The Alan Turing Institute is the UK’s national institute for data science and artificial intelligence. The Institute is named in honour of the scientist Alan Turing and its mission is to make great leaps in data science and artificial intelligence research in order to change the world for the better.

The Programme Manager (PM) will be working in a team of academic research and business staff within a unique scientific institution. The post holder will oversee, plan, organise and communicate the start-up and ongoing activities and functions of an Institute programme, which is funded either directly by the Institute or with Institute Partners and other sponsors.

This role will manage the Institute’s cross-Turing Programmes AI for Science and Government programme, and coordinate the interactions with the key programme stakeholder, EPSRC.

The post holder will line manage the Project Coordinator for ASG. The team delivers high-quality research projects, research programmes, and knowledge exchange in data science and AI.

The role reports to the Director of Programme Management and will work closely with:

• The Director of Special Projects, who provides scientific leadership for the programme, and the Associate Director of ASG, who provides strategic and operational oversight and direction for the programme
• The leads of each of the six ASG themes (the Directors of the aligned Programmes)
• Senior Programme Managers, Programme Managers, Research Project Managers and researchers across Turing Programmes, especially with Programme and Project Managers on the programmes to which ASG is aligned.
• The functions in the COO’s office, including Finance, HR, Legal, Training, Academic Engagement, Events, Communications.
• The Partnership Development team.

AI for Science and Government (ASG) https://www.turing.ac.uk/research/asg

At the end of 2018, the Alan Turing Institute was awarded a five-year £38.8 million research programme through UKRI’s Strategic Priorities Fund. AI for Science and Government (ASG) is delivered in partnership with the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and in collaboration with a number of other research councils.

The research activities will support UK priority areas which are nested within existing Institute programmes and aims to deploy AI and data science through six themes:

• Digital Twins: Urban Analytics underpinning the planning system;
• Digital Twins: Complex Engineering Systems in industry;
• Health: revolutionising health services through precision medicine;
• Criminal Justice System, laying foundations for AI in government departments and agencies;
• AI for Science: delivering AI into national labs;
• Tools, Practices and Systems, bringing best practice into domain areas.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Oversee the delivery of millions of pounds of data science and AI research, training and knowledge exchange programme initiatives, ensuring they are managed to business requirements, specification, time and budget.
• Provide support, advice, and challenge to the Programme Director in the implementation of robust programme management processes and protocols.
• With the Director of Special Projects and Associate Director of ASG and other colleagues, shape the programme strategy and set, implement, and regularly review programme objectives and activities, in alignment with the Institute’s strategies.
• Foster, grow and develop the research community engaging with the programme through activities that meet the mutual needs of the programme and the research community.
• Manage the budget for the programme, which includes estimating proposal/project costs, forecasting, tracking actuals, and reconciliations.
• Highlight impact, outcomes, outputs of the programme and promote its successes with stakeholders.
• Monitor all activities, review risks, issues and progress, taking actions or escalating as necessary to ensure minimum impact on programme.
• Deliver regular updates and communications of programme information, highlighting risks and opportunities to stakeholders, internally and externally.
• Cultivate strong relationships with programme stakeholders.
• Ensure programme complies with Institute policies and governance.

This job description is written at a specific time and is subject to change as the demands of the Institute and the role develop. The role requires flexibility and adaptability and the post holder needs to be aware that they may be asked to perform tasks and be given responsibilities not detailed in this job description.

The successful candidate will have:

Essential

1. Degree or equivalent level of professional qualifications and/or experience
2. Demonstrated project management and organisational skills
3. Experience managing multi-disciplinary projects, involving external and internal partners
4. Significant experience in managing large UKRI or EPSRC funding awards, including understanding of the terms and conditions of such funding
5. Clear and effective communication skills, whatever your personal style, with and to a wide range of people and audiences at all levels;
6. Stakeholder management, involving regular liaison with external bodies including funding bodies, industry, government and/or NGOs;
7. Budget management and financial processes
8. Production and analysis of reports

Desirable

We do not expect any candidate to have experience of all of the below! We are a learning team, combining many approaches in our work. Successful candidates will be able to demonstrate existing knowledge of more than one, depending on experience level, and, importantly, a commitment to develop new expertise in others.

• Degree in a relevant subject or demonstrated interest in data science and artificial intelligence;
• Experience in monitoring and evaluating proposals;
• Creative and effective facilitation of meetings, workshops and conferences;
• Ability to translate ideas into a defined project;
• Formal training in one or more project management processes (Scrum, Lean, Agile, Prince II etc) as well as familiarity with project management tools and software;
• Experience working with Finance on budget planning, reporting, reconciliations;
• Experience managing and monitoring academic research funding and research contracts;
• Experience with research governance structures and research ethics processes;
• Experience negotiating, for example in service contracts, resource management, contract requirements, milestones;
• Previous experience in a similar role;
• Experience as a line manager;
• Experience in facilitating research using sensitive data, and information governance.
• Especially desirable for this role is significant experience in managing large UKRI or EPSRC funding awards, including understanding of the terms and conditions of such funding

If you are interested in this opportunity, please click the apply button below. You will need to register on the applicant portal and complete the application form including your CV, covering letter and contact details for your referees. If you have questions about the role or would like to apply using a different format, please contact them on 0203 862 3357 or email [email protected].

Closing date for applications: 31 May

Terms and Conditions

Starting salary is £45,000 per annum, negotiable dependent on skills and experience. This is a full time, Fixed Term post up to 12 months (with potential for extension) to be held at the Institute’s site at the British Library, Euston Rd, London. Occasional travel nationally and internationally may be required to deliver the role. Occasional working evening and weekend hours may also be required. Secondments of suitable staff from relevant organisations (business, universities, government or charities) are welcome. A competitive benefits package is also available, please ask if you would like further details.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

The Alan Turing Institute is committed to creating an environment where diversity is valued and everyone is treated fairly. In accordance with the Equality Act, we welcome applications from anyone who meets the specific criteria of the post regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender reassignment, marital and civil partnership status, pregnancy, religion or belief or sexual orientation. Reasonable adjustments to the interview process can also be made for any candidates with a disability.

Please note all offers of employment are subject to continuous eligibility to work in the UK and satisfactory pre-employment security screening which includes a DBS Check.

Full details on the pre-employment screening process can be requested from [email protected].