Technical Architect (Research IT)

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 (eg SLURM)

  • Containerisation (Docker, Kubernetes, orchestration)

• Experience with Infrastructure as Code and DevSecOps practices

• Understanding of both cloud and on-prem/physical infrastructure