The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more. Find out more about our benefits (opens in a new window) and join us to become part of something special.

Overview

You will be the bridge between IT Services and the Estates and Facilities Management (EFM) department, ensuring that digital infrastructure is treated as a core component of every capital development and refurbishment project. You will collaborate with teams across IT Services and Estates, as well as senior internal stakeholders, contractors and suppliers, to deliver successful IT outcomes within University estate developments.

This role represents IT within estates developments, attending governance meetings and acting as the primary point of contact and conduit into IT Services. You will ensure that key digital infrastructure requirements are captured, specified and implemented to the right standards, working closely with technical subject matter experts. You will own the route to resolution for IT-related issues, translating between technical and non-technical audiences, keeping stakeholders informed and escalating where appropriate, retaining ownership until resolved. You will also encourage the standardisation of IT solutions across the estate portfolio, identifying opportunities to improve consistency, efficiency and quality of delivery.

By concentrating estates-related engagement in one role, this post will also reduce the demand on Networking, Infrastructure, Audio Visual and other specialist teams, allowing them to focus their expert input where it adds the most value. It will additionally foster the effective and efficient flow of work between EFM and IT ensuring a seamless handover from “construction project” to “live IT service”.  You will work in collaboration with multiple EFM project teams across the campus masterplan, embedded in their delivery rather than working through a single counterpart.

Main duties and responsibilities

Single Point of Contact & Requirements Management

• Own the primary interface between Estates and IT Services for University estate development initiatives, acting as the single point of contact and ensuring clear lines of communication in both directions.
• Lead the capture, definition and documentation of IT requirements, ensuring alignment with organisational strategy and technical standards and that requirements are considered at the right stage of the project lifecycle.
• Provide oversight and direction across the provision and installation of IT services, including passive infrastructure, communications rooms, AV and desktop IT installations.

Technical Specification and Quality Assurance

• Ensure compliance with relevant technical specifications and standards for networking (passive and active components), Audio Visual and other IT systems.
• Coordinate the review and approval of designs, contractor proposals and technical documentation with specialist IT teams (Network, AV, Desktop and others). Hold delegated approval authority where this is explicitly granted by the relevant technical lead and supported by clear guidance.
• Carry out site visits and inspections throughout the project lifecycle to assure the quality and compliance of installed IT infrastructure.

• Protect the integrity of agreed IT and AV scope through project gates, escalating to the relevant technical lead and IT Services leadership where value engineering or budget pressure threatens to compromise the agreed specification.

Governance and Stakeholder Engagement

• Represent IT Services within project governance meetings and other forums as required, providing clear, informed and timely input on behalf of the department.
• Own the flow of information back into IT Services, providing structured progress updates to IT leadership and technical and delivery teams. Escalate risks, issues and conflicts with the IT strategic roadmap to the appropriate technical lead and to IT Services leadership where resolution requires it.
• Work with Project Managers and IT operational teams to drive the successful handover of IT systems from project delivery into live service, marking a clean transition point at which ongoing service ownership passes to the relevant IT teams.

Strategic IT Integration

• Engage with IT product areas and technical teams to identify strategic IT initiatives and ensure these opportunities are captured and reflected within Estates developments where appropriate.
• Drive process efficiency, innovation and the standardisation of IT solutions across the estate portfolio, building a more consistent and repeatable approach over time.
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.

Person Specification

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and is respected. Even if your past experience doesn't match perfectly with this role's criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

Further Information

Next steps in the recruitment process

It is anticipated that the selection process will take place approximately two to three weeks after the application window. This will consist of a panel interview and discussions with technical teams. We plan to let candidates know if they have progressed to the selection stage within two weeks of the closing date. If you need any support, equipment or adjustments to enable you to participate in any element of the recruitment process you can contact it-services-recruitment@sheffield.ac.uk

Our vision and strategic plan

We are the University of Sheffield. This is our vision: sheffield.ac.uk/vision (opens in new window).

What we offer

• A minimum of 41 days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
• Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
• Generous pension scheme.
• A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
• A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women’s and Parent’s networks).
• Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
• A commitment to your development access to learning and mentoring schemes.
• A range of generous family-friendly policies
  • paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies
  • support for those going through the menopause
  • paid time off and support for fertility treatment
  • and more

More details can be found on our benefits page: sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/benefits (opens in a new window).

We are a Disability Confident Employer. If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.

Criminal record

Possession of a criminal record is not an automatic bar to employment at the University of Sheffield. We recognise the value of steady employment in the rehabilitation process and examine each case in its own right. More information can be found on our Information for candidates page:- sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/candidates (opens in a new window).

We are a research university with a global reputation for excellence. Our ideas and expertise change the world for the better, making a real difference to society. We know that when people come together with different views, approaches and insights it can lead to richer, more creative and innovative teaching and research and the highest levels of student experience. Our University Vision (www.sheffield.ac.uk/vision) outlines our commitment to building a diverse community of staff and students that recognises and values the abilities, backgrounds, beliefs and ways of living for everyone.