CV
Work experience
2023 - Present: Head of Research Software Engineering [RSE], University of Sheffield, UK- Main Role
As Head of Research Software Engineering, my role is to ensure the long-term sustainability and stability of the team and its members. I led the definition and oversee the implementation of the strategic direction of the RSE team in alignment with institutional research goals and Open Research principles. I am responsible for overseeing the team’s performance, financial management, and governance. A key part of my role is to lead engagement and advocacy for the RSE role both within the university and externally. This helps me support and develop the RSE community to enhance research quality and promote recognition of diverse research contributions.
- Publications & Contributions
- Thomas & Dammer, STON: SofTware for petrOgraphic visualisatioN. Journal of Open Source Software, 10(115), 8144,
- Thomas, R. & James, R., Better software for better research: Introduction to the FAIR² for research software training programme, FAIR programme at the University of Sheffield, 2025, https://doi.org/10.15131/shef.data.30375439.v1
- James, T., & Thomas, R. (2025). FAIR2 for research software: developing a FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) and reproducible research software training programme (1.0.0). RSE Conference 2025 (RSECon25), Warwick, UK. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17967513
- Thomas, R., & Shephard, N., Running a local RSE call for proposals. RSE Conference 2025 (RSECon25), Warwick, UK. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17968231
- Thomas, R.; Smith, A.; Brown, W. (2025). Publish your Software! An introduction to the Journal of Open Source Software (JOSS). The University of Sheffield. Media. https://doi.org/10.15131/shef.data.29179034.v1
- Thomas, R.; Campbell, R.; Adams, J.; O’Neill, K. (2024). FAIR2 for Research Software training programme: Software Management plan, licences and dissemination. The University of Sheffield. Media. https://doi.org/10.15131/shef.data.27652128.v1
- Thomas, R.; James, T. (2024). Better software for Better research: Introduction to the FAIR2 for Research Software training programme. The University of Sheffield. Media. https://doi.org/10.15131/shef.data.27283239.v1
- Wilby, D.; Whittle, S.; Thomas, R. (2023). Open Research Conversations x Lunchbytes session: Making research software more visible and reusable: Open Source Software and FAIR4RS. The University of Sheffield. Media. https://doi.org/10.15131/shef.data.24756393.v1
- Other activities
- Programme co-chair for RSECon26 (Sept 25 - present), hosted by the University of Sheffield, UK
- Programme co-chair for RSECon25 (May 25 - Sept 25), hosted by the University of Warwick, UK
- Sponsorship co-chair for RSECon25 (Nov 24 - April 25)
- Editor for the Journal of Open Source Software (October 25 - present)
- Others
- Finalist of the 2025 Rising star award, RSE Society, UK. This national award goes to an individual who is at an early career stage, or has only recently started doing RSE work, but who has already made an outstanding contribution to their team, project or institution.
- RSECon26 host city, Won the hosting of the RSECon26 conference for the University of Sheffield.
2020 - 2023: Staff Astronomer / Project Manager at the European Southern Observatory, Santiago, Chile
As staff astronomer, the distribution of work was the following: 70% Observatory duties at the Very Large Telescope and 30% of science time.
- Observatory work
- Supervision & teaching
- Internship supervisor: Javiera Moreno (SCUBA project, Universidad Federico Santa Maria, Santiago, Chile
- Internship supervisor: Joaquin Hernandez (VISIR/SCUBA project, returning student), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- ESO lecture serie: Galaxy deep surveys, ESO chile, Santiago, Chile
- Internship supervisor: Carolina Morales (GRAVITY/SCUBA project), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Internship supervisor: Joaquin Hernandez (SCUBA project), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Invited lecture: From galaxy observations to galaxy evolution (PhD level), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
- Publications & Contributions
- test
- Other activities
- ESO spectroscopic surveys: past, present and future of galaxy evolution, ESO, Santiago, Chile. Member of the Local Organizing Committee
2017-2020: Fellow at the European Southern Observatory
Fellow at the European Southern Observatory have 50% of their time dedicated to science and 50% of their time dedicated to observatory duties
- Observatory work
- Publications & Contributions
- test
- Supervision & teaching
- Master Internship Co-Supervisor: Francis Tang (ATACAMA project), ESO, Santiago, Chile
- High-School Internship: Elisa Bornscheuer, ESO, Santiago, Chile
- Other activities
- Elected Representative of the ESO fellows at the ESO headquarters, Santiago, Chile.
- PRINT: Python foR dummIes iN quaranTine (ESO remote python bootcamp during COVID-19 pandemic, >30 participants), Chair and presenter, ESO, Santiago, Chile.
- ESOpy3.0 : A workshop about Python for Astronomy at ESO (>30 participants), Chair, Santiago, Chile
- The La Silla Observatory - from the inauguration to the future, ESO, La Serena, Chile. Member of the Local Organising Committee
- ESOpy2.0 : A workshop about Python for Astronomy at ESO (>30 participants), Chair, Santiago, Chile
2015-2017: Post-Doctoral researcher at the University of Valparaiso, Chile
- Main Role
As a post-doc, I focused on my research on distant galaxies using the VVDS, VUDS and VANDELS survey; three galaxy survey of high redshift galaxies.
- Other activities
- Representative of the postdoc of department of Astronomy, Universidad de Valparaiso, Chile.
- Invited lecture at the Master of Astronomy of the Universidad de Valparaiso. Introduction to SED-fitting.
Education
- Ph.D in Astrophysics and Cosmology, University Aix Marseille, Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille, 2014
- Master in Fundamental Physics, University Lyon 1, 2011
- Bachelor in Fundamental Physics, Universite Paris-Sud XI, 2009