Convergent Research, LLC
About Meridial Meridial is a Focused Research Organisation (FRO) with a mission to bring connectomics into the living brain. We are building a platform for longitudinal, synapse-resolution mapping of functional neural circuitry in preclinical models. Our aim is to deploy this platform for translational projects and improve drug development outcomes for disorders of the Central Nervous System. Meridial is a new not-for-profit FRO in the Convergent Research Ecosystem, powered by the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA). About the role Meridial is seeking an entrepreneurial Software Engineer to take ownership of the software systems at the heart of our multi-photon microscopy platform. This is a broad hands on role spanning hardware control, data acquisition, user interfaces, and analysis pipelines. You will work at the intersection of software and science, collaborating closely with FPGA engineers, experimental neuroscientists, and a growing data team. The near-term priority is maintaining, debugging, and extending our existing MATLAB-based microscope control software. Immediate goals include adding new experimental functionality, improving data handling, and developing real time analysis modules. You will need to learn the workings of a legacy system quickly, including by working with external contractors, and deploy solutions with an eye toward future fundamental improvements. Longer term, you will help define and drive the architectural evolution of the software stack, potentially including migration from MATLAB toward open source systems. As the company grows, there will also be opportunities to contribute to data architecture, offline scientific analysis pipelines, and web portals. This role will report to the Director of Engineering and work closely with experimentalists, with clear scope to grow into technical leadership of the software function. Key Responsibilities Own and evolve the microscope software stack, from low-level hardware control to user interfaces and real-time analysis layers Maintain, debug, and extend the existing MATLAB codebase as the near-term priority, keeping experimental workflows unblocked Develop and maintain new interfaces for data acquisition, instrument control, and synchronisation across complex instrument subsystems Collaborate with FPGA engineering to define and implement software control and acquisition architectures Work across software and mechatronics boundaries - stages, robotic platforms, motion control, inverse kinematics, and collision avoidance Build and evolve real-time and offline image analysis pipelines supporting the full experimental workflow Work with the team to translate scientific requirements into robust software systems Contribute to longer-term architectural evolution - modularising the stack, defining APIs, and evaluating migration pathways toward more scalable and maintainable systems Required Qualifications Strong background in software engineering for hardware-integrated or instrumentation systems Experience with Python for data analysis and pipeline development Experience designing modular software architectures: layered systems, clean APIs, separation of concerns Experience interfacing software with hardware: data acquisition, control systems, synchronisation Ability to work across abstraction layers, from low-level control to higher-level application logic Strong debugging and problem-solving skills across software, hardware, and system-level interactions Preferred Qualifications Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering or related field Genuine scientific curiosity - an interest in neuroscience, imaging, or the underlying biology is a real advantage Experience with scientific instrumentation, microscopy, or imaging systems Proficiency in systems level programming - Rust, C, or C++ - with a focus on performance, reliability, and maintainability Exposure to large-scale or longitudinal data processing (e.g. volumetric or time-series datasets) Experience refactoring or migrating software into modern architectures Familiarity with motion control, robotics, or kinematic systems Experience working with or alongside FPGA-based systems Physical Demands Fine motor skills for operating computers and lab/instrumentation tools Position Type / Schedule Full-time, 40 hours/week Lab location based in London or Cambridge - ability to travel to both preferred Work arrangement: Hybrid with expected regular onsite presence Additional Information Application materials: CV/resume + cover letter + 2 references For exceptional candidates, we will consider sponsoring visas and supporting relocation Compensation: competitive salary commensurate with experience Generous Benefits will be communicated in interviews £85,000 - £100,000 a year We are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and do not make hiring or employment decisions on the basis of race, color, religion or religious belief, ethnic or national origin, nationality, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law or company policy. We strive for a diverse, healthy and safe workplace and strictly prohibit harassment of any kind.
About Meridial Meridial is a Focused Research Organisation (FRO) with a mission to bring connectomics into the living brain. We are building a platform for longitudinal, synapse-resolution mapping of functional neural circuitry in preclinical models. Our aim is to deploy this platform for translational projects and improve drug development outcomes for disorders of the Central Nervous System. Meridial is a new not-for-profit FRO in the Convergent Research Ecosystem, powered by the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA). About the role Meridial is seeking an entrepreneurial Software Engineer to take ownership of the software systems at the heart of our multi-photon microscopy platform. This is a broad hands on role spanning hardware control, data acquisition, user interfaces, and analysis pipelines. You will work at the intersection of software and science, collaborating closely with FPGA engineers, experimental neuroscientists, and a growing data team. The near-term priority is maintaining, debugging, and extending our existing MATLAB-based microscope control software. Immediate goals include adding new experimental functionality, improving data handling, and developing real time analysis modules. You will need to learn the workings of a legacy system quickly, including by working with external contractors, and deploy solutions with an eye toward future fundamental improvements. Longer term, you will help define and drive the architectural evolution of the software stack, potentially including migration from MATLAB toward open source systems. As the company grows, there will also be opportunities to contribute to data architecture, offline scientific analysis pipelines, and web portals. This role will report to the Director of Engineering and work closely with experimentalists, with clear scope to grow into technical leadership of the software function. Key Responsibilities Own and evolve the microscope software stack, from low-level hardware control to user interfaces and real-time analysis layers Maintain, debug, and extend the existing MATLAB codebase as the near-term priority, keeping experimental workflows unblocked Develop and maintain new interfaces for data acquisition, instrument control, and synchronisation across complex instrument subsystems Collaborate with FPGA engineering to define and implement software control and acquisition architectures Work across software and mechatronics boundaries - stages, robotic platforms, motion control, inverse kinematics, and collision avoidance Build and evolve real-time and offline image analysis pipelines supporting the full experimental workflow Work with the team to translate scientific requirements into robust software systems Contribute to longer-term architectural evolution - modularising the stack, defining APIs, and evaluating migration pathways toward more scalable and maintainable systems Required Qualifications Strong background in software engineering for hardware-integrated or instrumentation systems Experience with Python for data analysis and pipeline development Experience designing modular software architectures: layered systems, clean APIs, separation of concerns Experience interfacing software with hardware: data acquisition, control systems, synchronisation Ability to work across abstraction layers, from low-level control to higher-level application logic Strong debugging and problem-solving skills across software, hardware, and system-level interactions Preferred Qualifications Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering or related field Genuine scientific curiosity - an interest in neuroscience, imaging, or the underlying biology is a real advantage Experience with scientific instrumentation, microscopy, or imaging systems Proficiency in systems level programming - Rust, C, or C++ - with a focus on performance, reliability, and maintainability Exposure to large-scale or longitudinal data processing (e.g. volumetric or time-series datasets) Experience refactoring or migrating software into modern architectures Familiarity with motion control, robotics, or kinematic systems Experience working with or alongside FPGA-based systems Physical Demands Fine motor skills for operating computers and lab/instrumentation tools Position Type / Schedule Full-time, 40 hours/week Lab location based in London or Cambridge - ability to travel to both preferred Work arrangement: Hybrid with expected regular onsite presence Additional Information Application materials: CV/resume + cover letter + 2 references For exceptional candidates, we will consider sponsoring visas and supporting relocation Compensation: competitive salary commensurate with experience Generous Benefits will be communicated in interviews £85,000 - £100,000 a year We are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and do not make hiring or employment decisions on the basis of race, color, religion or religious belief, ethnic or national origin, nationality, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law or company policy. We strive for a diverse, healthy and safe workplace and strictly prohibit harassment of any kind.
Convergent Research, LLC
TL;DR We're looking for a seasoned executive who can build and scale Convergent's UK presence while navigating the intersection of breakthrough science, institutional design, and UK science policy. As our Partner for UK Operations & Programs, you'll lead our ARIA partnership, run our UK Residency program, build our on-the-ground team and infrastructure, sit on FRO boards, and represent Convergent across the UK science and policy ecosystem. You'll interface with ARIA, UKRI, Innovate UK, and government leadership while maintaining our standards for ambitious, high-integrity science. If you've built teams and organizations from the ground up, understand both startup velocity and UK public sector dynamics, and believe British science policy can actually enable moonshots rather than just talk about them, you'll fit in great here. Why Join Now? Convergent Research exists to bring entirely new scientific institutions into the world: Focused Research Organizations (FROs). These are purpose-built, mission-driven orgs designed to solve technological bottlenecks, unlock whole new fields, and lead to scaled revolutions. Think: "What if Bell Labs, but for single-cell proteomics?" We've launched more than 10 FROs globally and proven that the model works. We've raised over $350 million and catalyzed $300+ million in follow-on investment. Now we're scaling intentionally into the UK, and this is a critical inflection point for that expansion. Last year, we became an ARIA Activation Partner and ran our first UK Residency program for prospective FRO founders, through which we incubated and selected two new UK FROs for ARIA funding. We also established a legal presence in the UK. This year, we're running Version 2 of the Residency, expanding our physical and operational footprint, deepening our networks across British research institutions and funding bodies, and building the team that will make Convergent a permanent fixture of the UK science ecosystem. This role is critical because UK expansion represents both massive opportunity and serious operational complexity. The person who joins in this role will be setting a lot of where our UK (and broader European) strategy goes. In addition to a strong strategic leader, we need someone who can work hand in hand with our US-based team to help manage UK-specific infrastructure around hiring, systems, governance, and partnerships while also growing a portfolio of world class FROs that maintain the speed, ambition, and scientific rigor Convergent is known for. You're joining at a moment that is neither all risk nor all rote-we have early traction and strong partnerships, but plenty of room for experimentation. You'll be joining a team that is ambitious, irreverent, and deeply committed to enabling breakthrough science. If you're excited about building institutions from scratch, UK science policy and innovation ecosystems, and helping founders build lasting organizations without drowning in bureaucracy, this is your role. The Role As our Partner for UK Operations & Programs, you'll be part strategic operator, part ecosystem builder, part founder boss, part diplomatic envoy, part chief of staff for UK activities. You will: Lead UK Residency & FRO pipeline: Own the execution of our UK Residency program. Identify and source breakthrough research concepts from across British universities and institutes, recruit stellar founding teams, shepherd them through the Residency, and launch new FROs in partnership with ARIA and other funders Manage UK Office and Hiring: Help our team continue to build the operational foundations Convergent needs in the UK, supporting recruitment of new team members and ensuring our UK entity can support a growing FRO portfolio Grow UK government and funding relationships: Deepen our partnership with ARIA while building relationships with UKRI, Innovate UK, DSIT, and other agencies funding high risk research. Position Convergent as the trusted operating partner for ambitious public good science across the UK funding landscape Represent Convergent in UK policy and science circles: Be Convergent's face in London, Cambridge, and beyond. Speak at conferences, engage with policymakers, build relationships with university leadership and research directors, and ensure the FRO model is understood and valued by the UK science establishment Provide board governance: Serve as voting board member on multiple UK based FROs, bringing strategic oversight, removing blockers, ensuring milestones align with both scientific ambition and funder requirements, and helping founders navigate the unique challenges of the UK research landscape Shape Convergent's UK/Europe strategy: Work with Convergent leadership to refine our UK expansion roadmap, identify which partnerships and programs align with our mission, and ensure we scale our UK/Europe presence without losing what makes us effective A Non MECE Overview of a Day In Your Life UK Residency Leadership: Own strategy and execution for Version 2 (and beyond) of the UK Residency program. This means sourcing candidates from across UK research institutions, designing programming that converts ideas into fundable FROs, managing relationships with ARIA and other potential funders, running selection processes, and ensuring residents have everything they need to succeed. Report on program outcomes and iterate the model based on what we learn. ARIA Partnership Management: Serve as Convergent's primary point of contact for ARIA. Manage the relationship strategically, understanding ARIA's evolving priorities, positioning Convergent FROs for success within ARIA's portfolio, ensuring compliance with partnership agreements, and identifying opportunities to deepen collaboration. UK Funding Ecosystem Development: Build relationships with UKRI program directors, Innovate UK leads, DSIT officials, and other funders in the UK landscape. Identify funding opportunities for existing and prospective FROs. Help FROs craft compelling proposals that speak to UK funding priorities whilst maintaining scientific ambition. Translate FRO impact into the stories and metrics that unlock sustained UK public and private support. Board & FRO Governance: Represent Convergent on the boards of UK based FROs. Bring strategic oversight, ensure compliance with UK specific requirements (charity law, employment law, etc.), call bullshit when needed, and help founders navigate operating in the UK research ecosystem whilst maintaining FRO velocity. Ecosystem Building & External Representation: Attend the right conferences and convenings. Build relationships with university technology transfer offices, research institute directors, and heads of department. Publish in Research Professional, speak on panels, brief parliamentarians and civil servants, and generally make Convergent a known and trusted name in UK science. UK Team Building & Operations: Support organizational design decisions and hiring for Convergent's growing UK team-could include roles in operations, programming, fundraising, communications, or technical support. Where appropriate, directly manage new hires. Work with our US based operations team to ensure consistency where it matters and localization where it helps. The Ideal Person For This Role You've operated in both the startup world and the UK science/policy world, and you believe research can move much, MUCH faster. You're equally comfortable whiteboarding with a systems biologist and navigating UKRI grant portals. You've built teams and systems from the ground up. You understand that "government funded" doesn't have to mean "endless meetings and no progress," but you also know the UK has particular operational requirements that must be respected. You're comfortable with ambiguity and able to evolve the role as our UK presence matures. Version 1 of Convergent UK is working. Your job is to build Version 2 and set the stage for Version 3. You might be: A former operator who wants to build institutions at larger scale An ex-ARIA Program Director or technical specialist who wants to work more directly with founding teams A startup operator who wants to bring the innovation mindset to science A recovering academic administrator who figured out how to make British science move quickly and wants to do it at scale Must Have Superpowers UK science ecosystem fluency: Deep understanding of British research funding (UKRI, ARIA, Innovate UK), university structures, charity/nonprofit regulations, and how to navigate UK science policy without drowning in process Program management: Experience designing, running, and iterating cohort based programs, accelerators, residencies, or similar. You know how to create transformative experiences for participants Strategic + ops chops: Can build five year roadmaps and also fix the thing that's broken today Board experience: Comfort with governance, fiduciary responsibility, and making tough calls. Bonus if you understand UK charity governance specifically Relationship builder: Extensive network across UK research institutions, funding bodies, or policy circles. People return your emails and actually want to help you Excellent judgment under uncertainty: Can pressure test strategy, identify red flags, and make calls with incomplete information Strong written and verbal communication: Can write for Nature, UKRI grant applications, board memos, and Twitter without changing who you are . click apply for full job details
TL;DR We're looking for a seasoned executive who can build and scale Convergent's UK presence while navigating the intersection of breakthrough science, institutional design, and UK science policy. As our Partner for UK Operations & Programs, you'll lead our ARIA partnership, run our UK Residency program, build our on-the-ground team and infrastructure, sit on FRO boards, and represent Convergent across the UK science and policy ecosystem. You'll interface with ARIA, UKRI, Innovate UK, and government leadership while maintaining our standards for ambitious, high-integrity science. If you've built teams and organizations from the ground up, understand both startup velocity and UK public sector dynamics, and believe British science policy can actually enable moonshots rather than just talk about them, you'll fit in great here. Why Join Now? Convergent Research exists to bring entirely new scientific institutions into the world: Focused Research Organizations (FROs). These are purpose-built, mission-driven orgs designed to solve technological bottlenecks, unlock whole new fields, and lead to scaled revolutions. Think: "What if Bell Labs, but for single-cell proteomics?" We've launched more than 10 FROs globally and proven that the model works. We've raised over $350 million and catalyzed $300+ million in follow-on investment. Now we're scaling intentionally into the UK, and this is a critical inflection point for that expansion. Last year, we became an ARIA Activation Partner and ran our first UK Residency program for prospective FRO founders, through which we incubated and selected two new UK FROs for ARIA funding. We also established a legal presence in the UK. This year, we're running Version 2 of the Residency, expanding our physical and operational footprint, deepening our networks across British research institutions and funding bodies, and building the team that will make Convergent a permanent fixture of the UK science ecosystem. This role is critical because UK expansion represents both massive opportunity and serious operational complexity. The person who joins in this role will be setting a lot of where our UK (and broader European) strategy goes. In addition to a strong strategic leader, we need someone who can work hand in hand with our US-based team to help manage UK-specific infrastructure around hiring, systems, governance, and partnerships while also growing a portfolio of world class FROs that maintain the speed, ambition, and scientific rigor Convergent is known for. You're joining at a moment that is neither all risk nor all rote-we have early traction and strong partnerships, but plenty of room for experimentation. You'll be joining a team that is ambitious, irreverent, and deeply committed to enabling breakthrough science. If you're excited about building institutions from scratch, UK science policy and innovation ecosystems, and helping founders build lasting organizations without drowning in bureaucracy, this is your role. The Role As our Partner for UK Operations & Programs, you'll be part strategic operator, part ecosystem builder, part founder boss, part diplomatic envoy, part chief of staff for UK activities. You will: Lead UK Residency & FRO pipeline: Own the execution of our UK Residency program. Identify and source breakthrough research concepts from across British universities and institutes, recruit stellar founding teams, shepherd them through the Residency, and launch new FROs in partnership with ARIA and other funders Manage UK Office and Hiring: Help our team continue to build the operational foundations Convergent needs in the UK, supporting recruitment of new team members and ensuring our UK entity can support a growing FRO portfolio Grow UK government and funding relationships: Deepen our partnership with ARIA while building relationships with UKRI, Innovate UK, DSIT, and other agencies funding high risk research. Position Convergent as the trusted operating partner for ambitious public good science across the UK funding landscape Represent Convergent in UK policy and science circles: Be Convergent's face in London, Cambridge, and beyond. Speak at conferences, engage with policymakers, build relationships with university leadership and research directors, and ensure the FRO model is understood and valued by the UK science establishment Provide board governance: Serve as voting board member on multiple UK based FROs, bringing strategic oversight, removing blockers, ensuring milestones align with both scientific ambition and funder requirements, and helping founders navigate the unique challenges of the UK research landscape Shape Convergent's UK/Europe strategy: Work with Convergent leadership to refine our UK expansion roadmap, identify which partnerships and programs align with our mission, and ensure we scale our UK/Europe presence without losing what makes us effective A Non MECE Overview of a Day In Your Life UK Residency Leadership: Own strategy and execution for Version 2 (and beyond) of the UK Residency program. This means sourcing candidates from across UK research institutions, designing programming that converts ideas into fundable FROs, managing relationships with ARIA and other potential funders, running selection processes, and ensuring residents have everything they need to succeed. Report on program outcomes and iterate the model based on what we learn. ARIA Partnership Management: Serve as Convergent's primary point of contact for ARIA. Manage the relationship strategically, understanding ARIA's evolving priorities, positioning Convergent FROs for success within ARIA's portfolio, ensuring compliance with partnership agreements, and identifying opportunities to deepen collaboration. UK Funding Ecosystem Development: Build relationships with UKRI program directors, Innovate UK leads, DSIT officials, and other funders in the UK landscape. Identify funding opportunities for existing and prospective FROs. Help FROs craft compelling proposals that speak to UK funding priorities whilst maintaining scientific ambition. Translate FRO impact into the stories and metrics that unlock sustained UK public and private support. Board & FRO Governance: Represent Convergent on the boards of UK based FROs. Bring strategic oversight, ensure compliance with UK specific requirements (charity law, employment law, etc.), call bullshit when needed, and help founders navigate operating in the UK research ecosystem whilst maintaining FRO velocity. Ecosystem Building & External Representation: Attend the right conferences and convenings. Build relationships with university technology transfer offices, research institute directors, and heads of department. Publish in Research Professional, speak on panels, brief parliamentarians and civil servants, and generally make Convergent a known and trusted name in UK science. UK Team Building & Operations: Support organizational design decisions and hiring for Convergent's growing UK team-could include roles in operations, programming, fundraising, communications, or technical support. Where appropriate, directly manage new hires. Work with our US based operations team to ensure consistency where it matters and localization where it helps. The Ideal Person For This Role You've operated in both the startup world and the UK science/policy world, and you believe research can move much, MUCH faster. You're equally comfortable whiteboarding with a systems biologist and navigating UKRI grant portals. You've built teams and systems from the ground up. You understand that "government funded" doesn't have to mean "endless meetings and no progress," but you also know the UK has particular operational requirements that must be respected. You're comfortable with ambiguity and able to evolve the role as our UK presence matures. Version 1 of Convergent UK is working. Your job is to build Version 2 and set the stage for Version 3. You might be: A former operator who wants to build institutions at larger scale An ex-ARIA Program Director or technical specialist who wants to work more directly with founding teams A startup operator who wants to bring the innovation mindset to science A recovering academic administrator who figured out how to make British science move quickly and wants to do it at scale Must Have Superpowers UK science ecosystem fluency: Deep understanding of British research funding (UKRI, ARIA, Innovate UK), university structures, charity/nonprofit regulations, and how to navigate UK science policy without drowning in process Program management: Experience designing, running, and iterating cohort based programs, accelerators, residencies, or similar. You know how to create transformative experiences for participants Strategic + ops chops: Can build five year roadmaps and also fix the thing that's broken today Board experience: Comfort with governance, fiduciary responsibility, and making tough calls. Bonus if you understand UK charity governance specifically Relationship builder: Extensive network across UK research institutions, funding bodies, or policy circles. People return your emails and actually want to help you Excellent judgment under uncertainty: Can pressure test strategy, identify red flags, and make calls with incomplete information Strong written and verbal communication: Can write for Nature, UKRI grant applications, board memos, and Twitter without changing who you are . click apply for full job details