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.

Project Bluebird is a partnership between NATS and The Alan Turing Institute, supported through a very recently announced Prosperity Partnership investment from EPSRC.

The Turing and NATS have been working together since 2018, on a research project https://www.turing.ac.uk/research/research-projects/decision-making-under-uncertainty-air-traffic-control and on two Turing Data Study Group challenges. For more information about the impact of the collaboration so far please see https://www.turing.ac.uk/research/impact-stories/putting-ai-air-traffic-control

The collaboration is now embarking on this new programme of research under the Prosperity Partnership award, led by Tim Dodwell (Turing AI Fellow at University of Exeter) with Evelina Gabasova (Turing Principal Research Data Scientist), Mark Girolami (professor at University of Cambridge [also Turing Programme Director for Data Centric Engineering programme]), Richard Everson (Professor of Machine Learning at University of Exeter and Turing Fellow), Edmond Awad (Assistant Professor at University of Exeter), Adrian Weller (Turing Programme Director for the AI programme), and our partners at NATS including Richard Cannon (Research Lead).

The ambition of this partnership between NATS and The Alan Turing Institute is to develop the fundamental science to deliver the world's first AI system to control a section of airspace in live trials.

The collaborative research will take a hierarchical approach to air traffic control (ATC) by developing a digital twin alongside a multiagent machine-learning control system for UK airspace. Furthermore, the partnership will develop technical approaches to deploy trustworthy AI systems, considering how safety, explainability and ethics are embedded within our methods, so that we can deliver new tools which work in harmony with human air traffic controllers in a safety-critical environment.

ROLE PURPOSE

Programme Managers oversee and manage delivery of research projects within the designated programme/s, within funding parameters and to meet agreed delivery milestones and impact objectives.

The post holder plans, organises and communicates the start-up of individual projects and initiatives and is responsible for oversight of ongoing activities within the Programme. Funding may originate from Research Councils, external partners and sponsors, or Turing core funding.

Programme Managers report either to a Senior Programme Manager or the Director of Programme Management, and may have line management responsibility for one or more Research Project Managers.

Their relationships are broad and varied, spanning a diverse team of academic research and business staff within the Institute, together with researchers and operational and senior stakeholders within partner organisations (both university partners and funding partners).

This post holder will manage Project Bluebird, the Institute’s Turing-NATS Prosperity Partnership programme of research, and coordinate interactions with NATS and funders EPSRC, as well as other project partners and academic collaborators, in collaboration with colleagues in Partnerships team. The Programme Manager role is responsible for facilitating smooth operational links between the partner universities and research institutes as well as close working within The Alan Turing Institute to deliver high-quality research projects, research programmes, and knowledge exchange in data science and AI.

The role will work closely with:

• The Principal Investigator and Co-Investigators, who provide scientific leadership for the programme, and rely on programme management services.
• Senior Programme Managers, Programme Managers, Research Project Managers and researchers across Turing Programmes, especially with colleagues on programmes to which DCE is aligned.
• Researchers active within the programme including Research Engineering Group colleagues.
• The functions in the COO’s office, including Finance, HR and Recruitment, Legal, Training, Academic Engagement, Events, Communications.
• Partnerships team, who initiate and nurture non-academic partnerships, shape research projects with partners, negotiate collaborative research contracts, funding and data sharing arrangements.
• Strategic and Project Partners/Funders, who are important stakeholders in post-award delivery and where the effective relationship management and timely reporting provided by Programme Management maximise the opportunity to grow and further build partnerships.
• Universities & other research employers, to formalise how researchers will be engaged and funded, working with local Research Offices or HR teams

DUTIES AND AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

• Oversee the delivery of a programme 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 PI and Co-Is in the implementation of robust programme management processes and protocols.
• Ensure the programme complies with Institute policies and governance.
• Responsible for performance management and professional development of one or more Research Project Managers (where applicable).
• Work with the Programme Director and other colleagues to 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, including managing formal reporting requirements, highlighting risks and opportunities to stakeholders, internally and externally.
• Cultivate strong relationships with programme stakeholders including strong open working relationship with NATS.

Other duties

• Other duties within the scope and scale of the role, in response to business requirements and direction of the Line Manager and/or Director of Programme Management

Essential

• Degree or equivalent level of professional qualifications and/or experience
• Demonstrated project management and organisational skills
• Significant experience managing multi-disciplinary projects, involving external and internal partners
• Budget management and financial processes
• Experience working with Finance on budget planning, reporting, reconciliations

Desirable

• Degree in a relevant subject or demonstrated interest in data science and artificial intelligence;
• 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.
• Significant experience in managing large UKRI funding awards (or equivalent such awards e.g. EU grants) including understanding of the terms and conditions of such funding
• Experience working with or in industry research projects
• Experience in monitoring and evaluating proposals;

Please see the Job Description for a full breakdown of the Person Specification.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

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 and covering letter. If you have questions about the role or would like to apply using a different format, please contact them on 020 3862 3575, or email [email protected].

If you are applying for more than one role at the Turing, please note that only one Cover Letter can be visible on your profile at one time. If you wish to apply for multiple roles and do not want to overwrite your existing Cover Letter, please apply for the role using the button below and forward your additional cover letter directly to [email protected] quoting the job title.

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS: 20th SEPTEMBER at 23.59

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

This full-time post is offered on a fixed term basis until June 2026. Job share applications are also welcome. Please indicate in your cover letter whether you are interested in the full time or job share option. The annual salary for full-time hours is £46,000 - £50,000, plus excellent benefits, including flexible working and family friendly policies, https://www.turing.ac.uk/work-turing/why-work-turing/employee-benefits

If the role is filled as a job share, hours will be semi-flexible, however at some overlapping working hours will be required for communication between the two Programme Managers and the majority of the working week will need to have cover available on any given day.

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND 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 reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

Reasonable adjustments to the interview process will be made for any candidates with a disability.

Please note all offers of employment are subject to obtaining and retaining the right 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].