Director of Technology

The Alan Turing Institute

Named in honour of Alan Turing, the Institute is a place for inspiring, exciting work and we need passionate, sharp, and innovative people who want to use their skills to contribute to our mission to make great leaps in data science and AI research to change the world for the better.

Please find more information about us here 

BACKGROUND

This is a time of change and opportunity for the Institute. We seek an exceptional candidate with a track record of leadership in complex high-ambition organisations who shares the mission to make leaps in AI and data science to change the world for the better. Our Grand Challenges - Defence and National Security, Environment and Sustainability and Transformation of Health - provide a common focus, inspiring diverse communities and capabilities to come together. The Grand Challenges are underpinned and augmented by work in Fundamental Research and Digital Society and Policy.

These five priority areas are supported by the technology delivery teams managed by this role. The directorate enables new scientific research, concepts and breakthroughs to become reality by providing expert software and data engineering capability, programme management, product management (Research Application Management) and adoption support (Research Community Management).

The Institute is seeking to recruit an experienced individual into this senior leadership role who, with support from the CEO and Chief Scientist, will have ultimate responsibility for technology delivery. Strong working relationships across the organisation will be critical, especially understanding the technical aims of Mission and GC Directors, in order to build effective cross-functional delivery teams and processes. Equally important is the proven ability to lead and navigate complex delivery with external partners and stakeholders, building strong relationships of trust to achieve shared clarity on what success looks like and supporting teams to deliver it.

The postholder will work closely with the leaders of the research infrastructure teams, and other teams across the Institute, to optimise our operating model to support and drive delivery of science and innovation priorities.

This role will report to the CEO and be a key member of both the Science Executive Team (SET) and the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and will make a pivotal contribution to delivering our science and innovation missions, ways of working and culture. 

CANDIDATE PROFILE

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced professional with a strong academic background, who holds a degree in technology, science, or engineering. The ideal candidate demonstrates ongoing commitment to professional development and stays current with technological and scientific advancements.

They will have experience leading complex technical operational teams and a strong ability to understand and resolve research challenges, including managing stakeholder interests to ensure impactful outcomes. The candidate should have a proven track record in developing and executing funding strategies across diverse organisations and demonstrated leadership as part of senior teams in complex environments. Experience driving strategic organisational change is essential.

Expertise in at least one of the following areas is required: computational or data infrastructure, data standards, research/software engineering, or programme and project management. Additionally, experience in implementing compliance and quality assurance processes is necessary.

DUTIES AND AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

• Lead accountability for designing and maintaining an effective operational model to support delivery of S&I Missions and Strategic Projects.
• Contribute to the development and delivery of the organisation’s overall strategy and missions, working closely with Mission and GC Directors, the Chief Scientist, Chief Strategy Officer, CEO and other colleagues.
• Identify and execute on opportunities to strengthen the delivery infrastructure of the Institute, for example by setting technical standards and patterns, delivering reusable services and components, and otherwise smoothing the path to delivery of impact and scientific excellence
• Support delivery by building effective relationships with senior technical counterparts in partner organisations; stand ready to lean in to support and drive key Institute delivery priorities as needed, working out what’s needed for success in complex and sometimes ambiguous stakeholder relationships.
• Maintain a network of senior technical relationships across a wide range of external organisations and key Institute stakeholders to inform our strategic choices and be attuned to trends and developments.
• Work with the heads of teams to create an effective Technology Delivery leadership team and maintain the positive culture of technical excellence, curiosity, personal development and support within teams.
• Line-management of the heads of team and ensure the professional development of these individuals, including career development and succession planning.
• With the heads of teams, oversee strategic planning and financial analysis of these areas, identify risks and work across teams as required.
• Ensure the Institute has robust plans for access to sufficient compute and other technical resources, working with other senior colleagues to secure from government or commercial partners, and steward these resources effectively on behalf of the Institute.
• Contribute positively to our values-led, high-performance culture and play a proactive role in achieving our equality, diversity and inclusion objectives.  

Terms and Conditions

This post is offered on a permanent basis, at an annual salary starting from £120,000 plus excellent benefits, including flexible working and family friendly policies, Employee-only benefits guide | The Alan Turing Institute

You must hold the right to work in the UK. If you require sponsorship to work in the UK, please contact recruitment@turing.ac.uk to discuss further. The Turing offers relocation and visa support in accordance with its policy.

The Institute is headquartered in Kings Cross, London and so while we operate a hybrid working model you will be expected to spend time there each week to connect to your peer group and to work with teams across the Institute.

Application procedure

Please see our jobs portal for full details on how to apply and the interview process via the 'Apply' buttton above. 

Equality Diversity and Inclusion

We are committed to making sure our recruitment process is accessible and inclusive. 

This includes making reasonable adjustments for candidates who have a disability or long-term condition. Please contact us at adjustments@turing.ac.uk  to find out how we can assist you.