SLICES-RI - Interim technical director

This position initial focus is to begin the SLICES-RI operations during the establishment phase of SLICES-RI ERIC and to plan and execute the ongoing operational tasks once the ERIC is officially created. The Technical Director will assist the Interim Executive Director and play a crucial role in the strategic planning, coordination, and execution of tasks leading up to the ERIC's formation in 2026. The responsibilities outlined in this job description are tailored to guide the organization through the preparatory stages, and the role will evolve as the ERIC transitions to its full operation.

Context 

The SLICES-RI is a large research infrastructure with partners in 16 European countries included in the ESFRI 2021 roadmap and renewed in 2025. SLICES offers services and resources to enable experimental research into various aspects of Digital Sciences including but not limited to post-5G/6G networks, cloud/edge/IoT continuum, from small, connected objects to data centers, distributed computing, federated AI, IoT and integrated sensing and actuating, data management and, in the future, quantum computing and other new technologies. SLICES will enable end-to-end experimentation with software and applications at all levels of the software layers, from data capture to data processing and storage. SLICES allows experimenters to work on all key areas of Digital Sciences. A key feature of SLICES is to enable reproducible research and create open datasets that are needed to validate results and provide solid bases for future experimentation.

As soon as the SLICES-RI ERIC is created (during 2026), the infrastructure will be managed and operated by the ERIC legal structure. The SLICES-RI ERIC is currently being set up as part of the European SLICES-PP (Preparation Phase) project coordinated by Inria, the French national research institute. 

The Technical Director’s activities will be in Paris, France, where the ERIC will also be located once created. At this point only the Interim Executive Director has been hired. The hiring of the Technical Director is the focus of this job description. A Project Manager is to be hired soon. Eventually a Data Manager and Open Science Officer and a Communication Manager will also be hired by 2026. A Legal Assistant, a Financial Assistant and an Administrative assistant as well as Engineering Staff for technical support will complement the team.

The Technical Director’s position is for 2 years initially.

It is to note that this recruitment plan is subject to change according to the needs of the team and the progress of the ERIC creation.

Task Description

• Support the initial set up, deployment and operations of the SLICES-RI infrastructure in coordination with the (Interim) Executive Director, the different node operation managers and eventually with the support of the project manager.
• Define and implement the SLICES-RI technical roadmap and operational strategy in collaboration with the (Interim) Executive Director and validated by the (Interim) Supervisory Board.
• Lead the SLICES deployment and operations with the collaboration of the different partners.
• Perform the daily operational management of the SLICES-RI ERIC infrastructure including the deployment and maintenance.
• Facilitate the coordination of all SLICES-RI national nodes in cooperation with each nodes’ technical directors; coordinate with other RIs in the ESFRI ecosystem and more in general with relevant RIs at the EU level.
• Supervise the technical support staff of the SLICES-RI ERIC central hub to ensure continuous operations.
• Manage the design and development required for the SLICES-RI common services (including hardware, software, staff and budget) in coordination with the (Interim) Executive Director and the partners’ technical directors.
• Help define sustainable operational solutions, implement energy saving technologies and ensure compliance with the environmental awareness principles and regulations across all partners.
• Advise and support experimenters on how to use the platform as needed in collaboration with the SLICES central hub staff.
• Participation in interactions with other research and production infrastructures as needed.
• Define and suggest the necessary training for SLICES-RI operations staff.

Other Activities 

• Report to and collaborate with the (Interim) Executive Director in running the SLICES-RI hub.
• Define the user support needs and the implementation of the user support mechanisms for the platform.
• Perform continuous SLICES-RI operational requirements analysis and technology assessment to guide the evolution of the SLICES-RI technical developments and best practices and maintain its SOTA status in collaboration with the nodes’ technical management and with the deployment of proofs of concept (PoC),
• In partnership with the (Interim) Executive Director and the Project Manager (when hired):

- Assess the achievement of the Platform objectives:

- Review the platform technical achievements to validate compliance with the approved objectives.

- Monitor the progress on Key Performance Indicators.

- Setup and monitor the platform operational schedules and milestones.

- Monitor the project budgets in collaboration with the (Interim) Executive Director.

• Manage of the SLICES-RI hub’s support engineering team (when hired):

- Recruitment needs.

- Supervision and evaluation.

- Support and workload monitoring.

• Contribute to:

- Technical choices, design and development of SLICES-RI services.

- The scientific approach associated with experimentation including but not limited to: reproducible science, state of the art science, state of the art technology in each field, software publication, contribution to scientific publication on the methodological aspect and performance measurement.

- Energy efficiency and environmental sustainability of SLICES-RI.

- In partnership with the Data Manager and Open Science Officer (when hired), ensuring the compliance with EOSC principles.

• Represent the ERIC in technical fora.

Skills and Experience

• 10 years of experience in large scale system/infrastructure management or engineering/design digital infrastructure and  in software development for operational platform. 
• Knowledge of software engineering, best practice and software development tools (versioning, documentation, testing, packaging, etc.).
• Experience in team management and development.
• Excellent communication and reporting skills.
• Strong organizational skills: ability to define objectives, organize, prioritize and distribute technical tasks; ability to delegate and follow up.
• Fluency in English, both written and spoken, equivalent to C1 level.
• Additional skills:

• Understanding of the data management and governance principles, FAIR data principles and knowledge of the related EOSC services. 
• Knowledge of sustainable architecture design principles, standards, regulations and practices.

• Subsidized meals
• Partial reimbursement of public transport costs
• Leave: 7 weeks of annual leave + 10 extra days off due to RTT (statutory reduction in working hours) + possibility of exceptional leave (sick children, moving home, etc.)
• Possibility of remote work and flexible organization of working hours
• Professional equipment available (videoconferencing, loan of computer equipment, etc.)
• Social, cultural and sports events and activities
• Access to vocational training
• Social security coverage