Senior Technical Programme Coordinator - DiRAC HPC Facility in Leicester

About the role

This is an exciting opportunity to join the management team of the DiRAC High Performance Computing (HPC) facility and contribute to the support of a wide portfolio of technical and innovation projects across the UK. DiRAC is currently in the process of deploying a major upgrade of all its computing services, which will deliver major scientific developments and provide new opportunities for technical and innovation projects over the coming years.

We are looking for a candidate with project management background and strong interpersonal skills to support the Director as the Facility’s activities expand, by coordinating, managing and overseeing projects and activities across DiRAC’s programme.

Established in 2009, DiRAC is now the primary provider of computing resources for the Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC) community working in the areas of theoretical astrophysics, particle physics, cosmology and nuclear physics (www.dirac.ac.uk). DiRAC is a distributed facility with deployments at the University of Cambridge, Durham University, the University of Edinburgh and the University of Leicester. The DiRAC Project Office is based at University College London. The current DiRAC Director is Mark Wilkinson, Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Leicester. The attached organogram shows the DiRAC Management structure.

DiRAC and the University of Leicester are keen to support the career development of all staff. There will be opportunities for training to support the career development of the successful applicant, both within Leicester and in collaboration with other DiRAC and/or industry partners.

About you

You will have demonstrable experience of successful project management and ideally of coordinating geographically distributed teams.
You will have excellent communication skills, both written and oral, and outstanding interpersonal skills.
You will be comfortable presenting on programme plans and progress and responding to comments and queries.
You will enjoy working on a portfolio of projects which is constantly evolving.
You will be able to manage your workload independently and enjoy working in a fast-paced environment.
You will be willing to use your initiative to identify potential new opportunities.
You will be good at matching people to projects based on their skills and experience.
You will be comfortable engaging with colleagues from a range of backgrounds in academia and industry.

For more information on the role and its responsibilities please see the Job Summary Form and organisational structure found by clicking on the Additional Documents tab.

Additional information

This position is being advertised by the University of Leicester and the successful applicant will become an employee of the University of Leicester. However, as DiRAC is a distributed facility, the position is open to remote workers and there is no requirement to relocate as part of the role since programme management is entirely virtual at present due to COVID-19. We envisage that periodic travel for face-to-face meetings and events will eventually resume, and DiRAC will pay reasonable travelling expenses for these. Hours of work are not fixed and the post holder will have the flexibility to organize around other commitments such as caring responsibilities.

Informal queries are welcome and can be made to Professor Mark Wilkinson, Director of STFC DiRAC HPC Facility on miw6@leicester.ac.uk.

As part of the University’s ongoing commitment to professional development, this role will also be considered on a seconded basis for existing staff members. Please ensure this is discussed with your line manager prior to applying. More information regarding secondments can be found here.

Leicester is a leading University committed to international excellence, world-changing research and high quality, inspirational teaching. You will develop your career in a supportive and collaborative academic environment in one of the world’s leading research-intensive universities; elite in the excellence of our research, yet distinctive for the genuine synergy between our research and teaching.

We offer a working environment that is committed to inclusivity, through promoting equality and valuing diversity. We offer a competitive salary package with excellent pension scheme and a generous annual leave allowance. Located close to Leicester city centre, our award winning campus benefits from a wide range of cafes, a fully equipped sports centre and nursery facilities. Further information regarding our extensive range of staff benefits is available here.

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