Technical Architect (Research IT) - Contract
Leeds (Hybrid) / £480 pd (Outside IR35) / 12-month day rate contract / ASAP Start
Harvey Nash are delighted to be working with one of the UK's largest universities on a ground breaking transformation programme focused on modernising research infrastructure, which could change the way research is delivered across the UK.
This is a high-impact opportunity for a Technical Architect to take ownership of real-world infrastructure design and delivery, bridging the gap between enterprise-level vision and hands-on implementation.
You'll play a key role in replacing a core research platform while helping to design and deliver a next-generation, cloud-enabled and HPC-capable research environment.
The Opportunity
This role sits at the heart of a major strategic programme to:
* Replace and modernise an existing Azure-based research platform
* Build scalable, cost-effective High Performance Computing (HPC) capabilities
* Establish a long-term foundation for research IT across the university
What You'll Be Doing
* Lead the design and delivery of infrastructure-focused technical architecture for research systems
* Translate business and research requirements into scalable, secure technical solutions
* Design across: Cloud platforms (Azure primarily), HPC environments (existing + new systems), Storage, compute, and networking
* Contribute to the replacement of the current research platform and broader research modernisation
* Support procurement and technical evaluation of new HPC systems (including off-site infrastructure)
* Develop reusable architecture assets: Infrastructure-as-Code patterns, Non-functional requirements, Design blueprints
What We're Looking For
* Strong background as a Technical Architect or Infrastructure Design Lead
* Deep expertise in Linux systems administration
* Experience designing solutions across: Cloud (Azure, AWS, or GCP) Compute, storage, and networking.
* Proven ability to translate requirements into practical, deliverable architectures
* Exposure to HPC environments (or strong interest in moving into this space)
* Knowledge of: HPC schedulers (e.g. SLURM), Containerisation (Docker, Kubernetes, orchestration)
* Experience with Infrastructure as Code and DevSecOps practices
* Understanding of both cloud and on-prem / physical infrastructure