Job Title:  Research Officer 

Salary: Band E £46,743 - £51,037 gross per annum dependent on experience

Location: Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire, UK   

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: Full time or Part time (minimum 0.8FTE) (We understand the importance of work-life balance, and offer flexible working, but do require at least 3 days a week on-site) 

Due to the requirement of obtaining an enhanced security clearance for this role, we are only able to accept applications from persons who have been resident in the UK for the last 5 years. 

Together, our scientist, technologists, engineers and business support team explore the unknown and turn what they find into work that changes the world around us. 

Come and discover how much you can achieve when you’re surrounded by world-leading experts, encouraged to constantly learn and empowered to explore your curiosity!

About the Role:

We have an exciting opportunity for a Research Officer to join the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC).  You will be working alongside scientists, engineers, developers, and experts in quantum technologies, working to enhance the UK's quantum computing capabilities.  

We oversee diverse projects for classical and quantum technologies, aiding quantum computer development in our labs. This involves the integration of physics-based experiments spanning neutral atoms, superconducting qubits, and trapped-ions, along with intricate software and high-performance computing. We seek a candidate to take a leading role in establishing the function, developing process and protocol, to lead coordination of projects and on trusted-research compliance and to support research functions such as conferences, grants, and reporting. This role requires communication, organisation and experience delivering projects across different stakeholder groups. 

Key Responsibilities:

You will work alongside the technical team managers and deputy director of research to deliver the NQCC’s research program. In establishing the function, you will lead on x-functional communication and coordination of activities across the teams. To achieve this you will; 

• Develop common language, protocols and frameworks to allow for coherent information sharing across the teams and programme. 
• Lead on the compliance of the research program with trusted-research frameworks.
• Cover responsibilities such as project management, collaborating with our program delivery team, ensuring research outputs are aligned with evaluation & monitoring requirements. 
• Assist the research programme across activities such as conference organisation, grant opportunity seeking and grant preparation. You will also be involved in the governance of the research programme i.e. managing projects within NQCC's framework, and implementing good-practice guides around the themes previously mentioned.
• Represent NQCC externally and advising both internal and external stakeholders therefore stakeholder management will be an important aspect of this role. 

This is an outline description of the key responsibilities and accountabilities involved in the job. This is not an exhaustive list, and the successful applicant might be expected to undertake any other duties across NQCC, appropriate to the band and level of responsibility of this post, for which the post-holder has the necessary experience and/or training.  

Our Benefits:  

We are offering a permanent position with a whole host of benefits including:

• 30 days holiday (in addition to 10.5 bank holidays and privilege days).
• Flexible working hours (subject to business requirements).
• An excellent defined average salary pension scheme.
• Easily accessible public transport links/ free parking
• Excellent learning and development opportunities.
• Cycle to work scheme

Link to more benefits: https://stfccareers.co.uk/rewards-and-benefits/

Person Specification:

Prior knowledge of quantum computing is not required to apply for this role. However, experience working alongside and delivering complicated work within a scientific, technical, or Engineering environment would be a benefit. 

We will offer significant development and training opportunities. Applicants for this role should meet the following criteria:  

The below criteria will be scored during Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I).

 Essential

• Skills and knowledge in applying best practice principles around project reporting, ethics, finance, legals and compliance. (S & I)
• Strong skills in project management techniques (Using techniques such as Agile/Lean frameworks). (S & I)
• Able to represent high impact activities of organisations externally and manage diverse stakeholders both internally and externally. (S & I)
• Experience developing and implementing new frameworks for governing, administering and monitoring the progress of scientific, technical, or engineering related projects. (S & I)
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, ability to convey technical concepts across both technical and non-technical stakeholders. (S & I)
• Strong track record of both opportunity seeking, preparation and governance of applications such as grants. (S & I)
• Analytical mindset and/or STEM degree and demonstratable skills resolving delivery challenges within the context of scientific research. (S & I)

You would need to be available to occasionally travel/work within the UK and overseas when required.  

About Us: 

The National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) is a research centre funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), which is dedicated to accelerating the development of quantum computing by addressing the challenges of scalability. 

How to Apply:

Please submit your Covering Letter (up to 2 pages) and CV that clearly outlines how you fulfil the role criteria along with your motivation to join NQCC, as attachments on your application. Please ensure that your name and the job reference number are in the file name of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit your application without a covering letter may result in your application not being considered. We reserve the right to close this advert early if required.  

Security Clearance: 

Due to the nature of the role, and a requirement to support diverse projects, the successful candidate is required to successfully complete national pre-employment control checks to the BPSS (Baseline Personnel Security Standard) to fulfil the role.  BPSS checks can take between 9-12 working days. Once in post you will need to successfully complete a Security Check (SC) clearance.   

UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.

Supporting some of the world’s most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.

More information can be found at www.ukri.org.

Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme.  For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI.

How we support EDI in the workforce

At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ‘How we support EDI in the workforce’.

Disability Confident Employer

As users of the disability confident scheme, any candidate who opts into the scheme and best meets the essential criteria, will be shortlisted for interview. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

How to apply

Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the ‘experience’ section of the application.

UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion – a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.

The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role.  UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.