Specialist Engineer HPC
UK Health Security Agency
About the job
Job summary
Job title – Specialist Engineer HPC
Profession- IT
Directorate – Technology
Full Time equivalent - 37.5 hours
No of Roles – 2
Contract Type – Fixed Term Contract for 12 months
Location – Hybrid
UKHSA operates a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata,(averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's locations (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London). Specialist or regional roles will be based at the appropriate UKHSA site. For certain roles, some additional flexibility may be possible, which will be agreed upon with the hiring manager based on individual requirements and business needs.
Working Pattern – Full Time/Flexible Working / Hybrid Working/ Home Working
Grade & Salary – Grade 6 National banding - £65,302- £75,129 per annum. Inner London £69,275 - £78,805 per annum. Outer London - £67,288- £76,967 per annum
The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.
This role is to be appointed under Civil Service Terms & Conditions. Full details on the T&C’s are found https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/.
Closing Date – 10/01/2024. 23:55pm. Unfortunately, late applications will not be considered
Interview Date – W/C 29/01/2024 Please note, these dates are subject to change.
Introduction
The infrastructure and high-performance computing team within the UKHSA are a critical cog across the Technology directorate, ensuring our systems perform at the optimum level giving critical applications and information technology robustness and reliability.
The team enjoy experiencing and working with a broad and diverse range of skills and state of the art equipment whilst building a strong team culture and ethos.
Whilst this position sits within the HPC team it would be a superb opportunity for an individual with a background in Linux/UNIX to gain exposure and experience in high-performance computing.
The HPC are a vital cog across the UKHSA technology platform ensuring performance, efficiency, monitoring, capacity planning, change management as well as emergency response for systems.
Job Overview
Building on your Linux experience you will manage, support and maintain the hardware and software components of the High-Performance Computing (HPC), Unix/Linux, virtualization and cloud platforms (Azure/AWS/OpenStack) required for the execution of UKHSA business.
The post holder will be responsible for availability, performance, efficiency, monitoring, capacity planning, change management, emergency response, and expected to work in conjunction with Technology and other departments to ensure that the organisation is equipped with state-of-the- art systems.
Ensure that the HPC and Unix/Linux systems are correctly maintained and managed to provide authorized users with optimum levels of access to data and applications as and when required, to effectively conduct UKHSA business. An in-depth working knowledge of Linux clustered computing environments, hybrid networks (Ethernet and InfiniBand), high performance parallel filesystems, software defined storage and enterprise class open-source technologies is an essential requirement of this role. The role-holder may also be required to manage or supervise more junior HPC engineers and contribute to their training and development.
This role will also support the delivery of key activities to strengthen the HPC systems and associated environments to support the wider achievement of UKHSA business objectives. DevOps skills are desirable to solve problems relating to critical services and build automation to prevent problem recurrence, with the goal of automating response to all non-exceptional service conditions.
Job description
- Plan, configure, manage, and maintain all hardware and software components of all Linux / UNIX, HPC, Virtualization and Cloud platforms in UKHSA to deliver optimum system availability to users, and ensuring all supplier provided patches and upgrades to the operating system, database, tools, and utilities are applied in a timely manner. Support High Performance and High Throughput computing operations.
- Maintaining the security and integrity of all Linux / UNIX, HPC, Virtualization and Cloud platforms in UKHSA, including managing all user access rights and implementation of backup regimes and other disaster recovery procedures.
- Providing technical and administrative support for all Linux / UNIX, HPC, Virtualization and Cloud platforms within UKHSA to all levels of staff. Ensuring systems are documented and formulate relevant procedures and protocols.
- Monitoring and managing Linux / UNIX, HPC, Virtualization and Cloud platforms performance and capacity growth, providing advice on necessary upgrades and replacement of hardware and software so as to maintain the ability of UKHSA HPC, UNIX, Virtualization and Cloud platforms to support UKHSA Implementing hardware changes and upgrades and database upgrades and migrations to maintain system performance and growth capacity.
- Liaise with the relevant specialist suppliers to ensure that the organisation is equipped with correct and appropriate technology to support the achievement of UKHSA’s objectives.
- Creating and maintaining comprehensive documentation, including procedures and protocols for technical staff and users, on the licensing, components, connectivity, configurations and operation of specialist systems and services and supporting relevant hardware and software. Maintaining such documentation up to date and in an auditable condition. Providing training, where appropriate, to technical staff and users to enable them to utilize the systems and services optimally.
- Ensuring compliance with UKHSA Technology and other relevant policies in HPC, UNIX, Virtualization and Cloud platforms usage in UKHSA.
- To maintain awareness of technical developments and research new technologies in Linux / UNIX, HPC, Virtualization and Cloud platforms with a view to providing advice on suitable deployment strategies for UKHSA. Advise on the choice of software solutions and hardware platforms for the management of Big Data and analytics platforms and
- To identify, resolve and mitigate any risks or issues that materialise and escalate through the appropriate channels as required.
We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.
UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.
Person specification
Essential Criteria:
The below list is the essential technology that support the UKHSA tech stack. eing familiar with them is essential but being a master at them all is not essential. This role offers the opportunity for the right individual with some of the essential experience to gain exposure to the complete stack of technology.
- Design/implementing Unix/Linux system and services open-source solutions and performance tuning.
- HPC technologies: Lustre,
- Configuration systems such as Ansible and Terraform
- Unix/Linux scripting.
- Networking: TCP/IP, DHCP, VLANs, spanning tree protocol, link aggregation for performance (MTU settings) and reliability requirements.
- Linux administration skills, including users, groups, filesystems, packages management, common server-daemons (Apache, Ngnix, HAproxy, MySQL, PostgreSQL), etc
Desirable Criteria:
As with the essential skillset the below list is desirable for the right candidate to know about a few of these, be proficient with a few, but UKHSA don’t expect anyone to be fully proficient with them all.
- Python, Perl and/or
- Storage technologies: LVM, iSCSI, NFS, Samba, CEPH
- Network WAN/LAN
- Firewall
- LDAP,
- Iptables
- KVM/LibVirt Linux Virtualization
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £65,302, UK Health Security Agency contributes £17,631 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours& Experience
Stage 1: Application & Sift
As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a Statement of Suitability in no more than 1250 words providing examples of how you meet the essential criteria. It should also detail what you and your experience can bring to the role.
You will also be asked to provide information within the ‘Employer/ Activity history’ section of the application form. This is equivalent to the information you would provide on a CV, setting out your career history. This will be used in the sifting process and will be scored.
If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview
Stage 2: Panel Interview
All candidates who are successful at the sift stage will be invited to a remote interview via Microsoft Teams
The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Working Together
- Managing a Quality Service
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £62,489, UK Health Security Agency contributes £16,872 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- Range of health and wellbeing support
Any move to UKHSA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare.
Reserve List:
Candidates who pass the interview criteria but are not offered a post will be kept on a reserve list for 12 months and may be contacted if similar roles become available.
If you are interviewed for the post and do not meet the required threshold for the specified grade, your application may be assessed against a similar, lower grade role and you may be offered the post should one be available.
DBS –
People working with government systems must complete Basic Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks which includes a disclosure and barring security check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed for this role is BPSS however there may be a requirement for this role to be SC cleared and you should familiarise yourself with the criteria of security clearance.
This role is Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants. Appointments to roles within UKHSA will be made in accordance with the Civil Service nationality rules. These can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- Nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- Nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- Nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- Relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
- Relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
- Certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles.
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
It’s important to note that there are currently exceptions to applications being considered if your conviction relates to any of the following:
- life sentences
- arson
- sexual offences
- hate and terror offences
Some departments will also consider the specific offence against the nature of the business, i.e., a conviction for fraud may rule you out for a finance role
Complaint process:
The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: Complaints1@ukhsa.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website.
Contact Details – Sophie.Rigney@reed.com
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.