Technical Project Manager

Salary: £45,585 to £48,350 with progression to £54,395 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 16 April 2024

The Role

We are seeking a dynamic and motivated Technical Project Manager to become an integral part of the NIHR Innovation Observatory’s Data Science & AI Programme at Newcastle University.

The NIHR Innovation Observatory (IO) is a £27M initiative, funded by the NIHR and located at Newcastle University. The IO brings together, in one centre, evidence synthesis researchers, horizon scanning analysts, leading academics and data scientists to create a critical mass of expertise in observing and reporting on health innovation.

As the Technical Project Manager, you will lead the management and delivery of a portfolio of technical research and development projects. Your primary focus will be to drive the advancement and maintenance of OpenScan - the pivotal data science engine powering the array of tools and processes within the IO.

You will manage a small software research and development team of three staff and work in close collaboration with the Programme Lead. You will provide technical guidance and leadership to the team, so it’s important you have experience of hands-on software engineering. 

In this role, you’ll be based at our Newcastle Upon Tyne campus that has fantastic transport links and state of the art facilities. You’ll report to Dr Christopher Marshall, Principal Research Associate in Health Data Science. Chris has a PhD in Computer Science and has worked in health research, in both consultancy and academic environments for the last 10 years.

We offer a hybrid and flexible working model.

To apply for the position, we’ll need your CV and a covering letter outlining how you are suitable for the role using examples to highlight how you meet the essential criteria in the knowledge, skills and experience as listed in the job description.

This post is available fixed term until 31st March 2026 in the first instance.

For informal queries, please contact Dr Christopher Marshall at the following email address: chris.marshall@newcastle.ac.uk

Key Accountabilities

• Lead the management and successful delivery of a diverse portfolio of technical research and development projects
• Drive the advancement and continuous maintenance of OpenScan, the key data science engine supporting the Innovation Observatory
• Manage and coordinate technical staff to ensure effective collaboration and achievement of project milestones
• Work closely and collaboratively with the Programme Lead to align project objectives and outcomes with the IO’s wider vision and strategy

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Strong background in software engineering or computer science, with expertise in Python, Java or similar, guiding technical teams in solution development
• Ability to design and oversee the development of data pipeline architecture, ensuring optimisation and alignment with IO’s strategic objectives
• Experience in leading and managing a technical team 
• Successfully managed Technical Projects from inception to operational handover, overseeing delivery, risk management, and stakeholder coordination
• Proficient in producing and maintaining project documentation, ensuring comprehensive reporting for project progress and outcomes 
• Knowledge and/or experience of software engineering project management methodologies (e.g., waterfall, agile/scrum etc.)

Desirable

• Experience leading teams in building and managing NoSQL databases, data lakes, and warehouses for large-scale research datasets 
• Experience overseeing cloud data solutions, particularly AWS architecture, guiding implementation aligned with organisational goals
• Experience and/or familiarity with Elasticsearch for search and data analytics 
• Experience working in a technology-focused role within healthcare
• Experience and/or interest in large language models and generative AI applications 

Attributes and Behaviour

• Strong analytical decision making and problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication skills to convey complex technical concepts, collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams, and engage stakeholders at all levels across the IO

Qualifications

• Undergraduate qualification in Computer Science or a closely related discipline with significant technical experience.
• Postgraduate qualification is advantageous, but not required

Desirable

• Certification in Prince2 Project Management, or a closely related project management qualification

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 26861

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