Systems Engineer - KTP Associate (25 Months Fixed Term)

Birmingham City University and UB Healthcare Limited are looking to appoint a highly skilled graduate as a Systems Engineer (KTP Associate).

This role presents an exciting opportunity to work in collaboration with leading academics at Birmingham City University, to apply knowledge and technical innovation, delivered on site at the company. 

This Knowledge Transfer Project (KTP) is co-funded by a grant from Innovate UK and UB Healthcare Ltd. It is therefore essential you understand the fundamentals of the KTP collaboration between a UK business and a University works to deliver benefits for each (the company, the university, and the graduate) For more information please go to www.ktp.org.uk 

Personal Training & Development Budget: 

The Systems Engineer (KTP Associate) will have access to a wider range of benefits including a personal development budget of £4,167 to upskill during the project. 

Location and Reporting:

The successful candidate will be employed by Birmingham City University and seconded to work full-time onsite at UB Healthcare Ltd, Office 7, 16 Highlands Road, Shirley, Solihull, B90 4ND.  The Systems Engineer (KTP Associate) will deliver the 25-month KTP project in partnership Birmingham City University and UB Healthcare Ltd.

 UB Healthcare Ltd:

UB Healthcare Ltd, founded in 2022 in Birmingham, is a well-established and trusted NHS delivery partner specialising in Continuing Healthcare (CHC) assessments, reviews, complex case brokerage and community care placements. The company works closely with partners, including Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), Mental Health Trusts, and Welsh Health Boards, to deliver quality, timely, and effective care to patients in need. 

With the continually increasing demand for CHC support, UB Healthcare is looking to elevate and unleash its full potential by embarking on a digital transformation journey through this Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP). This project aims to embed a scalable, data-driven digital-platform capability within a private health care provider, developing an innovative software platform to increase operational capacity and position the company as a national leader in digital complex community care coordination. For further information please visit www.ubhealthcare.co.uk

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 project workplan written with KPIs and outcome deliverables has been written)

The Systems Engineer (KTP Associate) will be supervised and mentored by both a lead academic and academic supervisor academics from BCU’s Department of Computer Science within the School of Architecture, Built Environment, Computing and Engineering (ABCE) as well as a company supervisor located at UB Healthcare Ltd whose aim is to assist the Systems Engineer (KTP Associate) to deliver the knowledge into UB Healthcare Ltd and successfully deliver the 25-month KTP project on behalf of UB Healthcare Ltd and Birmingham City University. 

Main Duties and Responsibilities: 

The Systems Engineer KTP Associate will work on:

• Feasibility & Requirements Definition.
• System Architecture & Data Framework Design.
• Platform Development & Testing.
• AI Integration & Innovation.
• Deployment, Training & Knowledge Embedding.
• Support the preparation of impact reports, case studies and dissemination materials.
• Contribute to academic outputs in collaboration with the Knowledge Base.
• Developing training materials and embedding knowledge within the company.
• Producing academic dissemination outputs (conference/journal papers).

The role requires the successful candidate to design, develop, and embed an innovative, scalable, AI-enabled digital platform that will transform how UB Healthcare manages complex care placements, referrals, brokerage services, and operational decision-making.

The Systems Engineer (KTP Associate) will be expected to interact with the senior management, suppliers and clients of the company as well as BCU academics. 

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

Skills and Experience: 

The Systems Engineer (KTP Associate) will hold a relevant degree. This might be a first degree (equivalent to a first class or 2:1 honours) in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a closely related discipline.  A master’s degree or PhD (awarded, recently submitted, or near completion) in a similar discipline will be an advantage.

 Essential:

• A minimum 2:1 Honours degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering or a closely related discipline.
• Experience in full software development lifecycle (requirements analysis, design, development, testing, deployment).
• Experience working with version control systems (e.g., Git) and maintaining technical documentation.
• Strong programming skills in at least one modern back-end language (e.g., Mode.js/JavaScript, Java, Python, C#, or similar).
• Front-end development experience using modern frameworks (e.g., React, Angular or similar).
• Understanding of software architecture principles (e.g., modular design, layered architecture, microservices concepts).
• Knowledge of relational database design, data modelling, and data governance principles.
• Understanding of API design and system interoperability concepts.
• Experience implementing structured testing approaches (unit, integration, performance testing)

Desirable:

• A master's degree or PhD (awarded, recently submitted, or near completion) in a relevant field is highly desirable.
• Experience translating business requirements into technical system specifications.
• Knowledge of AI/ML fundamentals, including classification, regression, model validation, and performance metrics.
• Understanding of software security principles and data protection requirements (e.g., GDPR awareness).
• Familiarity with cloud-based or hybrid deployment environments.
• Experience designing and developing modular, scalable systems or distributed applications.
• Familiarisation with containerisation technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).
• Experience with performance/load testing tools.
• Familiarity with healthcare interoperability standards.

Personal Skills:

• Enthusiastic, self-motivated and able to take a proactive role in delivering the proposal's work plan successfully.
• Practical interpersonal skills to establish good working relationships with colleagues, stakeholders, and industrial partners.
• Excellent communication skills to express ideas adequately and articulate complicated matters between the academics and the company project team members, either orally or in writing.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and computational skills, along with being adept at applying knowledge to commercial projects, driving value and making an impact where possible.
• Strong leadership and project management skills.

For further information, please contact:  

Dr Gerald Feldman at Gerald.Feldman@bcu.ac.uk; Dr Miftah Ghneim at Miftah.Ghneim@bcu.ac.uk; Ensi Smajli at Ensi.Smajli@bcu.ac.uk 

Interviews will take place W/C 11th May 2026.

The appointed candidate will normally be employed through our subsidiary company BCU Support Services Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Birmingham City University. Appointees with prior LGPS membership who wish to enter the LGPS scheme will be able to do so and will be employed by Birmingham City University directly.

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and to an environment that supports lawful free speech and academic freedom. We will continuously review and improve our policies, practices, and procedures to ensure that we are promoting these in all aspects of our operations. We believe that by working together, combining our many different backgrounds and life experiences, we will empower each other to reach our full potential.