Senior Technical Specialist

Here at Sheffield Hallam University we are recruiting a Senior Technical Specialist with expertise in AI and robotics to support research, innovation, knowledge exchange, skills training and other practical teaching activities.

Sheffield Hallam is a university of purpose: we transform lives. Our ambition is clear and bold – to be a world-leading applied university through the real-world impact we have on our students and society. In this role you would make a vital contribution by providing highly skilled technical support, with a primary focus of enabling the Centre for Excellence in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CEAIR) to fulfil its mission of establishing Sheffield as a leading centre for ethical, human-centred AI and collaborative robotics.

CEAIR is an exciting new research centre within the School of Computing and Digital Technologies that builds on our world-leading expertise in Embodied AI research and innovation. The School has an excellent track record in attracting external funding for this research, examples of which are shown on the Research Projects page of the School's website.

In this role you would directly support our students and staff to use specialist hardware and software, facilitating the use of state-of-the-art technologies and research methods including:

• Use of AI methodologies and their applications to robotics

• Robot programming, including use of ROS and proprietary robot operating systems

• Experimental evaluation, including studies with human participants

You will have previous experience in supporting research activities working with various robotic platforms that share spaces with humans. Robotic platforms that you will support include socially interacting robots such as Care-o-bot, ARI, Furhat, Pepper and Temi social robot. You will contribute to externally funded projects, experimental design and implementation, software maintenance and use of the robots. You will help create and maintain software interfaces, tailored to the user's needs, and ensure that robotic hardware is maintained in safe working order, liaising with manufacturers/engineers as required.

As Senior Technical Specialist, you would also provide line management for a small number of staff and, as part of the local management group(s), contribute more widely to the leadership and management of technical staff and facilities. You will be expected to work flexibly and to develop new skills as required to support team objectives and emerging research needs.

You will be well organised, highly motivated and meticulous in your work, with a professional work ethic and ability to work both independently and collaboratively across team boundaries, sharing skills and expertise to ensure customer-focussed results.

We offer a diverse range of benefits and opportunities to pursue a rewarding and fulfilling career in a supportive environment.

You will be contractually enrolled into the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) – one of the largest and most generous defined-benefit pension schemes in the country.

Each year you will earn a secure pension benefit of 1/49th of your salary and the University will pay pension contributions towards the cost of this pension (currently worth about 22% of your salary). For a starting salary of £40,000, for example, the University would pay just over £8,700 in the first year of your employment and you would earn a pension of £816 p.a. for that year (payable from your State Pension Age).

Find out more about the LGPS

Sheffield Hallam welcomes applications from all candidates irrespective of age, pregnancy and maternity, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, race, religion or belief, or marital or civil partnership status.

For this job we particularly welcome applications from minority ethnic applicants who are underrepresented in this area/ this type of job at Sheffield Hallam.

We are unable to employ anyone who does not have the legal right to work in the UK. If you need sponsorship to undertake this role, please use the UK government's Visas and immigration pages to check your eligibility.

More information for international candidates

Having trouble with your application, take a look at our guide to applying.

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