Job reference: PSX-022532
Salary: UoM Grade 7 £45,585-£56,021
Faculty/Organisational Unit: Professional Services
Location: Oxford Road
Employment type: Fixed Term
Division/Team: IT Services Research IT
Hours Per Week: 35 hours per week/ 1.0 FTE
Closing date: 26/09/2023
Contract Duration: From start date until 31/12/2025
School/Directorate: Directorate of IT Services

Job Description


NERC Digital Solutions – Senior Platform Designer/Engineer

Purpose of the Role

This is a unique and exciting opportunity for a Senior Platform Designer/Engineer to play a pivotal role in building the NERC Digital Solutions Hub platform, which will provide users with a suite of digital tools and services to facilitate the collection, management, and analysis of environmental (and non-environmental) data.

The role holder will be responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining the infrastructure / platform technologies required to underpin the NERC digital solutions Hub (which will include a significant on premises element), working closely with the other team members to ensure that the infrastructure meets the programme's requirements for functionality, scalability, security, and reliability including working effectively within a cross-functional programme team and engaging with stakeholder communities to ensure that the platform meets their requirements. Ensuring that the design and implementation content is compliant with technical governance and assurance procedures and to manager infrastructure services providers as required whilst managing and mentoring internal project infrastructure staff.

Essential Requirements

  • Proven experience in designing and hands-on implementation of platform/infrastructure technologies within on premise (data centre) and cloud environments.
  • In-depth experience spanning virtualisation (esp. VMware), containers, storage, networking, identity management, database platforms, security, and management/monitoring tools.
  • Ability to manage infrastructure-focused teams.
  • The ability to work as an effective part of a team and to establish productive relationships with academics, researchers, technical staff, non-technical staff, partner/stakeholder organisations, and external suppliers/consultants.
  • Enthusiasm and initiative, with a desire to learn new skills (technical and non-technical) and a can-do approach to challenges as they arise.
  • Educated to degree level in a numerical discipline or with equivalent industry experience.
  • Ability and willingness to travel to the primary data centre site (Didcot, OX11) when necessary (e.g., to facilitate the physical infrastructure implementation).

Desirable Requirements

  • Experience in deploying tools & applications spanning data management, data ingestion, data processing, data analytics, and workflow automation.
  • Experience working in research environments.
  • Experience working on HPC systems.

Description of the Overall Programme

The University of Manchester Digital Solutions Programme has been tasked with developing a Digital Solutions ‘Hub’ - a gateway to a broad set of inter-connected toolkits that will facilitate improved access and use of the Natural Environment Research Council’s (NERC) 40PB+ of data. The Hub will have especially broad impacts on society by integrating and connecting the NERC data with a range of other datasets, to provide social, economic, health, and environmental benefits and support decision making across a variety of sectors. This will facilitate more effective and efficient collaboration and deliver new data-driven insights and knowledge to benefit society and the environment.

What you will get in return: 

You’ll feel valued and supported here at the University of Manchester, receiving access to exclusive rewards and benefits including:

  • Generous Annual Leave entitlement plus university closure days over the Christmas period, plus bank holidays
  • A generous contribution-based pension scheme
  • Hybrid working on our Manchester campus as required each week
  • Salary exchange for childcare vouchers, workplace nursery scheme, cycle to work, or increased pension contribution
  • An annual pay review, plus incremental salary increase within the grade
  • Vivup lifestyle benefits- exclusive access to discounts across UK’s major retailers including supermarkets, technology, fashion, travel, and much more!
  • Free eye examinations with discounts on glasses and contact lenses
  • Savings on food and cafes on campus

And much more! Find out more by following this link: www.staffnet.manchester.ac.uk/people-and-od/benefits/


As an equal opportunities employer we welcome applicants from all sections of the community regardless of age, sex, gender (or gender identity), ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation and transgender status.  All appointments are made on merit.

Any recruitment or general enquiries should be directed to: People.Recruitment@manchester.ac.uk.

Technical support: https://jobseekersupport.jobtrain.co.uk/support/home

This vacancy will close for applications at midnight on the closing date.

Please see the link below for the Further Particulars document which contains the person specification criteria.

Please note that we are unable to respond to enquiries, accept CVs or applications from Recruitment Agencies. Any CV’s submitted by a recruitment agency will be considered a gift.


General enquiries:

Email: People.recruitment@manchester.ac.uk

Technical support:

https://jobseekersupport.jobtrain.co.uk/support/home


This vacancy will close for applications at midnight on the closing date.

Please see the link below for the Further Particulars document which contains the person specification criteria.



Take a look around the company https://www.manchester.ac.uk/