Systems Administrator (Ops)

 The University of Manchester

The University of Manchester is a truly global institution with a reputation for education and innovation that resonates across the world, offering a wide range of courses and boasting outstanding facilities in the centre of Manchester. With 25 Nobel Prize winners among its current and former staff and students, it has a history of world firsts and brilliant discoveries.

Manchester’s industrial and cultural heritage is mirrored by the achievements of some of the University’s most celebrated names.  The computer revolution started here in June 1948 when a machine built by Tom Kilburn and Sir Freddie Williams, known affectionately as ‘The Baby’, ran its first stored program. The celebrated wartime codebreaker Alan Turing worked on this computer during his time at Manchester.

The University is committed to world-class research, an outstanding learning and student experience and social responsibility in everything it does.  It is making one of the largest investments in facilities ever seen at a UK university, with £750 million spent so far and a further £1 billion to follow by 2022. Its goal is to become one of the world’s leading Universities.

About IT Services

IT Services at the University of Manchester is a vibrant and fast-moving department, we focus on delivering excellent customer service and quality services for our staff, students and researchers. 

Find out more about our organisation and values:

 Services: About us and ITS Practice Charter

  Benefits of working at The University of Manchester

About Research IT

The research community at the University of Manchester carries out world-leading research in many areas — beacons include advanced materials, industrial biotechnology and cancer treatments.  Research IT (RIT) is a fast-growing, can-do group within IT Services at the University which delivers specialist, e-research capabilities which are critical to the success of that research.

About This Role

This role is part of the Research Infrastructure Team, within RIT, which designs, and delivers computational and data storage services.  Such services include: 

high-performance and high-throughput computing, resilient and high-performance storage,

Edge computing, custom Web stacks and highly secure platforms for hosting sensitive data.  Provision is via both on-site hardware and use of off-site, commercial cloud resources including AWS and Azure.

We are looking for a dynamic and proactive person who: 

Will help with the development and operational delivery of the infrastructure on which these services are based.

Provide user and application support, including education and training and proactively and enthusiastically engage with the research community.

You Will Have — Essential:

• Previous relevant work experience.
• A degree or professional qualification or substantial experience in a similar role.
• A good working knowledge of the Linux operating system including administration and support.
• The ability to work as an effective part of a team and to establish productive relationships with people from a variety of backgrounds and with a variety of skills.
• Enthusiasm, initiative and flexibility:  the capacity to anticipate both problems and opportunities and take appropriate action; a desire to learn and a can-do approach to work as it arises.

You will Have — Desirable:

• Experience working within an academic research environment (or a higher, preferably research, degree).
• A good understanding of the technologies used to deliver computational, storage, VM, container and Cloud-based platforms.
• Experience of Microsoft Windows Server technologies, Active Directory and Windows 10 workstation management.
• Good face-to-face communication skills.
• Experience of using at least one high-level programming language such as BASH, Perl or Python. 
• A good working knowledge of fundamental IT networking technologies.

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.

Our University is positive about flexible working – you can find out more here

Blended working arrangements may be considered           

Please note that we are unable to respond to enquiries, accept CVs or applications from Recruitment Agencies.

Enquiries about the vacancy, shortlisting and interviews:

Name: Christopher Heeley

Email: c.heeley@manchester.ac.uk

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.​​​​​​​