Software Engineer (KTP Associate) - Fixed term for 24 months

Closing Date: 23.59 hours GMT on Sunday 07 January 2024

Interview Date: Monday 22 January 2024

AFJ Limited and the College of Computing located within STEAMhouse at Birmingham City University are looking to appoint a high calibre graduate (graduated within the last five years) as a Software Engineer (KTP Associate).

This position forms part of the Knowledge Transfer programme (KTP), co-funded by a grant from Innovate UK and AFJ Limited. It is essential you understand the fundamentals of how a KTP works between a business and the University and the vital role you will play if you successfully secure this position. The Software Engineer (KTP Associate) will have access to a wider range of benefits including a personal development budget of £4,000 to upskill during the project. For more information, please go to: http://bcuadvantage.co.uk/funding/knowledge-transfer-partnerships

The successful candidate will be employed by Birmingham City University, working fulltime delivering a 24-month KTP project in partnership with AFJ Limited.  

AFJ Limited provide one of the biggest fleets of minibuses, Ambulance services, private hire, and school transport in Birmingham, as well as fleet maintenance services. For more information, please go to: www.afjltd.co.uk  

The successful candidate recruited for this position will be employed as an Software Engineer (KTP Associate). This role presents an exciting opportunity to work in collaboration with leading academics at BCU to apply knowledge and technical innovation, delivered on site at the company. The Software Engineer (KTP Associate) should have a minimum 2.1 University qualification in a relevant subject area and should be graduated within the last five years.

Location and reporting: 

• The Software Engineer (KTP Associate) position will be based partly at AFJ’s site and partly at Birmingham City University in our STEAMhouse facility
• The successful candidate will have full access to Birmingham City University’s resources such as offices, labs, and library to complete the KTP project (a workplan has already been written with KPIs and outcome deliverables)
• The Software Engineer (KTP Associate) will be supervised and mentored by both a lead academic and academic supervisor academics from BCU’s College of Computing within the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment (CEBE) as well as a company supervisor located at AFJ Limited who’s aim is to assist the Software Engineer to deliver the knowledge into the AFJ Limited and successfully deliver the 24 month KTP project on behalf of AFJ Limited and Birmingham City University

Main duties and Responsibilities: 

• The Software Engineer (KTP Associate) will be responsible for developing a platform for optimizing routing and staffing to aid AFJ Limited business growth. The platform will leverage Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) algorithms to develop a bespoke platform which will aid users at AFJ to perform day-to-day activities more efficiently
• The Software Engineer (KTP Associate) will be in charge of designing the system's architecture, exploring multiple data sources to inform the system algorithms, and developing the web-based portal to achieve this goal
• The Software Engineer (KTP Associate) will be expected to have a deep understanding of data acquisition, cleansing, data wrangling, and diverse data streams to enable efficient vehicle performance monitoring from onboard telemetry and optimize maintenance scheduling
• The Software Engineer (KTP Associate) must also be adept at applying their knowledge to commercial projects, driving value and making an impact where possible, with an ability to solve problems and create innovative solutions

The Software Engineer (KTP Associate) must have the following key attributes to ensure the project’s successful completion.

Skills and Experience: 

Essential Skills: 

• First degree (equivalent to First Class or 2:1 Honours) or a Master's degree in a computing discipline (nearing completion considered)
• Proficiency with development tools, such as Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) and debuggers
• Competence in designing efficient and reliable software for computing systems
• Excellent communication skills to express ideas effectively, orally, graphically and in writing to articulate complicated matters between the academics and the company project team members
• Enthusiastic, self-motivated, and able to take a proactive role that will successfully deliver the work plan in the proposal
• An ability to work to tight deadlines (with attention to detail) and maintain high standards of work
• An ability and aptitude to work effectively as part of an interdisciplinary team; and self-management and planning skills to make optimum use of time; and
• Strong leadership skills in successfully implementing and embedding new innovations within a company or organisation

 Desirable Skills: 

• Knowledge of fundamental AI and ML concepts and experience of development utilising AI and ML algorithms to deliver software modules
• Experience with real-time operating systems (RTOS) and low-level hardware interfaces
• Flexibility to work with a variety of hardware platforms and adapt to new technologies
• The ability to work well within a team and collaborate with software developers, and other stakeholders
• Understanding of software security and safety measures, especially in safety-critical applications
• A strong command of technical writing, including the ability to explain complex technical concepts in a clear and concise manner

For further information please contact Junaid Arshad (junaid.arshad@bcu.ac.uk), Moad Idrissi (moad.idrissI@bcu.ac.uk) and Waldo Cervantes (waldo.cervantes@bcu.ac.uk)

Further details:   

Job Description    

The appointed candidate will normally be employed through our subsidiary company BCU Support Services Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Birmingham City University.