High Performance Computing Senior Manager

The University       

At Durham University we are proud of our people.  A globally outstanding centre of educational excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting – Durham is a university like no other. We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things professionally and personally.      

Across the University we have a huge variety of roles and career opportunities, which together make us a large and successful community, which is a key hub of activity within our region and nationally.  We would be thrilled if you would consider joining our thriving University.   

Further information about the University can be found here .

The Role and Department   

The Institute of Computational Cosmology (ICC) within the Department of Physics manages and operates one of the UK’s largest supercomputing facilities, COSMA, on behalf of DiRAC (www.dirac.ac.uk), a UK national facility.

This role will be engaged with the continued operation of the COSMA system, including exciting new research and development projects, user support and operations.  The applicant will liaise with DiRAC researchers in cosmology and other areas to understand their codes and develop expertise in the efficient running of these codes on supercomputing facilities.  The applicant will have the opportunity to lead both software and hardware projects helping to shape the future of UK HPC.  The applicant will also work with other support staff and other DiRAC technical support teams to deliver an effective service for users including routine and emergency maintenance activities.  There will be opportunities for training to support the career development of the successful applicant, both within Durham and in collaboration with other DiRAC and/or industry partners.  The applicant will have opportunities to travel to conferences and HPC events, and will be involved with regular meetings with other HPC facilities from across the UK.  There is scope for flexible working arrangements, though the nature of the job means that some in-person attendance is essential.  Applications for part time working are also welcome.

Further information about the role and the responsibilities is at the bottom of this job description.       

Working at Durham        

A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: you will also receive access to the following fantastic benefits:        

• 30 Days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year – a total of 42 days per year.     
• The University closes between Christmas and New Year, though the ability to perform emergency tasks during this period is welcome.
• We offer a generous pension scheme, As a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled into this University Superannuation Scheme (USS).    
• No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered.  We have parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies.   
• There is a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally.  There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University.  All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities.    
• Lots of support for health and wellbeing including discounted membership for our state of the art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme.   
• On site nursery is available and access to holiday camps for children aged 5-16 throughout the year.
• Family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, which are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers).   
• The opportunity to take part in staff volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community.
• Discounts are available via our benefits portal including; money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, the cinema and days out at various attractions.    
• A salary sacrifice scheme is also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits.    
• If you are moving to Durham, we can help with removal costs and we have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools.  If you need a visa, we cover most visa costs and offer an interest free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas.

Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion  

Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work.     

As a University equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do.  We also live by our values and our Staff Code of Conduct.  At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive. It’s important to us that all of our colleagues are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI.       

We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.  If you have taken time out of your career, and you feel it relevant, let us know about it in your application.  If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role.    

What you need to demonstrate when you apply/Person Specification 

When you apply it is important that you let us know what skills/experience you have from a similar role and/or what skills/experience you have which would make you right for this role.  Further information about the role and responsibilities is at the end of this job description.  Where a criteria has an asterisk* next to it, it may be given additional weighting when your application is considered.

Your application should cover the following criteria: 

Essential Criteria

Qualifications/Experience

1. Educated to degree level (or equivalent experience).

2. Masters / PhD in a relevant discipline (or equivalent experience).   

3. Professional practitioner with specialist knowledge and expertise to influence service delivery and activities within the organisation, with significant Linux and/or HPC expertise

4. Experience of participating in networks to share and discuss good practice and develop strong and productive working relationships.

5. Experience of implementing policies and procedures and supporting service improvements.

6. Expert knowledge and expertise in multiple areas of technical specialism, and the application of advanced skills to create, build, construct, analyse and realise new and innovative resources, equipment and research outputs.  Key areas include Linux system management, Linux software installation (including from source), modern frameworks for example Kubernetes, data analysis, system monitoring tools, networking and security knowledge.

7. Experienced practitioner who has led teaching/research project working within an educational, commercial or industrial environment.   

8. Experience of providing specialist advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues, including more senior colleagues. 

9. Track record of management and development experience across a large technical service team or teams.

Skills/Abilities/Knowledge

10. Excellent spoken and written communication skills including the ability to develop effective working relationships, both internally and externally.

11. Strong digital competence across a range of digital devices and apps including  some of Linux administration, code compilation, scripting languages, Linux command line tools, HPC tools, networks and storage .

12. Achievement of recognised industry and professional standards supported by relevant courses or certifications A degree in a relevant subject, and/or evidence of ongoing training for HPC-related technologies, including networking and storage.

13. Committed to continuing professional development to maintain professional recognition.

14. Ability to solve problems and decide on and plan appropriate solutions.

15. Ability to contribute to planning at operational and strategic levels.

16. Extensive knowledge and experience of ensuring compliance with regulatory and organisational policy and guidelines.

17. Ability to teach or train others with specific technical skills, and the operation of standard and complex scientific, technical and creative equipment.

Desirable Criteria

18. Experience with end-user engagement and user support

19. Experience writing documentation and support manuals

20. Experience working with HPC including computing, storage and networking

21. Up to date knowledge of how to secure a system against security attacks

22. Experience in working to deadlines and dealing with unexpected issues

23. Experience with one or more web development frameworks

24. Experience with virtualisation and containers

25. Experience with Python

26. Experience leading successful implementation of sub-projects

27. Experience with data interpretation and information processing

28. Experience engaging with suppliers

29. Experience with server maintenance and ability to safely manipulate specialist computing hardware

30. Experience with long-term strategic planning

31. Experience with databases

32. Experience with data curation techniques

How to apply         

To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification above. It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider any desirable criteria, but we would urge candidates to provide evidence for all criteria.  Please don’t forget to check if there is any weighted criteria (see above).       

While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview.            

Submitting your application        

We prefer to receive applications online.   We will update you about your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to make sure you have not missed any of our updates.         

What you need to submit      

• A CV: and      
• A supporting statement which outlines how you meet all of the criteria within the Person Specification.       
• Optional – EDI Statement.
• Optional –  Case studies to demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria.

Contact details            

For a chat about the role or any further information please contact  Alastair Basden, [email protected]     

Typical Role Requirements 

Service Delivery/Development

• Show a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and the University’s values.
• Develop and apply an in-depth understanding of university policy and external developments when carrying out you role.
• Ensure that policy and regulatory standards are met by the activities and processes that are carried out in services you are responsible for.
• Use your professional knowledge and managerial/leadership experience as a HPC practitioner to resolve problems, shape processes and activities and develop systems, and provide subject matter expertise and advice.
• Look for ways to continually improve HPC services and take a lead role in the development and implementation of assigned policies, processes and standards.
• Initiate and manage business process reviews to improve the service in your area.
• Ensure data (commercially sensitive and/or personal) is appropriately stored and managed and develop and maintain appropriate policies.
• Implement and audit specialist risk assessments and safety procedures to ensure compliance with University and statutory regulations.
• Manage and monitor individual and overall health and safety assessments and procedures, ensuring compliance.

Planning and Organisation

• Contribute to the development of operational plans relevant to your area.
• Allocate and monitor designated budgets, expenditure and resources.

Team Development

• Manage or oversee the activities of a team of technical staff to deliver support to research, teaching and learning activities.
• Manage and develop the people, performance and resources] to ensure that a customer focussed service is provided.
• Help shape the skills and expertise needed to deliver a professional service by recruiting, inducting and training team members and structuring the team in way that will best meet operational and strategic priorities.
• Ensure that your team can deliver the required services by devolving and delegating responsibilities to appropriate team members.
• Carry out regular performance reviews to provide feedback on objectives and expectations and identify any development needs.
• Handle most HR issues and support the welfare and wellbeing of your team referring more complex issues to specialist services or more senior managers.

Teaching and Learning Support

• Work within a teaching or research area of activity of national significance.
• Contribute expert advice and guidance, collaborating with peers and academics to deliver teaching and/or research outputs.
• Assess and design modifications and implement developments to deliver desired outputs.
• Lead, design and deliver practical workshops, teaching and training sessions.
• Ensure continuous improvement and knowledge base development for world class delivery.
• Liaise with academic staff to build and maintain high-quality specialist support to underpin excellence in teaching, research and learning.
• Deliver professional expertise with the design, construction and development of investigative methodologies to achieve teaching, research or learning objectives.
• Identify, source and manufacture servers, IT equipment, resources and software critical to teaching and research delivery and suggest and obtain alternatives where necessary.
• Contribute creativity and innovation to the teaching and research delivery process and outcomes.
• Take responsibility for supervising experimental procedures and processes out of normal programmed sessions, monitoring variables, capturing and analysing data and interpreting patterns.
• Contribute to the planning, design and implementation of research outputs and prepare innovative teaching / research proposals.
• Support activities and participate with others to generate external income, including involvement in research proposals.

Communication/Liaison

• Influence University policy, standards and governance by leading operational business meetings, working groups and sub-committees.
• Provide professional guidance and advice when managing services (including teaching and research where relevant), and when managing help desk queries.
• Create positive working relationships, including internal and external networks, using your networks to increase your knowledge and skills, swap information with peers and positively influence the University’s reputation.
• Represent the service and University at promotional events.

  •             Any other reasonable duties.

Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement Privacy Notices – Durham University which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.     

When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.