HPC Operations Lead

Reports to: Head of Research Computing Platforms

Working pattern: Monday – Friday: This is a full time permanent hybrid role (at least 3 days a week in office after probation) on Crick terms and conditions of employment.

Salary: From £73,000 - £82,000 with benefits, subject to skills and experience

Application closing date: 7th of June at 11.59pm

About us

The Francis Crick Institute is Europe’s largest biomedical research institute under one roof. Our world‑class scientists and staff collaborate on vital research to help prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative conditions. The Crick is a place for collaboration, innovation and exploration across many disciplines. A space where the brightest minds can pursue big and bold ideas and discover answers to crucial scientific questions. We support them in a dynamic environment which fosters excellence with state‑of‑the‑art infrastructure, cutting‑edge facilities, and a creative and curious culture. We’ve removed traditional boundaries of departments, divisions and disciplines and instead have an open approach that supports every researcher. This gives us the freedom to take risks and carry out high‑quality, pioneering research. Creating a space for discovery without boundaries helps us to turn our science into benefits for human health and the economy.

About the role

We are looking for a collaborative HPC Operations Lead to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of research computing at the Crick. As HPC Operations Lead, you will join our Research Computing Platforms/HPC team, reporting directly to the Head of Research Computing Platforms. This is a highly collaborative position where you’ll work closely with scientists across the Institute, other Science Technology Platforms, and the wider Information Technology Office to ensure our platforms and services meet the evolving needs of the scientific community. You will take ownership of the operational effectiveness of the team, driving the smooth running and continual improvement of services, overseeing the HPC service desk to ensure timely resolution of incidents, and designing and delivering training courses. You will also deputise for the Head of Research Computing Platforms, taking on wider managerial responsibilities as required. You will be expected to bring prior leadership experience and the ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders across the organisation. You must be able to translate technical language into clear, accessible terms, ensuring that complex information is understood. This is an exciting opportunity for someone with strong technical expertise, a collaborative mindset, and the confidence to lead both people and platforms in a progressive research environment.

What you will be doing

• Understand the scientific and research requirements of the Crick’s scientific programmes to advise and deliver platforms and services appropriate to their needs.
• Technical lead on the design, implementation, operation of research data storage services for access by researchers and instruments inside the Crick and for external collaborations.
• Work with the Head of Research Computing Platforms and the wider Scientific Computing function to define a technology vision and roadmap for storage systems.
• Ensure Research Computing Platforms is a user‑facing service through the delivery of an engaged and supportive HPC service desk.
• Serve as incident manager for Research Computing Platforms in response to unplanned service outage.
• Work collaboratively across ITO teams including Architecture, Security and Helpdesk in the delivery and operational management of research platforms and services.
• Experience of leading on the design, maintenance and optimisation of petabyte scale high performance storage systems.
• Experience of leading on the operation and management of high-performance compute clusters.
• Ability to manage complex services and projects effectively and efficiently with minimal supervision, a finite pool of resource, and against deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and demonstrable ability to work collaboratively and flexibly as part of a deeply technical engineering team, while still able to work directly with stakeholders to focus on research/business outcomes.
• Previous experience of working in a biomedical research environment (Desirable).
• Additional domain technology expertise such as automation and data‑centre networking (Desirable).

About Working at the Crick

Everyone who works at the Crick has a valuable role to play in advancing the Crick’s mission and shaping our culture.

Our values

• We are bold. We make space for creative, dynamic and imaginative ideas and approaches. We’re not afraid to do things differently.
• We are open. We’re highly collaborative and interactive, and make sure our activities are visible to the outside world.
• We are collegial. We show respect for one another, work cooperatively and support the wider community.

At the Francis Crick Institute, we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential to driving innovation and scientific discovery. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to succeed, regardless of their background, identity, or personal circumstances. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all genders, ethnicities, abilities, and experiences. We are a Disability Confident employer and want to ensure that everyone can apply and be part of our recruitment processes and we’ll make reasonable adjustments if you need them – just let us know when you apply.

If you need assistance with applying (i.e., would like to apply by phone or post) please email: karen.au@crick.ac.uk

Visas

Applicants for this role will be eligible for sponsorship to work in the UK.

Generous Leave

• 28 days of annual leave, plus three additional days over Christmas and bank holidays.
• Pension Scheme: Defined contribution pension with employer contributions of up to 16%.
• 24/7 GP consultation services.
• Occupational health services and mental health support programs.
• Eye care vouchers and discounted healthcare plans.
• Work-Life Balance: Childcare support allowance.
• Annual leave purchase options.
• Crick Networks offering diverse groups’ support, community and inclusive social events.
• Discounted gym memberships, bike‑to‑work scheme, and shopping discounts.
• Subsidised on‑site restaurant and social spaces for team interaction.

Please note you must meet the essential criteria listed within the Role Profile, to have your application reviewed. We reserve the right to withdraw this advert at any given time due to the number of applications received.