Computing and Information Services

Grade 7: - £33,797 - £40,322 per annum
Fixed Term - Full Time
Contract Duration: 2 years
Contracted Hours per Week: 35
Closing Date: 21-May-2021, 6:59:00 AM 

The Department and role purpose   

The Computing and Information Services Department (CIS) has an annual operational budget in the order of £10m, multi-million pound programmes of change within year, and approximately 140 staff who are predominately based at the Durham University campus. The Senior Leadership Team report directly to the Chief Information Officer with the following portfolios: Strategy and Change; Operations; and Information Systems. CIS provides academic, teaching and administrative services across the organisation that underpin the day-to-day activities of the whole organisation. 

Recent infrastructure improvements include investment in a new network backbone, including new cabling which runs throughout the city to all of the Universities core buildings, new scalable user facing storage, and a new hosting environment. Corresponding business led investment also continues to be made with a new Oracle Enterprise Resource Planning suite, investment in research administration, and maximising the breadth of opportunities available to the University through Microsoft 365, alongside numerous other important initiatives.  

CIS is a friendly, but demanding department, where much is expected and can be achieved by competent, self-motivated individuals who are demonstrable in their team work ability.

As a part of the Collaboration Services Team the post holder will be involved in the adoption, configuration, deployment, support and maintenance of Microsoft 365 and collaborative information systems and applications.

You will work closely with teams across Computing and Information Services including application development and infrastructure teams in order to carry out activities such as Microsoft 365 adoption and administration, application development, performance management and security monitoring. You will also work closely with professional support services, Durham University students and academic colleagues in departments and research institutes.

Core responsibilities:

• Recognised professional practitioner and service specialist.
• Implement changes to the design and development of service processes, techniques and deliverables for one or more service strands or project streams.
• Provide specialist expertise and support with complexity of data and information sources, interpretation and analysis.
• Contribute to development of operational service activities to ensure excellence in the stakeholder experience.
• Collect and analyse stakeholder feedback to help define needs and requirements and the design and planning of services.
• Internal and external relationship development and partnership working, networking and participation to engage and influence future services and the University reputation.
• Identify and design activities to meet learning objectives and outcomes.
• Deliver training, teaching and/or development delivery for stakeholders.
• Maintain an awareness of current policy for University business goals such as widening participation and access, and provision of advice using specialist knowledge.
• Contribute to and lead business meetings, working groups and sub-committees at departmental and operational service levels.

Role responsibilities:

• Recognised professional practitioner in Microsoft technologies, including, Microsoft Azure, 365, Power Platform and Teams.
• Implement changes to the design and development of intelligent applications and natural language AI solutions.
• Provide management for the delivery of high-quality infrastructure support services across the University.
• Promote and foster positive and highly collaborative approaches to problem solving and project implementation, helping to motivate, mentor and coach project team members.
• Act as a point of contact for service colleagues and stakeholders to interpret and resolve complex infrastructure, architecture and technical problems.
• Make decisions about the nature and level of problem solving, physical and analytical tools, techniques and protocols to deliver project and service objectives, providing advice and making recommendations for resolution as appropriate.
• Collaborate with other specialists within the Service and across the University, regarding the use of modelling and analytical tools, methods and standards to deliver integrity and consistency with service delivery.
• Schedule and monitor service maintenance and installation works, projects and work streams across the University.
• Provide regular status reports and identify risk management and contingency planning to other service staff, specialists, users and managers.
• Liaise with internal and external agencies, local authorities, industries and visitors where appropriate.
• Take responsibility for monitoring and updating risk assessments and safety procedures for the service, providing guidance to others where necessary.
• Develop, modify and optimise protocols and methodologies.
• Any other reasonable duties.

Specific role requirements

This role will occasionally require out of normal working hours during periods of change and major incidents.

Recruiting to this post 

In order to be considered for interview, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification.

In some cases, the recruiting panel may also consider the desirable criteria, so we recommend you evidence all criteria in your application.  

Please note that some criteria will only be considered at interview stage.

How to apply 

We prefer to receive applications online.

Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement https://www.dur.ac.uk/ig/dp/privacy/pnjobapplicants/ which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.

What you are required to submit

1. A CV; 
2. Examples of how you satisfy the essential criteria in the person specification, this will require completion of the 'Questionnaire' application section.

Please ensure that you submit all documentation listed above or your application cannot proceed to the next stage.

Contact details 

For further information please contact; Beth Gordon; beth.gordon@durham.ac.uk

At Durham University, our aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work.  We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

We will notify you on the status of your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to ensure you receive all emails.

Job Family: Estates and Information Infrastructure Services

OUR CHARACTERISTICS: We are welcoming, collegiate and inclusive. 

OUR VALUES: We are motivated, inquisitive, challenging, rigorous and innovative.

Durham University

Durham University is one of the world's top universities with strengths across the Arts and Humanities, Business, Sciences and Social Sciences. We are home to some of the most talented scholars and researchers from around the world who are tackling global issues and making a difference to people's lives. 

The University sits in a beautiful historic city where it shares ownership of a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Durham Cathedral, the greatest Romanesque building in Western Europe. A collegiate University, Durham recruits outstanding students from across the world and offers an unmatched wider student experience.

Durham University seeks to promote and maintain an inclusive and supportive environment for work and study that assists all members of our University community to reach their full potential. Diversity brings strength and we welcome applications from across the international, national and regional communities that we work with and serve.

It is expected that all staff within the University:

• Contribute to our learning culture by engaging in mentoring, training and coaching.
• Positively contribute to fostering a collegial environment; as well as demonstrating commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Have due regard to Health and Safety requirements appropriate to grade and role.

Family key attributes

Roles in this family manage and maintain the integrity of University buildings, estates and information services.

Overall family purpose

• Ensure safe, sustainable and fit for purpose buildings, internal and external environments in and on which to conduct University business.
• Liaise and engage with stakeholders across the University to identify and plan infrastructure projects to update and improve services and facilities.
• Align services to meet organisational strategic and operational objectives.
• Design new, adapt existing and implement services, working with external contractors and suppliers.
• Manage and monitor systems, mechanisms and processes to ensure compliance with internal and external regulations.
• Implement procedures to ensure safe and secure buildings, facilities, estates and information networks.
• Design and construct real and virtual test environments to ensure the most fit for purpose technology and services are available to underpin University business needs.
• Manage technology driven services and third-party platforms to underpin teaching, learning, research and administrative activities across the University.
• Engage with external suppliers, contractors, manufacturers and developers to ensure the highest-standards and quality of buildings, estates and information services.
• Work collaboratively and network across the University with staff in other families to ensure a smooth, timely and high-quality delivery of service.

Link to key strategic plan

• An economically sustainable approach to delivering infrastructure services across the University;
• Develop an academic estate that will allow the University to deliver world-class education, research and student experience;
• Ensure the long-term availability of suitable residential accommodation;
• Ensure the continuing renewal and maintenance of our estate;
• Improve the environmental sustainability and ease of travel around our estate and city locations;
• Support and facilitate a first-rate digital learning environment and experience on a par with the best in the UK;
• Running and ongoing development of a first-rate digital learning environment on a par with the best in the UK
• A stakeholder-focused orientation, offering satisfying careers to all staff;
• Ensure that an increasingly diverse workforce is treated equally, fairly and with respect, and that all staff are demonstrably valued and actively engaged.

Person specification - skills, knowledge, qualifications and experience required

Essential Criteria

1. Excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to develop excellent working relationships both internally and externally. 
2. Proven IT skills, including the advanced use of Microsoft Office.
3. Educated to degree level (or equivalent experience/professional qualification).
4. Experience of supporting services in a customer-focused and structured approach.
5. Proven experience in Microsoft 365 and Azure.
6. Demonstrable technical problem-solving skills.
7. Experience in developing excellent working relationships both internally and externally.
8. Continuing professional development required to maintain professional recognition.
9. Knowledge of and commitment to the appropriate application of intelligent automation and AI technology.
10. Ability to solve problems and resolve issues, plan solutions and make pragmatic decisions.
11. Knowledge and experience of ensuring compliance with regulatory and organisational policy and guidelines.   
12. Ability to manage workload and prioritise effectively, working under own initiative or collaboratively in a small team within a pressurised environment.
13. Good interpersonal skills with the ability to work with customers to understand end-user requirements, explain solution capabilities and translate these into effective technical solutions.
14. Regulatory, local and national professional knowledge and experience of compliance.
15. Experience of being able to network effectively and develop strong and productive working relationships.

Desirable Criteria

1. ITIL Foundation
2. Significant operational experience with Microsoft 365 and Azure, at enterprise level. 
3. Knowledge and experience of using Microsoft technologies, including, Microsoft Azure (Bot Framework, Machine Learning, Cognitive Services and Azure Data Platform), Microsoft 365, Power Platform and Teams.
4. Experience of release and deployment management tools (e.g. version control, automated testing, etc.)
5. Continuing professional development required to maintain professional recognition.

DBS Requirement: Not Applicable.