Project R&D Engineer

BBC Studios Ltd; Salford; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading media organization is seeking a Project R&D Engineer in Salford to design and develop advanced server and networking solutions. This role involves working with cutting-edge technologies in a collaborative environment, with a focus on a hybrid working model. The ideal candidate has strong Linux proficiency, networking knowledge, and Python development experience. This position offers a salary range of £50,000 - £60,000, and opportunities for professional growth within a friendly team.

Qualifications

• Proficient in Linux command line tools like Ubuntu and Debian.
• Understanding of IP networking concepts including IPv4 subnetting.
• Experience with Python for developing automation scripts.

Responsibilities

• Design and maintain the OpenStack cloud platform.
• Collaborate with cross-disciplinary R&D teams.
• Drive automation and scalability of infrastructure services.

Skills

Linux Knowledge

Networking Fundamentals

Software Development

Version Control

Debugging Experience

Tools

Ansible

Terraform

OpenStack

Docker

Job description

JOB BAND: D
CONTRACT TYPE: Permanent, Full-time
DEPARTMENT: BBC Research & Development
LOCATION: Salford – 2 days a week Hybrid
PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: £50,000 - £60,000 depending on relevant skills, knowledge and experience. The expected salary range for this role reflects internal benchmarking and external market insights.
We’re happy to discuss flexible working. If you'd like to, please indicate your preference in the application – though there’s no obligation to do so now. Flexible working will be part of the discussion at offer stage.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

BBC R&D has been at the forefront of broadcast technology innovation since the founding of public service broadcasting in the UK. As a Project R&D Engineer, you’ll join our Scaled Infrastructure Systems team to design, develop, and test advanced server and networking software and hardware that will underpin the BBC’s next generation of media production and delivery systems.

WHY JOIN THE TEAM

Scaled Infrastructure Systems is a small, friendly and collaborative research team, where your ideas and contributions can have a real impact. You’ll work in a modern, well-equipped environment, with hands on access to cutting-edge and pre-release datacentre hardware, working to shape the BBC’s future infrastructure. The role offers the chance to learn, experiment, and grow while collaborating closely with passionate colleagues working on a broad spectrum of R&D projects that push the boundaries of public service broadcasting.

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT

• Design, develop, and maintain core features of BBC R&D’s OpenStack cloud platform, supporting the department’s diverse research and experimentation needs, including live uncompressed UHD video support, 400Gb/s networking and PTP timing.

• Contribute to research and prototyping activities, exploring emerging technologies (such as Ampere CPUs, Coherent Optics, NVIDIA GPUs and DPUs), and shaping the future direction of the BBC’s infrastructure strategy.
• Drive automation, scalability, and security across infrastructure services using modern deployment, orchestration, and configuration management tools.
• Implement robust monitoring, observability, and alerting solutions to ensure ongoing health, performance, and reliability of systems and services.
• Collaborate with cross-disciplinary R&D teams, providing expertise, tooling, and support to accelerate innovation and promote the effective adoption of shared platform capabilities.

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

• Linux Knowledge: Proficient in using and troubleshooting Linux-based environments using command line tools (such as Ubuntu, Debian, or Rocky Linux). Preferably with exposure to containerisation and components such as systemd.
• Networking Fundamentals: Understanding of IP networking concepts, including IPv4 subnetting, Layer 2/Layer 3 protocols, and LAN/WAN architectures.
• Software Development: Experience with Python or similar languages, with a demonstrable interest in developing tools, automation scripts, or system integrations.
• Version Control: Competent in using Git for source code management, including experience working on a shared codebase with a team.
• Debugging Experience: Competent in using situation-appropriate debug tools to identify and resolve complex technical problems (e.g., ping/tcpdump, gdb, ELK log collection, Grafana dashboards).

DESIRED BUT NOT REQUIRED:

• Deployment Automation: Experience with infrastructure automation and orchestration tools such as Ansible, Puppet, Terraform, or Kubernetes.
• Cloud & Virtualisation: Experience operating cloud back-end technologies and virtualisation platforms, including OpenStack, libvirt, Ceph, LXC/LXD/Incus, or similar.
• Pre-Release Technology: Experience working with pre-release hardware and collaborating with vendors to understand and resolve issues.
• Kernel & Low-Level Development: Interest or experience in Linux kernel-level programming (including BPF), device drivers, or performance tuning.
• Advanced Networking: Understanding of routing and switching concepts, including hands-on experience with Arista or Cisco hardware, and knowledge of BGP, EVPN/VXLAN, multicast, or PTP.
• Security & Secrets Management: Understanding of infrastructure security practices, secrets storage, PKI management, and credential handling.
• Monitoring & Observability: Exposure to system and network monitoring solutions such as SNMP, Prometheus, or Grafana, including metrics visualization and alerting.
• Systems Management: Knowledge of core infrastructure services (TFTP, DHCP, DNS) and out-of-band management interfaces (Redfish, IPMI).

Before your start date, you may need to disclose any unspent convictions or police charges, in line with our Contracts of Employment policy. This allows us to discuss any support you may need and assess any risks. Failure to disclose may result in the withdrawal of your offer.

Disclaimer

This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.

Please note: If you were to be offered this role, the BBC will conduct Employment screening checks which include Reference checks; Eligibility to work checks; and if applicable to the role, Safeguarding and Adverse media/Social media checks. Any offer made is conditional on these checks being satisfactory.

The BBC is committed to redeploying employees seeking suitable alternative employment within the BBC and they will be given priority consideration ahead of other applicants. Priority consideration means for those employees seeking redeployment their application will be considered alongside anyone else at risk of redundancy, prior to any individuals being considered who are not at risk.

Disability confident: We are a disability confident employer. If you need to discuss adjustments or access requirements for the interview process, or to carry out this role, please contact us via email and we’d be happy to discuss: [e-mail]

BBC Group and Public Services, Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London, United Kingdom, W1A 1AA. BBC Studios Distribution Limited, company no: 01420028, registered address: 1 Television Centre, 101 Wood Lane, London, United Kingdom W12 7FA.

Learn more about life at the BBC and our values in our candidate pack.