Research Infrastructure Engineering Lead

JAM Recruitment Ltd; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 58,000 - 67,000; Full time

Job summary

JAM Recruitment Ltd. is seeking a Research Infrastructure Engineering Lead in Birmingham.

The role combines strategic leadership with hands-on delivery of high-performance computing, cloud platforms, and large-scale storage to support a research-intensive organisation. You will line-manage Infrastructure Engineers, shape technical roadmaps, and ensure reliability across HPC, HTC, networking, and private cloud.

Qualifications

• Degree-qualified or equivalent with substantial experience in infrastructure engineering or research computing.
• Experience designing, implementing, and supporting large-scale research or enterprise infrastructure.
• Experience with HPC/HTC, large-scale storage, or high-performance networking.
• Experience with Linux administration and DevOps practices.
• Proven leadership of complex technical projects and teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic development and lifecycle management of large-scale research infrastructure platforms.
• Oversee HPC/HTC, cloud storage, and networking services reliability.
• Provide technical leadership for architecture, integration, and service design.
• Line manage and develop Infrastructure Engineers to foster high performance.
• Drive projects from design through implementation and operation, with risk assessments.
• Develop roadmaps and investment planning for research computing technologies.
• Represent the organisation in national and international research communities.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Linux administration

Networking

Infrastructure as Code

Education

Degree in computing or engineering

Tools

OpenStack

CI/CD

Automation tools

Private cloud

Job description

Role: Research Infrastructure Engineering Lead

Location: Birmingham (Hybrid)

Salary: £58,000 – £67,000

Contract: Fixed Term until March 2031

The Research Infrastructure Engineering Lead will oversee technical strategy and delivery for a research-intensive organisation in Birmingham. This permanent, hybrid position offers £58,000 to £67,000 annually and leads a specialist team supporting High Performance Computing, High Throughput Computing, cloud platforms, and research storage. The post-holder will shape next-generation networking and large-scale systems underpinning nationally significant programmes. Responsibilities include managing engineering staff, assuring service reliability, and guiding adoption of emerging technologies. Candidates need substantial experience in research computing infrastructure, plus leadership skills and knowledge of modern cloud and HPC architectures. This role suits an engineer ready to influence long-term technical direction while maintaining operational excellence across a complex, multi-disciplinary environment.

Role Overview

As a Research Infrastructure Engineering Lead, you will act as one of the organisation's senior technical authorities for research infrastructure, combining strategic leadership, technical expertise, and team management responsibilities. You will lead the design, evolution, and operation of critical research computing platforms, including High Performance Computing (HPC), High Throughput Computing (HTC), storage, cloud, and networking services, ensuring they remain reliable, scalable, secure, and capable of meeting future research demands. Alongside your technical leadership responsibilities, you will manage and develop a team of Infrastructure Engineers, driving innovation, technical excellence, and the successful delivery of complex infrastructure projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the strategic development, enhancement, and lifecycle management of large-scale research infrastructure platforms
• Oversee the operation and reliability of High Performance Computing (HPC), High Throughput Computing (HTC), cloud, storage, and networking services
• Provide technical leadership for infrastructure architecture, integration, and service design
• Line manage and develop a team of Infrastructure Engineers, fostering a high-performance and collaborative culture
• Lead complex infrastructure and research technology projects from design through to implementation and operational support
• Develop technical roadmaps and support long-term investment planning across research computing technologies
• Act as a senior escalation point for infrastructure issues, technical challenges, and major incidents
• Build strong relationships with researchers, academic stakeholders, suppliers, and external partners
• Evaluate emerging technologies and drive innovation across research computing services
• Develop technical specifications, risk assessments, and implementation strategies for major infrastructure initiatives
• Represent the organisation within national and international research and technology communities

Essential Skills and Experience

• Degree-qualified or equivalent, with substantial experience in infrastructure engineering or research computing environments
• Significant experience designing, implementing, and supporting large-scale research or enterprise infrastructure
• Strong expertise in one or more of:
  • High Performance Computing (HPC)
  • High Throughput Computing (HTC)
  • Large-scale research storage platforms
  • High-performance networking
  • Private cloud infrastructure (e.g. OpenStack)
• Extensive Linux systems administration experience
• Strong understanding of compute, storage, networking, security, identity management, and research technology ecosystems
• Experience with automation, DevOps, Infrastructure as Code, CI/CD, and configuration management tools
• Proven experience leading complex technical projects and delive…