Technical Specialist (Linux & Storage) at Durham University

Durham, England, United Kingdom -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

29 Apr, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

29 Jan, 26

Experience

5 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Yes

Skills

Linux, Storage Solutions, Communication Skills, Digital Competence, Open-Source Stacks, Configuration Management, Scripting, Problem Solving, Project Delivery, Health And Safety Compliance

Industry

Higher Education

Description

The University At Durham University we are proud of our people. A globally outstanding centre of educational excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting – Durham is a university like no other. We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things professionally and personally. Across the University we have a huge variety of roles and career opportunities, which together make us a large and successful community, which is a key hub of activity within our region and nationally. We would be thrilled if you would consider joining our thriving University. Further information about the University can be found here. Find out more about the benefits of working at the University and what it is like to live and work in the Durham area on our Why Join Us? - Information Page. The Role and the Department Computing and Information Services (CIS) is the central IT support service for Durham University. CIS work with departments across the university to provide academic, teaching and administrative services that underpin the day-to-day activities of the whole organisation. Details of the Digital Strategy and ongoing work can be found in our Digital Strategy. CIS is a friendly, but demanding department, where much is expected and can be achieved by competent, self-motivated individuals who demonstrate team work ability. The department works in a hybrid (remote and on-site) capacity with on-site attendance being required as and when the demands of the business require. This role is within the Infrastructure section; which has responsibility for Data Storage, Servers, Cloud, Virtualisation, Operating Systems, Networking, End User Compute and Physical Datacentres within CIS. The successful candidate will be responsible for design, configuration and support of new solutions and existing services primarily within the Linux and Storage teams, but also working with the other teams within CIS. To be successful in this role you should have experience of designing, implementing and supporting enterprise level IT services and solutions and be able to demonstrate excellent communication and organisational skills. You should have demonstrable evidence of supporting Linux systems and applications, as well as storage platforms at an enterprise scale. The base location for this role is Boldon House, our exciting new professional services hub. Boldon House is situated on the outskirts of Durham near the Arnison Centre in Pity Me. Boldon House brings a number of professional services teams together in a vibrant office environment which supports collaborative working and is designed to embrace hybrid working. To find out more, visit the project webpage: Boldon House – Durham University. Further information about the role and the responsibilities is at the bottom of this job description. Working at Durham A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: • You’ll receive 30 days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year – a total of 42 days per year. The University closes between Christmas and New Year. • We offer a generous pension scheme, and as a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS). • No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have ample parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies. You can also take advantage of our cost-effective and environmentally friendly Tusker Car Benefit Scheme, allowing you to lease a brand-new electric or hybrid vehicle with savings on tax and National Insurance. • We have a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally. There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University. All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities. • We provide wide-ranging health and wellbeing support including discounted membership for our state-of-the-art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme. • Our on-site nursery is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and you can access holiday camps for children aged 5-16. • Our family-friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers). • We offer all staff the opportunity to take part in volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community. • You can access exclusive discounts via our benefits portal including money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, eating out and days out at various attractions. • Various salary sacrifice schemes are also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits. • If you are moving to Durham, you may be eligible for help with removal costs, and we have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools. If you need a visa, we cover most visa costs and offer an interest-free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas. Discover more about our total rewards and benefits package here. Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work. As a University equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our values and our Staff Code of Conduct. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive. 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. If you have taken time out of your career, and you feel it relevant, let us know about it in your application. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role. What you need to demonstrate when you apply/Person Specification When you apply it is important that you let us know what skills/experience you have from a similar role and/or what skills/experience you have which would make you right for this role. Further information about the role and responsibilities is at the end of this job description. Where a criteria has an asterisk* next to it, it may be given additional weighting when your application is considered. Your application should cover the following criteria: Essential Criteria Qualifications/Experience 1. Educated to degree level (or equivalent experience). 2. Professional practitioner with knowledge and expertise in IT service provision. 3. Experience of participating in internal or external networks to share and discuss good practice and develop strong and productive working relationships. 4. * Experience of delivering and developing specialist IT service provision. 5. * Experience of providing specialist advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues, including more senior colleagues. 6. Experience of implementing policies and procedures and supporting service improvements. Skills/Abilities/Knowledge 7. Excellent spoken and written communication skills including the ability to develop effective working relationships, both internally and externally. 8. * Strong digital competence and proven experience in delivering technical solutions across enterprise-scale Linux platforms. 9. * Extensive hands-on experience with open-source stacks (e.g. Apache, PHP, MySQL/MariaDB, and related tooling), utilising configuration management tools such as Puppet to ensure stable, secure, and high-performing environments that deliver reliable user-facing services. 10. * Proven digital expertise with a strong track record of delivering technical solutions across enterprise-scale storage platforms. 11. * Experience with scripting in e.g. Bash and Python3 to automate administrative workflows, streamline operations, and minimise manual intervention across systems. 12. Committed to continuing professional development to maintain professional recognition. 13. Professional knowledge and experience of compliance and regulations. 14. Ability to solve problems and decide on and plan appropriate solutions. 15. Ability to play a key role in the delivery of infrastructure projects. 16. Knowledge and experience of health and safety issues, such as risk assessments. 17. Knowledge and experience of ensuring compliance with regulatory and organisational policy and guidelines. Desirable Criteria 18. ITIL Foundation Qualification 19. Experience with DDI (DNS, DHCP, IPAM) platforms in large, multi-site environments. 20. Familiarity with NetApp storage platforms. How to Apply To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification above. It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider any desirable criteria, but we would urge candidates to provide evidence for all criteria. Please don’t forget to check if there is any weighted criteria (see above). While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview. Submitting your application We prefer to receive applications online. We will update you about 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 make sure you have not missed any of our updates. What you need to submit • A CV: and • A supporting statement or covering letter which outlines how you meet all of the criteria within the Person Specification. • A case study to demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria Contact details For a chat about the role or any further information please contact Barry Simpson – b.m.simpson@durham.ac.uk Typical Role Requirements Service Delivery/Development · Show a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, and the University’s values. · Provide specialist advice and guidance relating to your professional area of expertise in line with the University’s policies, regulations and values. · Operate as a point of expertise for colleagues and other stakeholders, helping to interpret and resolve complex infrastructure, architecture and technical problems. · Manage the delivery of CIS managed services across the University to a high standard. · Provide the best possible service by continually reviewing what is required from staff, students and others who you work with and contribute to ideas and service improvements. · Provide specialist knowledge and support when interpreting and analysing complex data and information sources. · Look for ways to improve processes, services and customer satisfaction across all areas of your work. · Identify any learning needs that should be met by delivered services and design activities and arrange any training. · Ensure safe working practices by monitoring and updating risk assessments and safety procedures. Planning and Organisation · Plan, manage and deliver assigned projects and activities using appropriate tools to deliver agreed objectives and solve any problems which you encounter. · Schedule and monitor projects, maintenance and continual service improvement across the University. · Seek feedback from key stakeholders so that services are planned and adapted to meet customer expectations and future needs. · Meet the development needs of your stakeholders by providing training when required. · Manage budgets and expenditure including buying (and returning) goods and services. Communication/Liaison · Use your operational expertise to lead and participate in business meetings, working groups and sub-committees. · Provide regular status reports on projects and ongoing work to colleagues, services users and managers, highlighting any risks and contingency plans. · Interact and collaborate with other specialists across the University to ensure the integrity and delivery of consistent services including the use of testing and analytical tools, methods and standards. · Promote and encourage a collaborative approach to problem solving and project delivery in order to motivate, mentor and coach less experienced project staff. · Create positive working relationships, including internal and external networks, using your networks to increase your knowledge and skills and swap information with peers. · Liaise with other teams, staff, students, departments, and external suppliers where required. · Any other reasonable duties. 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 Privacy Notices - Durham University which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data. When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.

Responsibilities

The successful candidate will be responsible for the design, configuration, and support of new solutions and existing services primarily within the Linux and Storage teams. They will also work with other teams within Computing and Information Services to ensure effective IT service provision.