice at the workplace