These roles are two-year fixed-term and are based at the SKAO Headquarters at Jodrell Bank, UK.
At SKAO, we are recruiting for two Project Managers.
SKAO is committed to providing an inclusive and flexible working environment, meeting the requests of our Colleagues whilst also fulfilling the needs and objectives of the Observatory.
There may be occasions where this role requires the post holder to work across different time zones and, in line with SKAO policy, flexible working hours will be supported in agreement with the line manager.
In return, we offer a diverse multicultural working environment, 30 days annual leave plus public holidays, a generous pension scheme, visa and support with relocation (if applicable), regular social events, a family-friendly environment and much more.
The Role
The SKA-Low Digital Project Manager is responsible for coordinating and driving the delivery of the digital systems elements of the SKA-Low Telescope currently under construction in the Murchison region of Western Australia. Digital systems encompass the Signal Processing System (SPS/TPM), the Local Monitoring, Control and Calibration system (MCCS), the Central Signal Processor (CSP), and associated firmware and software.
Key Responsibilities, Accountabilities and Duties
- Manage the end-to-end delivery of SKA-Low digital systems scope in line with approved baselines for cost, schedule, and technical performance.
- Maintain and develop the digital systems sub-project schedule within the Integrated Project Schedule (IPS) in coordination with the project control team, identifying critical path activities, float consumption, and integration dependencies with hardware and infrastructure works.
- Steer interface management between the digital systems domain and adjacent project areas, including Station Hardware, Central Signal Processor (CSP), antennas, Central Processing Facility infrastructure, Systems Integration & Verification, and Software.
- Monitor and report on contract performance for digital systems suppliers and consortium deliverables; advance variances and negotiate corrective actions.
- Identify, assess, and manage risks and issues within the digital systems domain, maintaining the relevant risk register entries and ensuring risk response actions are tracked to closure.
- Prepare and present clear, accurate monthly project status reports, and weekly briefings for the SKA-Low Senior Project Manager, and other governance forums as required.
- Support the development and maintenance of Earned Value data for the digital systems work packages, enabling robust performance measurement and forecasting.
- Contribute to change management processes, assessing the impact of proposed changes to digital systems scope on cost, schedule, and technical baseline.
- Coordinate acceptance and qualification activities for digital system deliverables, working with the Systems Integration and Verification team to ensure readiness for handover.
- Support the transition from Construction Phase to Operations Phase by contributing to commissioning planning and knowledge transfer activities.
- Champion SKAO's values of collaboration, diversity, and scientific excellence within the project team and with external partners.
- Several travels to contractor sites in Italy, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, to production lines in China and India, and to the SKA-Low telescope site in Western Australia.
- Undertake any other reasonable duties as directed by the line manager and senior management.
Mandatory Knowledge, Skills and Experience
- Degree-level qualification in project management, engineering, computer science, or a related discipline; or equivalent professional experience.
- Experience of schedule management in a programme or project environment, including the ability to read, interrogate, and update integrated Project schedules (IPS) using tools such as Primavera P6 or MS Project.
- Experience of contract management and supplier/partner oversight in a project delivery context, including monitoring performance against contractual milestones and managing remediation.
- Experience of financial and budgetary planning to be able to agree resources for a defined area as part of forward planning, monitoring progress and adjusting resources or priorities to meet goals.
- Solid understanding of risk management principles, including risk identification, assessment, response planning, and ongoing monitoring.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to synthesise complex technical and commercial information and present it clearly to non-specialist stakeholders.
- Excellent written and spoken English communication skills, with the ability to produce high-quality project reports, briefings, and documentation.
- Proven ability to work effectively in a multicultural, geographically distributed team, with sensitivity to different working styles and time zones.
Desirable Knowledge, Skills and Experience
- Relevant project management qualification (e.g. APM PMQ, PMP, PRINCE2 Practitioner or equivalent) demonstrating formal grounding in recognised project management methodologies.
- Demonstrable experience of successfully delivering complex, multi-stakeholder engineering or technology projects, with a minimum of five years in a project management.
- Practical knowledge of digital systems, computing hardware, or embedded signal-processing environments sufficient to engage credibly with technical teams and suppliers without requiring detailed engineering expertise.
- Experience working in a large-scale science infrastructure, big astronomy, defence, telecommunications, or high-performance computing project environment.
- Familiarity with FPGA-based signal processing systems, tile processing modules (TPMs), or similar digital hardware development and integration processes.
- Knowledge of software and firmware development lifecycle management in the context of a hardware-integrated system, including agile and iterative approaches as applied to scientific software.
- Experience of NEC4 or similar engineering procurement contracts and the management of obligations thereunder.
Equality Diversity and Inclusion Statement
SKA Observatory recognises that our diversity is a strength. We aim to create a welcoming and inclusive environment where everyone feels they belong, and diverse perspectives and ideas thrive. As such, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion are at the core of SKA Observatory’s agenda.
Our aim is to recruit and retain the most talented individuals, regardless of gender, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, nationality or background.
Women have traditionally been under-represented in the fields of science and engineering; SKA Observatory welcomes and encourages female applicants.
Where applicants with a disability need facilities or adjustments to enable them to participate in the recruitment process, these will be provided.
SKA Observatory welcome all candidates, especially those from member countries.
