HNCDI Excelerate Programme Manager

UK Research and Innovation; Warrington; Hybrid; GBP 39,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading research organization in the UK is seeking a dynamic individual to lead their business-focused projects at the Hartree Centre. This role involves integrating cutting-edge technologies into businesses to facilitate innovation and productivity enhancements. The successful candidate will manage a range of projects, working alongside key partners like IBM and universities, while ensuring effective stakeholder engagement and delivering high-quality results in a flexible working environment.

Benefits

30 days annual leave

Defined benefit pension scheme

On-site gym access

Flexible working options

Personal development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience leading technical programmes and projects in a commercial environment.
• Ability to articulate and lead discussions in digital technologies and AI.
• Strong negotiation skills and aptitude for capturing user requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Excelerate workstream ensuring successful delivery of projects.
• Manage budgets and schedules while overseeing project deliverables.
• Foster relationships with clients and manage multiple technical programmes.

Skills

Project Management

Technical Leadership

Stakeholder Engagement

Risk Management

Problem Solving

Education

Degree in relevant field

Job description

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Science and Technology Facilities Council

Salary: £39,748 to £44,166 per annum (dependent on skills & experience) *
Contract Type: Fixed-Term (3 Years)
Location: Science and Technology Facilities Council, Daresbury Laboratory, Warrington (Hybrid)
Hours: Full-Time/Part-Time (We understand the importance of work-life balance, and are happy to discuss the possibility of flexible working with applicants)

*This role is eligible for up to £2,000 Responsibility and Retention Allowance gross per annum

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.

Reasons our staff enjoy working for us:

• We're based at Sci-Tech Daresbury - a lively and dynamic campus bringing together SMEs and leading industry-academic collaborations located in a picturesque semi-rural location with easy access to canal-side and woodland walking.
• We are less than two miles from the M56 motorway with public transport links and access to Warrington and Runcorn 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/.
• 30 days annual leave plus 10.5 public and privilege days.
• Options for flexible or hybrid working patterns are available.
• Defined benefit pension scheme (employer contribution - currently up to 26%).
• There are different active sport and social groups across campus with access to an on-site gym for staff.
• Personal development is key. You will work with your line manager to develop your own Learning and Development plan each year.
• We value collaborative working across STFC and with our external collaborators such as IBM Research, The University of Liverpool's Virtual Engineering Centre, Atos, NVIDIA, Unilever and many more.
• Diversity and inclusion are important to us. UKRI has a corporate policy on Equality and Diversity which is supported by a Diversity Forum and implementation group.
• For more information on the rest of our employee benefits, take a look at: http://www.stfccareers.co.uk/why-join/rewards-and-benefits/.

Together, our scientist, technologists, engineers and business support team explore the unknown and turn what they find into work that changes the world around us. Whether it's sending probes into space or finding new ways to treat cancer, everyone here plays a vital role in making a positive difference to society.

Come and discover how much you can achieve when you're surrounded by world-leading experts, encouraged to constantly learn and empowered to explore your curiosity.

Could you use your flair for leading business focussed programmes and projects to help the Hartree Centre turn our research and ideas into industry-focussed concepts that lower the barriers to innovation? Do you pride yourself on having an excellent understanding of how to build mutually beneficial relationships and drive projects and programmes to successful outcomes in complex environments? Would you like to work in a role where you can help UK businesses and organisations of any size to explore and adopt cutting edge technologies to enhance productivity, accelerate innovation and drive economic growth?

We are looking for an energetic, self-directed and articulate individual to join the Hartree Centre Programme Management Office to help identify, manage and deliver business-focused projects and programmes that help UK businesses and organisations to understand and adopt cutting edge technologies. Reporting to the Technical Programme Manager for our flagship programme, The Hartree National Centre for Digital Innovation (HNCDI), you will be accountable for ensuring a range of projects and programmes are delivered successfully.

HNCDI is a £210m program of government funding which brings together world leading expertise in digital technologies from the Hartree Centre (STFC) and IBM to support the application of cutting-edge technologies into organisations across the UK.

The role holder will primarily be accountable for leading our Excelerate workstream, a key part of HNCDI, which is where HNCDI embeds new technologies such as AI, data science and quantum solutions into organizations to help solve their business challenges. As the Excelerate workstream lead, you will help us turn challenge-led research and ideas into industry-ready concepts that help to address specific business challenges, lower the barriers to innovation, and enable organisations to create enhanced products and services.

Responsibilities of the role include:

• Lead the HNCDI Excelerate work stream and ensure successful delivery of the required volume and quality of challenge-led projects that aim to keep the UK at the forefront of industry focussed innovation.
• Work in tandem with our HNCDI IBM partners and HNCI Programme Lead to deliver the Excelerate workstreams KPIs. You will be expected to report on progress to the HNCDI programme management office and represent the workstream at the appropriate governance boards
• Work closely with PMO colleagues, technical leads and collaborators in the setup, operation and maintenance of individual projects under the programme workstreams, including validating technical requirements, leading project initiation activities, creating programme and project schedules, updating resource allocations, developing, curating and populating project reports and closely managing risk and issue logs to ensure successful delivery
• With support from STFC and UKRI Business Innovation and Legal departments, develop exploitation plans for Excelerate projects to help ensure their adoption and ensure appropriate contractual agreements are in place
• Maintain an overview of the allocated projects and programme at all times, managing budgets, timelines and resources, whilst working with our partners to ensure all agreed deliverables and outcomes are achieved to expected time, budget and quality
• Use the appropriate STFC and UKRI tools to produce relevant reports, manage programme and project plans and monitor and control project finances
• Lead and manage other internal teams through relevant wider STFC processes (for example the Bid Register), including the preparation of internal and external programme documentation
• Act as the key point of contact and Hartree representative for allocated technical programmes, fostering the relationship with clients and partners to ensure a high quality professional service is delivered at all times.
• Ensure that problem resolution is handled swiftly and escalated when a decision is required at a more senior level or by another business area.

Person Specification
(Please note the below criteria will be assessed at Shortlisting and/or Interview stage)

• Substantial experience of leading successful technical programmes and projects in a commercial or industry setting ensuring repeatable programme delivery to agreed specifications, cost, time and quality standards (S)
• Able to articulate, understand and lead technical conversations relating to HPC/AI, Data and Digital technologies working collaboratively with a variety of stakeholders to translate and articulate complex technical concepts with clarity, enthusiasm, and impact (S&I)
• Demonstrates a proactive attitude to problem solving, managing risks and resolving issues that arise, showing high levels of personal drive, determination and resilience (I)
• Demonstrates ability in influencing and motivating colleagues and collaborators from a wide range of backgrounds and disciplines towards achievement of agreed technical and programme deliverables. (I)
• Excellent aptitude for exploring use-cases & capturing user requirements alongside proven skills in commercial negotiations and agreements
• Demonstrated strong team skills, with the ability to build and lead a team with excellent interpersonal skills and a proven ability to influence colleagues and collaborators from a wide range of backgrounds and subject areas towards achievement of agreed deliverables
• Well organized and highly structured individual, with ability to give attention to detail and resolve complex multifaceted issues

We ask some of the biggest questions in the universe, to answer some of the biggest challenges in the world. Whatever our role, we have the freedom to explore, learn and connect, as part of a community that loves to share knowledge and support one another.

As one of Europe's largest research organisations, this is a place where there's always something new to learn - about the world around us, about your career, but most of all, about yourself. Join us and discover what's possible.

About The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)

As one of Europe's largest research organisations, we ask the biggest questions in the universe to find answers that change the world around us. We seek understanding. We're proud of the impact we make. And we're committed to helping build a globally competitive, knowledge-based UK economy. Being part of all this means contributing to work that pushes boundaries and creates possibilities. You'll work with, and learn from, true experts. Whatever your role, you'll be free to question, and encouraged to share ideas. And, in a positive and supportive culture, you'll discover just what a difference you can make when you're equipped and inspired to excel.

We're a place where curious minds thrive. Not bound by profit, we explore ideas that others don't, ask questions that others won't, and discover answers that others are not equipped to find. And, alongside Mars landings and black holes, we also explore diverse, international projects in everything from science and engineering to computing and technology. Whether it's at the cutting edge or behind the scenes, our work is intellectually challenging. It's very often ground-breaking. And it's endlessly, irresistibly fascinating.

For more information about STFC please visit https://stfc.ukri.org/

You can also visit our careers site https://www.stfccareers.co.uk/

About UK Research Innovation (UKRI)

UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.

Supporting some of the world's most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.

More information can be found at www.ukri.org .

Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI .

How we support EDI in the workforce

At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit 'How we support EDI in the workforce' .

Disability Confident Employer

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

How to apply

Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the 'experience' section of the application.

UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion - a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.