Taith Technical Systems Developer

The position is based within the Taith team but will include working with Cardiff University’s Information Services team. The role holder’s primary duties will be systems implementation and administration, programming and configuration, reporting, systems analysis, and interfacing. The role holder will be required to provide advice, training, and guidance on use of the systems used by Taith, and liaise with suppliers, and Cardiff University’s Information Services team to ensure the best possible service is provided.

The role holder will take responsibility for the following activities:

• Specification, design, development, integration, testing and documentation of large or complex systems, selecting the most appropriate design standards, methods, and tools consistent with agreed enterprise and solution architectures and ensure they are applied effectively.

• Review of systems designs in line with Taith’s Business as Usual activities to ensure selection of appropriate technology, efficient use of resources, and integration of multiple systems and technology.

• Evaluation and impact analysis on major design options and assess and manage associated risks ensuring that the system design balances functional, service quality and systems management requirements.

• Specification of user/system interfaces, including validation and error correction procedures, processing rules, access, security, and audit controls, which will include assessing associated risks and specify recovery routines and contingency procedures. The role holder will assist with the translation of logical designs into physical designs.

• Maintenance of application support processes, and check that all requests for support are dealt with according to agreed procedures. The role holder will use application management software and tools to investigate issues, collect performance statistics and create reports.

This position is offered on a 0.6FTE basis (21 hours a week) and fixed-term until 30 September 2026.

Closing date: Thursday, 14 November 2024

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds who have the ambition to create a University which seeks to fulfil our social, cultural and economic obligation to Cardiff, Wales, and the world. In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.

Applications may be submitted in Welsh, and an application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.

Job Description

Duties and Responsibilities

• Contribute to a centre of expertise within the Taith team, taking responsibility for the development and maintenance of technical systems, covering all aspects of the systems lifecycle including investigation, analysis, specification, design, building, testing, operation, maintenance, upgrade, migration and obsolescence.

• Take responsibility for the specification and design of smaller systems, covering for example: objectives, scope, constraints (such as performance, resources etc.), hardware, network and software environments, main system functions and information flows, data load and implementation strategies, phasing of development, requirements not met, and alternatives considered.

• Ensure that all work is documented using the appropriate standards, methods and tools, including prototyping tools where appropriate. The role holder will ensure that designs take full account of specified requirements and constraints, including any potential safety-related aspects, and are appropriate to the target implementation and support environments.

• Train and support the Taith team on the technologies that are being used to build confidence and experience, including developing in-house training materials.

• Assess software packages on their ability to meet all or parts of specified requirements and advise colleagues and management on their technical suitability.

• Liaise with colleagues where appropriate, to review and revise cost benefit analyses, risk analyses and development plans to take account of design decisions.

• Liaise with suppliers and contribute to the assessment and selection of suitable software packages to meet all or parts of specified requirements.

• Work closely with the Taith Data, Systems & Information Officer to resolve user requirements and to ensure data retrieval from software packages and reporting mechanisms are functional and meet Taith’s needs.

• Maintain an awareness of operational requirements especially in terms of service levels, availability, response times, security and repair times. The role holder will suggest design enhancements, capacity changes, contingency and recovery arrangements as required, enabling design targets to be met and that the technology provided meets service level targets within the organisation’s planned budget.

• Provide advice and guidance to relevant parties on all aspects of design and technology.

• Lead on any user testing that the Taith team undertakes as is appropriate to support the systems maintenance on a range of different software packages, from time-to-time in accordance with system demands.

• Support the Taith Senior Leadership team in continuously improving Taith’s technological capability to ensure the effective delivery of its business as usual activities.

• Where relevant, liaise with designers and planners from external suppliers and service providers, to ensure that technology requirements (particularly technology response times, volumetric information and security requirements) are reflected in the overall specification.

• Ensure that all tasks and procedures are carried out effectively and efficiently to agreed levels of Taith’s technological requirements.

• Within own area of competence, provide correct responses to requests for support by means of for example: making system modifications, developing work-arounds or site-specific enhancements, manipulating data, reconfiguring systems, changing operating procedures, training users or members of the Taith team, producing additional documentation, or escalating requests to systems development staff or software suppliers.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

1. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal.

2. Good organisational skills with the ability to work flexibly to prioritise successfully under pressure.

3. Demonstrable knowledge and experience in problem, error and knowledge management analysis, resolution and delivery techniques

4. Able to document complex technical solutions in a logical and clear framework that can be readily understood by others.

5. Excellent and proven relationship management skills with experience of managing the requirements of stakeholders.

6. Demonstrable experience of utilising toolsets for monitoring, auditing and reviewing service support performance.

7. Proven ability to lead on shaping technical developments through active participation within teams and groups.

8. Proven experience in the development and support of web based systems.

9. Experience of data analysis and reporting, and developing and scripting/programming solutions in languages such as pl/sql, Python etc.

10. Experience in the use of Microsoft office-based tools and technologies.

Desirable Criteria

1. A degree or equivalent experience / professional qualifications.

2. Experience of working in a Higher Education environment.

3. Experience in the use of Jotform and/or other form building tools.

4. Fluency in Welsh, written and oral.

Additional Information

• Monitor the market to gain knowledge and understanding of current and emerging technologies. Identifies new and emerging hardware and software technologies and products based on own area of expertise, assesses their relevance and potential value to the organisation, contributes to briefings of staff and management. Participate in external activities related to own specialism.

• Deliver enhanced technology solutions to the Taith team, providing advice and guidance to analysts, designers, and less experienced colleagues where necessary.

General Duties

• Receive and log requests for support from the Taith team, Cardiff University’s Information Services team and external users. Prioritise requests in accordance with agreed criteria and the needs of the organisation.

• Ensure that problems are managed in accordance with agreed standards and processes, and that escalation procedures are adhered to, responding to problems in a timely fashion.

• Participate in projects as appropriate, contributing to planning and organising work and monitoring progress.

• Establish relationships with key contacts to ensure role objectives are met, developing appropriate communication links with internal and external stakeholders as required.

• Ensure that an understanding of the importance of confidentiality is applied when undertaking all duties.

• Abide by University policies on Health and Safety and Equality and Diversity.

• Perform other duties occasionally which are not included above, but which will be consistent with the role.

Current Technologies

• Microsoft Technologies (inc Office 365)

• Jotform