RSE Service Lead

Role Summary

Advanced Research Computing (ARC), at the University of Birmingham, is seeking to appoint a new RSE Service Lead, to join, and lead, a highly motivated and dynamic group of Research Software Engineers (RSEs) dedicated to supporting the University’s researchers.

As the successful candidate, you will be an expert in Research Software Engineering who will exercise a substantial degree of independent professional responsibility and discretion. You will be a senior individual contributor and a leading expert in specialist areas. You will take a strategic lead for the RSE Service in collaboration with senior management in ARC and ensure it is in line both ARC's and the University's strategic objectives.

As an award winning team, ARC has earned a national and international profile for both innovation and delivery. You will lead a team currently of fifteen RSEs, directly line managing three "Senior RSE and Manager" staff - who in turn each line manage four RSEs or Senior RSEs. We envisage this service and therefore this team continuing to grow, and you will take a lead in driving that growth while ensuring the service continues to operate effectively and on a sustainable footing.

While this is mainly a leadership role (25% line management and 35% service leadership), the role does include a substantial (40%) technical aspect. This technical work will often take the form of technical advice, review or oversight of the technical work of others, but would also include opportunities to be the main technical person on short projects. It will be important to retain technical credibility by doing such tasks, in order to effectively lead the service and your team. You will contribute to maintaining the supportive and collaborative culture, interacting with other team members and sharing knowhow on a daily basis.

We welcome candidates looking for flexible working patterns. There is an expectation that candidates will spend at least two days on our wonderful campus each week and any flexible patterns will need to be agreed in advance.

Person Specification

• Educated to degree level (or equivalent qualifications) preferably in a subject with a strong software engineering component plus substantial work experience in a relevant technical/scientific and/or management/supervisory role in a specialist area, plus higher degree where appropriate. A postgraduate qualification that included substantial software engineering would be an advantage.
• Significant relevant experience supporting software and software development environments, ideally in a research environment.
• Experience of supporting researchers with complex requirements.
• Experience of mentoring and coaching technical staff, strategic thinking and line managing technical staff.
• Experience leading a technical service or project is desirable.

Informal enquires to Andrew Edmondson, email: a.c.edmondson@bham.ac.uk.

To download the full job description and details of this position and submit an electronic application online please click on the Apply button above.

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We value diversity and inclusion at the University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community and are open to discussions around all forms of flexible working

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