Chief Observatory Digital & Software Operations

Skatelescope; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

SKA Observatory (SKAO) in the United Kingdom seeks a Head of Digital, Software and Computing Operations to provide strategic and operational leadership for computing, software, data-platform, networks and digital services through late construction, commissioning and into stable observatory operations.

The role ensures secure, resilient, supportable platforms for long-term scientific operations across the Observatory’s international footprint, spanning multiple countries and ~130 staff.

Qualifications

• Degree-level qualification in a relevant discipline, or equivalent senior professional experience.
• Substantial senior leadership experience in a complex software, computing, digital-platform, scientific or technical infrastructure environment.
• Experience leading a major function or organisation through significant delivery, commissioning, transition or operational change.
• Strong record of leading and developing large, multidisciplinary and geographically distributed teams.
• Broad executive-level understanding of software engineering, computing platforms, architecture, service operations, cyber risk and technology lifecycle management, with the ability to challenge and integrate specialist advice.
• Experience setting technology strategy, priorities and roadmaps and making informed trade-offs between delivery, reliability, security, affordability and long-term sustainability.
• Strong financial, commercial and supplier-management judgement, including investment prioritisation and oversight of technically complex contracts or partnerships.
• Excellent stakeholder leadership, with experience aligning senior technical, scientific, operational and corporate stakeholders in a multinational or matrixed organisation.

Responsibilities

• Define and communicate the strategy, operating model and roadmap for computing, software, data platforms and digital operations across SKAO.
• Lead the transition from construction and commissioning into sustainable operations, including service acceptance, support models and lifecycle ownership.
• Establish and maintain appropriate architecture governance, technical standards and design authority arrangements.
• Ensure that telescope software, observatory platforms and supporting infrastructure are reliable, secure, maintainable and fit for scientific operations.
• Lead the observatory approach to platform engineering, DevSecOps, release governance, observability and automation.
• Define the service-management approach for in-scope services, including service ownership, support, incident, problem, change, continuity and disaster recovery arrangements.
• Work with science, operations, programme and engineering stakeholders to translate mission priorities into technology and service roadmaps.
• Provide strategic leadership for SRCNet-related technical interfaces – together with the SRCNet Project Lead – and the SKAO-side platforms and services that support science users and science data products.
• Oversee computing infrastructure strategy, including storage, compute, networking and data lifecycle management.
• Lead supplier and commercial relationships relevant to the function, including sourcing strategy, performance management and make-buy decisions.
• Build and sustain a high-performing, inclusive, multinational organisation with strong technical leadership and clear professional development pathways.
• Provide regular decision-oriented reporting on delivery, service health, cyber posture, workforce capability and investment needs.

Skills

Senior leadership

Strategy & roadmaps

Budget & supplier management

Stakeholder leadership

Cyber security leadership

Software architecture

Education

Degree-level qualification

Equivalent senior professional experience

Job description

SKA Observatory (SKAO) in the United Kingdom seeks a Head of Digital, Software and Computing Operations to provide strategic and operational leadership for computing, software, data-platform, networks and digital services through late construction, commissioning and into stable observatory operations.

The role ensures secure, resilient, supportable platforms for long-term scientific operations across the Observatory’s international footprint, spanning multiple countries and ~130 staff.