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 Alan Turing Institute is looking to appoint a Research Project Manager, Tools, Practices and Systems. The successful candidate will coordinate and support work within the Tools, Practices and Systems (TPS) programme. The TPS programme at the Turing represents a cross-cutting set of initiatives which seek to build open source infrastructure that is accessible to all, and to empower a global, decentralised network of people who connect data with domain experts.

This role will include administering a portfolio of high impact research projects, as well as overseeing, planning, organising and communicating the activities generated by those projects.

The post holder will work with the Programme Lead and academic researchers to coordinate each research project from concept to implementation; this will involve understanding the resource requirements for each project, drawing up detailed financial plans, coordinating funding applications, agreeing on clear milestones for each project, ensuring that the deliverables are completed on schedule, as well as providing regular updates to the Institute’s leadership on the progress of each project.

The Research Project Manager, Tools, Practices and Systems will also coordinate and support multi-disciplinary teams of research engineers, data scientists and other researchers across a range of partners. These include universities and research centres across the spectrum of UK Research and Innovation funding areas as well as UK businesses, charities and third-sector organisations. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the growth and development of one of the Turing’s most interdisciplinary programmes of research.

The Research Project Manager, Tools, Practices and Systems will also need to liaise closely with Institute research and operations staff, in London, at university and research centre partners, to perform their duties.

Duties and Responsibilities

Research Project Management and Delivery

• Coordinate and oversee the delivery of research projects. This will involve:
• Working with the research teams to outline the resource requirements for each project, to support them in applying for funding (if needed), to agree on clear milestones for each project, and to ensure that the deliverables are completed on schedule;
• Working with the Turing’s finance team to draw up detailed financial plans for each project and with the Institute’s legal counsel to put the right contracts in place;
• Providing regular updates to the Institute’s leadership on the progress of each project;
• Working alongside the communications team to disseminate the findings of each project.
• Coordinate some of the programme’s events, training, and knowledge exchange initiatives. This will involve:
• Working alongside researchers and the programme’s leadership to identify a suitable venue for each initiative, to shape the agenda, to create the guest list, to publicise the initiative, and to ensure that meeting minutes are taken and distributed.
• Maintain up-to-date records that enable effective monitoring, control and evaluation of the programme’s research initiatives;
• Produce regular reports on activity to external partners and funders.

Programme Operations and Resources Management

• Perform resources planning and financial analysis for the programme. This will involve assisting in the preparation of the programme’s budget, anticipating future staffing and operational needs, identifying potential funding sources, as well as managing the programme’s office space and payment of expenses;
• Coordinate the delivery of strong programme governance. This will involve developing, writing, and editing reports and presentations for the Institute’s senior leaders, Board of Trustees, and funders, which outline the programme’s progress and initiatives;
• Working with the HR team, organise the recruitment of additional programme researchers or administrative staff. This will involve writing job advertisements, organising interview panels, and overseeing the onboarding process for new hires;
• Provide day-to-day support to the Programme Director and programme research leadership.

ESSENTIAL

Qualifications and experience

• Degree or equivalent level of professional qualifications and/or experience;
• Relevant experience in project management, preferably in an open-source environment.

Skills

• Strong project management and organisational skills: the ability to plan, execute, and keep on schedule numerous projects in an organised fashion;
• Strong multi-tasking skills: the ability to balance competing priorities with minimal direction while maintaining a high standard of accuracy and attention to detail;
• Strong problem-solving skills: the ability to pinpoint problem areas and to identify creative solutions;
• Strong verbal and written communications skills: the ability to communicate effectively and clearly with stakeholders in academia, the public sector, and industry;
• Strong interpersonal skills: the ability to form and maintain relationships with a wide range of people at all levels;
• Strong analytical skills: the ability to define, measure, and track key metrics for each project;
• Budget management and financial processes.

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 scientific or engineering discipline, or equivalent level of professional qualifications and/or experience;
• Experience in managing complex research projects involving internal and external partners;
• Experience with open research, open source software, participatory and community-led co-creation or team science;
• Knowledge of git for version control and GitHub (or GitLab) for project management and community engagement;
• 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 closely with Finance team on budget planning, reporting, reconciliations;
• An interest in data-driven research.

Term and Conditions

This full-time post is offered on a permanent basis. The annual salary for this post is £35,000 - £42,000 (dependent on skills and experience) plus excellent benefits, including flexible working and family friendly policies, https://www.turing.ac.uk/work-turing/why-work-turing/employee-benefits

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, 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 020 3862 3575 or email [email protected].

Closing date for applications: 6 September 2020

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, religion or belief or sexual orientation. Reasonable adjustments are available to support candidates through the application and interview process.

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.