Technical Relationship Manager

Technical Relationship Manager

Salary: Band F (Stem 2) £59,461 per annum
Hours: Full time (We understand the importance of work-life balance, and are happy to discuss flexible working with applicants).
Contract Type: Open Ended.
Location: The Hartree Centre, Science and Technology Facilities Council, Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington.
 
Do you have expertise in advanced computing technology and experience of working in public sector procurement? Come and help us advance the kind of computing that got you into technology in the first place. Work with world-leading scientists, engineers, and software specialists.  And harness the power of some of the country's most advanced supercomputers to address work that improves daily life in the UK and far beyond.

Come and discover the impact you can make when you're equipped, encouraged, and inspired to perform to your very best.

About the Hartree Centre 

At the Hartree Centre, we want to see UK businesses outperforming their global competitors. We want to grow the economy, create skilled jobs and train people to excel in them. Most of all, we want to keep the UK at the forefront of industrial innovation. We're making all this happen and more by enabling UK industry to fully embrace and integrate the latest digital and cognitive technologies.

We provide collaborative research, innovation and development services that accelerate the application of high-performance computing (HPC), data analytics and artificial intelligence technologies.  By working with us, businesses and research partners can gain a competitive advantage that enables them to produce better outcomes, products, and services more quickly and cheaply than through conventional R&D.

We have a technically exciting computing environment, encompassing a wide range of hardware and software technologies.

Our staff are key to our success, and we value them highly. Reasons our staff enjoy working for us:

• The Hartree Centre is set in a picturesque semi-rural location with easy access to canal side and woodland walking opportunities.
• We are less than a mile from the M56 motorway and we have public transport available to Runcorn and Warrington where there are national rail stations. Advice on all aspects of travel to site (including car-sharing) is available at: https://www.sci-techdaresbury.com/the-campus/travel-hub/t.
• There are a number of active sports and social groups across campus as well as a modern, fully-equipped gym.
• Our office setting is a mix of open-plan and smaller shared offices.
• We value working collaboratively as a team, both with our colleagues and our partners such as IBM Research and ATOS Plc.
• Our dress code is smart casual.
• Your personal development is important to us. You will work with your line manager to develop your own Learning and Development plan each year.
• Besides the opportunity to pursue specific technical training, there is a range of courses available to improve your wider professional skills.
• We are flexible on start and finish times if agreed with your line manager. Flexi-time working is available.
• We have a defined benefit pension scheme with employer contributions of up to 26%.
• We offer flexible 30 days’ annual leave plus 10.5 public and privilege days.
• Diversity and inclusion are important to us.  That’s why we have a corporate policy on Equality and Diversity which is supported by a Diversity Forum.
• The role will be hybrid working, allowing time to work both remotely and in the office, there will be a requirement to work in the office as required to meet the ongoing needs of the HNCDI programme.

For more information on benefits why not take a look at: http://www.stfccareers.co.uk/why-join/rewards-and-benefits/ 

Role Overview

The Technical Relationship Manager (TRM) is responsible for handling ongoing technical relationships with suppliers, ensuring delivery of strategic programmes of work that meet the requirements of both parties, managing support contracts, and positively contributing towards the Hartree Centre’s technical outputs and wider goals. The TRM is also responsible for leading the portfolio of work involved in upgrading Hartree Centre's advanced computing infrastructure.

Duties

The successful candidate will own the overall relationship with agreed key suppliers.  You will provide oversight and governance for work programmes and act as a partner concern point for risks and issues with senior supplier staff. You will ensure the continued operation and support of key research computing infrastructure through effective management of service levels. You will seek opportunities for joint research, revenue generation, and mutually helpful work, sharing these opportunities with appropriate technical and business development staff for scoping and identification of funding sources. Additionally, you will develop technical relationships between Hartree Centre and suppliers; the TRM uses their expertise to understand supplier technology roadmaps and how they mesh with our own, influencing Hartree Centre's plans to design and deliver new research computing infrastructure. 

The TRM is expected to project manage procurement and deployment of advanced computing infrastructure.  This includes all aspects of installation, configuration and acceptance into service.  You will work with other technical staff including our Systems Architect to capture business and technical requirements; refine these and generate tender specification documents; design relevant performance benchmarks; lead tender evaluations including benchmark submissions; and work with the UKRI Commercial team on procurement and contract documentation.

The TRM will assist in compiling formal full business case documents and represent them at Commercial Assurance Board or other approval meetings, as the need arises.  You will also deliver procurement of other high-value infrastructure items, such as maintenance renewals and software licensing.  You will be expected to become a trusted signatory for “Single-Source Approval” requests.

Person specification

Please note the following criteria will be assessed at either Shortlisting (S) or Interview (I)

Essential

• Awareness and understanding of key technical concepts in large-scale advanced computing technologies such as HPC and AI.  The ability to correctly identify market trends, and the ability to translate supplier roadmaps into actionable insights. (S & I)
• Expertise in public sector procurement standards, legislation and contract management practices. (S & I)
• Extensive experience of leading successful technical projects ensuring delivery to agreed specifications, cost, time and quality standards. (S & I)
• An understanding of risk management is required. (S & I)
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills. You must be comfortable in speaking publicly to audiences of varying sizes; be able to write clear, concise and effective technical reports; and be able to absorb and convey detailed information to/from technical and non-technical audiences. (S & I)
• Able to prioritise multiple commitments and requirements and plan efficiently to ensure successful delivery across a portfolio of projects. (S & I)
• Demonstrable ability to deal with critical issues and handle risks independently, calling out to senior managers when required. Show high levels of personal drive, determination and resilience. (I)

Qualifications

Desirable

• A relevant science degree (or Higher Education qualification) or relevant subject matter and industry experience.
• PRINCE2 Foundation or APM Project Fundamentals qualification.

Join us and discover what's possible!