Faculty IT Manager / Departmental Technical Manager

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1 About The Job. Department of Computer Science Faculty of Engineering Faculty IT Manager / Departmental Technical Manager Pursue the extraordinary

2 Overview About the Faculty The Faculty of Engineering is one of the biggest and best engineering faculties in the UK and strives for excellence in its teaching as well as its world-class research. In independent assessments of our research excellence 93% of our academic staff were assessed as world leading or internationally excellent. The Faculty has an annual turnover of 105m and over 900 staff. Our recent successes have resulted in 154m of investment in to our buildings, including 81m in to our flagship Diamond Building for multidisciplinary engineering education due to open in September 2015 ( Our expertise is extensive our seven academic departments and two interdisciplinary programme areas cover all the engineering disciplines. They are leaders in their fields and outstanding contributors to the development of new knowledge, linking their research to the teaching of the engineers of the future and developing the skills of existing engineers. Our seven academic departments are Automatic Control and Systems Engineering, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Civil and Structural Engineering, Computer Science, Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. We have already experienced great success as a faculty, and we intend to continue that success both in terms of further growth and continued excellence. Our vision is to compete to be the best engineering faculty in the UK, and to be amongst the best in the world. We will aim to work across the full spectrum of engineering activity, from fundamental science to professional practice, and we will contribute fully to ensuring a sustainable future both locally and globally. For further details about the Faculty see our website About the Department The Department of Computer Science was established in 1982 and has since attained an international reputation for its research and teaching. We are one of the top five computer science departments in the UK for research excellence, and have an outstanding environment for both teaching and research. We are organised into a number of research groups: Organisations, Information and Knowledge, Computational Biology, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, Speech and Hearing,

3 Verification and Testing, and Computer Graphics and Virtual Reality. There is substantial cross-group research activity in many areas, ensuring that research is multidisiplinary and collaborative. Our staff are actively engaged in a number of research centres and institutes, which focus on topics such as robotics (Sheffield Robotics), in-silico medicine (Insigneo), assistive technology (CATCH) and translational neuroscience (SITraN). We attract substantial external funding from UK Research Councils, the European Union and industry. Our record for leadership in collaborative research is outstanding, particularly in European programmes. The Department offers 3-year and 4-year undergraduate degrees in Computer Science and Software Engineering, dual degrees with Mathematics and Physics, and degrees that combine computer science with management and business. We have an enviable reputation for innovative teaching methods based on enterprise, industrial projects and problem-based learning. At Masters level we run programmes in Advanced Computer Science, Advanced Software Engineering, Software Systems and Internet Technology, and a specialised programme in Speech and Language Processing. The department comprises around 40 academic staff, 16 administrative staff and a technical support team of 7. The technical team support both the teaching and research infrastructure in the department, which comprises: - acquisition and maintenance of computers - Windows, Apple Mac, Linux - and other technical equipment for staff and researchers. - develop and support Windows and Linux computing environments for students - managed server room with upwards of 200 mainly Linux servers and several petabytes of storage - maintain teaching equipment such as robots, mobile devices etc - Health and Safety for department - liaise with Estates on maintenance and repairs - provide usable interfaces to management information for academic and admin staff More information on the Department of Computer Science can be found at

4 Job Role The post holder will take a lead in establishing and managing a central IT service for the Faculty, and, in time, act as Departmental Technical Manager (DTM) in the Department. As Faculty IT Manager, the post holder will develop and lead our approach for a standardised Faculty level offering for centralised IT provision across the Faculty. He/ she will oversee delivery and systematic installation of professional IT support services, providing direction and guidance to the Faculty s IT staff. As Departmental Technical Manager (DTM) in the Department of Computer Science (COM) the post holder will have overall responsibility for day-to-day IT technical management and problem resolution as well as for long-term strategic resource planning for Computer Science. He/ she will be responsible for IT staffing, equipment and IT facilities across our student and research labs in multiple locations. Initially the post holder will work on developing the Faculty strategy for approximately 3 days per week, and work in the department, transitioning with existing staff, 2 days per week. Longer term he/she will take over in the department as Departmental Technical Manager after working alongside existing staff. As Faculty IT Manager the post holder will develop a Faculty proposal for a central IT service, leading a project which will consider options for rolling out a standardised Faculty level offering for centralised IT provision across Faculty computers. Subsequently he/she will oversee delivery and systematic installation of professional IT support services, providing direction and guidance to the Faculty s IT staff. As Departmental Technical Manager the post holder will lead and develop a team of technical staff, and deliver a complete technical support service to ensure that all laboratory and IT infrastructure and resources are managed efficiently and effectively to meet the needs of users. Working with their team and other departmental managers, the DTM will plan for and enable the continued development of existing IT skills and knowledge, and where needed ensure the introduction of new skills to meet current and future business needs. The DTM will also be required to provide a broad range of IT technical support in their own area of expertise. Reporting to the Head of Department, the DTM will ensure that departmental staff are kept informed of developments in all areas of IT operations. Working with the Departmental Administration Manager (DAM), the DTM will also provide detailed input into the annual Planning Round to ensure that future staffing and equipment needs are met.

5 Job Description Main Duties and Responsibilities In the Faculty: Lead a Faculty group to develop and implement an IT strategy for the Faculty, Lead the design of a range of potential solutions that would ensure sufficient future proofing in the medium to long term. Identify and review the Faculty s service requirements and design solutions according to the Faculty requirements, in order to achieve consistent, high quality support delivery with standardisation where possible, and economies of scale being achieved where appropriate. Develop Faculty wide guidelines and expectations on data storage and curation taking account of university policy related to information security, data protection and research data management. Roll out access to key central support administrative systems to all Faculty IT support staff in order to ensure an efficient and auditable service to staff and students. Oversee delivery and systematic installation of professional and comprehensive IT support services in departments, providing direction and guidance and developing strategy, policies and business plans to ensure sufficient future proofing in the medium to long term. Promote Faculty and University policy and guidelines to IT staff across the Faculty. Work effectively with Corporate Information and Computing Services (CiCS) to understand how their future plans will impact on the Faculty. Contribute to the coordination of the IT support service provided by CiCS and IT support staff across the Faculty, identifying and implementing improvements as required. Develop a proposal all Faculty IT support staff have access to key central support administrative systems. Ensure that processes are in place across all departments to identify and take action to address regular upgrade of IT equipment. Work with colleagues in CiCS to promote the central service and software and to ensure that working relationships between Faculty staff and CiCS staff are optimal. Coordinate with Departmental Managers, and Technical Managers to discuss ongoing support and training requirements for staff and students.

6 Provide expert advice and guidance to the Director of Faculty Operations on operational issues affecting IT support. In the Department of Computer Science initially you will: Assess IT requirements for the department and develop IT strategy accordingly. Advise on departmental IT systems. Plan and coordinate implementation and purchase of new software and hardware. Manage the IT budget. Manage key departmental IT projects. In the longer term you will assume responsibility for all the DTM aspects of the post, including: Provide technical IT leadership and broad technical expertise. Actively manage technical resources, infrastructure, equipment, materials, consumables and running costs. Take overall responsibility for the management and development of all departmental IT staff. Set high standards and embed quality of service and professionalism in the technical support function within the Department. Manage health, welfare and safety in the Department. Take responsibility for the planning and maintenance of the departmental physical infrastructure. Oversee the management and operation of all departmentally owned space. Liaise with the Technical Operations Manager of the Faculty s teaching facility, and other DTMs. Liaise with key contacts across all the University s professional services as appropriate to deliver a full technical support service and infrastructure. Liaise with University and Faculty committees and working groups, including the Faculty Executive Board, to represent the technical service. Support the Head of Department and members of the Executive Committee in the development and delivery of the Department s strategy and in the delivery of an effective technical service. As a member of the Departmental Executive Group, liaise with and provide professional, technical and managerial advice to the Departmental Administration Manager, Head of Department and other members of the Department and Faculty senior team as necessary. As a member of our Professional staff you will be expected to demonstrate a commitment to the professional behaviours set out in the Sheffield Professional Framework. Please follow this link for further information: Sheffield Professional Framework.

7 Any other duties, commensurate with the grade of the post, within the department or across the Faculty of Engineering. Person Specification Applicants should provide evidence in their applications that they meet the following criteria. We will use a range of selection methods to measure candidates abilities in these areas including reviewing your on-line application, seeking references, inviting shortlisted candidates to interview and other forms of assessment action relevant to the post. Criteria Qualifications and experience Essential Desirable 1. Good honours degree in a related technical area (or have equivalent experience). 2. Knowledge and understanding of Health and Safety regulations. 3. Experience of leading and managing the delivery of technical facilities, staff and operations in a complex environment. 4. Significant and relevant experience of IT systems and support. 5. In-depth knowledge of operating systems, their administration and hardware maintenance. 6. Experience of reviewing and improving internal processes and systems, and of managing change effectively. 7. Experience of working in a Higher Education role 8. Technical Professional Registration or the willingness to work towards it. Management skills 9. Strong organisational, planning, development and leadership skills to effectively manage both physical and human resources. 10. Experience of providing expert guidance and direction to less experienced staff and working closely with senior colleagues to achieve shared strategic aims. Communication skills 11. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to inspire staff and students. 12. Ability to communicate complex information, clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing. 13. Have the ability to influence and persuade. 14. The ability to inspire confidence and to provide authoritative guidance.

8 Team working 15. Experience of building and developing a team and aligning the day-to-day work and goals of the team with the strategic goals. 16. Successful track record of leading, managing and motivating teams to deliver a high quality service and achieve positive change Supporting staff performance 17. Experience of reviewing individual / team progress and performance and embedding organisational strategy into individual performance planning. 18. Ability to inspire and motivate high performance in others. Problem solving and decision making 19. Ability to develop creative approaches to problem solving and call upon the most effective use of human and physical resources available with an appreciation of possible longer-term implications. Project management 20. Ability to assess and organise resources, and plan and progress work activities to effectively manage and complete time dependent projects. Personal effectiveness 21. Experience of maintaining a network of contacts and liaising and influencing effectively (up to senior levels) across areas relevant to own work. 22. Experience of working effectively on a collaborative basis. 23. Willingness to maintain contemporary skills and knowledge together with the ability to develop and adapt to new technologies and circumstances within the workplace. 24. The ability to train staff through demonstrating diplomacy, inspiring confidence and authoritative guidance in order to reach an understanding of IT problems / solutions. Further Information This post is open ended. This post is full-time: This role has been identified as a full-time post, but we are committed to exploring flexible working opportunities with our staff which benefit both the individual and the University (See Therefore, we would consider flexible

9 delivery of the role subject to meeting the business needs of the post. If you wish to explore flexible working opportunities in relation to this post, we encourage you to call or the departmental contact listed below. Reward and Recognition The Deal Terms and conditions of employment: Will be those for Grade 8 staff. Salary for this grade: 38,511-45,954 per annum. Potential to progress to 51,702 per annum through sustained exceptional contribution. The Deal is the pay, rewards and many benefits you earn for being a valued member of our University and by being ambitious and performing at your best. If you join the University you will have access to The Deal and your own personalised pay, reward and benefits portal where you can access a comprehensive selection of benefits and offers to suit your changing lifestyle needs, for example childcare vouchers, Cycle to Work initiative, shopping discounts along with access to extensive development and training options over a third of staff work in Investors in People (IiP) To find our more visit Through The Deal we are committed to making the University a remarkable place to work and we support this through a number of sector leading initiatives such as Juice and Sheffield Leader. Our innovative Health and Wellbeing programme, Juice, promotes happiness and wellbeing through a broad range of inclusive activities ( Our leadership development has been designed to ensure that our leaders have the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed by the University ( ). We are also proud of our award-winning equality and diversity action which enhances working life for all. 91% of staff tell us they are treated with fairness and respect (staff survey 2014) In our staff survey (2014) 94% of staff said they were proud to work for the University and 87 % of our staff would recommend Sheffield University as an excellent place to work. To find out more about what it s like to work here have a look at our webpages, and Closing date: For details of the closing date please view this post on our web pages at

10 Informal enquiries: For informal enquiries about this job and the recruiting department, contact: Professor John Derrick on For administration queries and details on the application process, contact the lead recruiter: Monika Kus on For all online application system queries and support, visit: Selection-Next Step Following the closing date, we will contact you by to let you know whether or not you have been shortlisted to participate in the next stage of the selection process. Please note that due to the large number of applications that we receive, it may take up to two working weeks following the closing date before the recruiting department will be able to contact you. It is anticipated that interviews and other selection action will be held on 19 October Full details will be provided to invited candidates. The University of Sheffield is committed to achieving excellence through inclusion. The University of Sheffield is proud to be a Two Ticks employer The University has achieved the Athena SWAN award for Women in Science, Engineering and Medicine. The Department has achieved the Athena SWAN Bronze award for Women in Science, Engineering and Medicine

11 . Pursue the extraordinary