Lead Specialist Engineer - HPC & Cloud

Job description

Job responsibilities

Main duties continued

• Creating and maintaining comprehensive documentation, including procedures and protocols for technical staff and users, on the licensing, components, connectivity, configurations and operation of specialist systems and services, and supporting relevant hardware and software. Maintaining such documentation and ensuring it is up to date and in an auditable condition. Providing training, where appropriate, to technical staff and users to enable them to utilize HPC systems and services optimally.
• Monitoring and managing HPC, UNIX, Virtualization and Cloud platforms performance and capacity growth, providing advice on necessary upgrades and replacement of hardware and software so as to maintain the ability of UKHSA HPC, UNIX, Virtualization and Cloud platforms to support UKHSA business. Implementing hardware changes, upgrades, database upgrades and migrations to maintain system performance and growth capacity.
• Ensuring compliance with all relevant policies in UKHSA, HPC, UNIX, Virtualization and Cloud platforms usage.
• To maintain awareness of technical developments and research new technologies in HPC, UNIX, Virtualization and Cloud platforms with a view to providing advice on suitable deployment strategies for UKHSA. Advise on the choice of software solutions and hardware platforms for the management of Big Data and analytics platforms and solutions.
• Provide a level of work that adheres to the high standards and best practices in line with the SLAs as agreed with UKHSA Users.

The main purpose of the role is to manage, support and maintain the hardware and software components of mission critical High Performance Computing (HPC), Unix/Linux, virtualization and cloud platform required for the execution of UKHSA business. The post holder will be responsible for availability, performance, efficiency, monitoring, capacity planning, change management, emergency response, and expected to work in conjunction other UKHSA departments to ensure that the organisation is equipped with state-of-the-art technology to support the rapidly expanding public health services.

The role holder will also ensure that the HPC and Unix/Linux systems are correctly maintained and managed to provide authorized users with optimum levels of access to data and applications as and when required, in order to effectively conduct UKHSA business.

An in-depth working knowledge of Linux clustered computing environments, hybrid networks (Ethernet and InfiniBand), high performance parallel filesystems, software defined storage and enterprise class open source technologies is an essential requirement of this role.

This role will also support the expansion of HPC Cloud computing platform and associated environments to support the wider achievement of UKHSA business objectives. Software engineering skills are desirable to solve problems relating to mission critical services and build automation to prevent problem recurrence, with the goal of automating response to all non-exceptional service conditions.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Identify, discuss and action own professional performance and training / development needs with your line manager through appraisal / individual development plan. Attending internal / external training events.
• To participate in all mandatory training as required, i.e. fire safety, information governance and all other mandatory training.

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

The post holder will develop working relationships and communicate regularly with a wide range of individuals, clinical and non-clinical, internal and external to UKHSA. This will include;

Internal

• UKHSA business staff across all locations, disciplines, and levels of seniority, who constitute management, audit and control customers of HPC and Technology services
• Development and Operations Senior Management
• Local leads in Business Centres and Divisions; particularly Bioinformatics & Microbiology
• Project teams
• HPC and Technology staff in associated organisations and regulatory bodies, such as Connecting for Health (NHS etc)
• Auditors

External

• HPC and Cloud industry technical specialists
• Suppliers of HPC software, hardware and services
• Third party support providers at all levels
• Scientists of all levels
• Auditors

Essential Criteria

• A recognised industry standard qualification, such as RHCE, CIIT, MCSE or equivalent
• A degree in a relevant subject (e.g. Computer Science, HPC Computing) or equivalent level of knowledge
• Knowledge/substantive experience of: Enterprise class Linux distribution such as RHEL, CentOS, SUSE, Debian, Ubuntu; Basic storage configuration: LVM, iSCSI; Unix/Linux scripting; TCP/IP, DHCP, VLANs, spanning tree protocol, link aggregation for performance (MTU settings) and reliability requirements; Design/implementing Unix/Linux system and services open source solutions and performance tuning; Open-source storage technologies such as: Lustre, CEPH, NFS, SMB, Apache, Ngnix, HAproxy
• Experience of providing a support service for own specialist area
• Experience of implementing risk management processes and monitoring system risks
• Candidate must be able to demonstrate good verbal and written skills and be able to present complex information to a variety of audiences
• Possesses problem solving skills and the ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands
• Able to analyse complex facts and situations and develop a range of options
• Strategic thinking ability to anticipate and resolve problems before they arise
• Works well as part of a team and collaborates effectively across team and departmental boundaries

Selection Process Details:

Stage 1: Application & Sift- Success Profiles

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the above listed 10 essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:

• Application form (Employer/ Activity history section on the application)
• 500 word Statement of Suitability.

This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.

The application form and statement of suitability will be marked together.

In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:

• Meets all essential criteria
• Meets some essential criteria
• Meets no essential criteria

We will take through piles, 'meets all essential criteria' and 'meets some essential criteria' to shortlisting stage.

In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on:

Knowledge/substantive experience of: Enterprise class Linux distribution such as RHEL, CentOS, SUSE, Debian, Ubuntu; Basic storage configuration: LVM, iSCSI; Unix/Linux scripting; TCP/IP, DHCP, VLANs, spanning tree protocol, link aggregation for performance (MTU settings) and reliability requirements; Design/implementing Unix/Linux system and services open source solutions and performance tuning; Open-source storage technologies such as: Lustre, CEPH, NFS, SMB, Apache, Ngnix, HAproxy

Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a large number of applications/large amount of successful candidates (see attached job description).

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview and assessment

Please do not exceed 500 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview

You will be invited to a (single) remote interview.

Behaviours, technical, experience and abilities will be tested at interview.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be

• Delivering at Pace (Lead behaviour)
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing

Interviews dates to be confirmed.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Selection Process

Please note you will not be able to upload your CV. You must complete the application form in as much detail as possible. Please do not email us your CV.

Eligibility Criteria

External: Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our Core HQs. We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, averaged over a month, working at one of UKHSA's core HQs (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London).

Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport link and benefit from benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Security Clearance Level Requirement

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard

Person Specification

Application form

• Application form

Statement of Suitabililty

• Statement of Suitability

Behaviours

• Delivering at Pace (Lead behaviour)
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.

Employer details

Employer name

UK Health Security Agency

Address

UKHSA core locations

Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, London

E14 4PU

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-health-security-agency