Systems Developer

At Durham University, the Research and Systems Team, under the leadership of the Head of Research and Systems, provide key services in support of departmental activity, with the systems team being at the heart of service development for the department. OurIT systems underpin the core activity of the Library and University but also extend to enabling innovation in education and research, particularly digital scholarship.

This is a varied and exciting role which would suit a developer wishing to gain experience in a higher education environment supporting and enhancing services across a department which is at the core of the University’s activities. This role will help todeliver innovative solutions and support transformational change in how our services are delivered in an increasingly digital environment.

Systems Developers work with a range of commercial and open-source systems, supporting library, museum, archive and digital repository services across the University. The work involves:

- configuring and maintaining existing systems, including reporting on data
- creating integrations and developing web interfaces to support end-users and back-office processes
- developing search and discovery interfaces for the University’s rich physical and digital collections
- evaluating and testing new technologies, and gathering requirements from users
- troubleshooting and fixing problems with systems

A major project in the coming year is the migration of the Library Management System to Ex Libris’s Alma and Primo VE products. Together with other off-the-shelf systems, such as Talis Aspire and Adlib, these products offer good APIs which will allow theteam to create innovative interfaces to our data and to contribute to the development communities surrounding these products. The team also supports non-commercial open-source systems based around the Samvera repository software, the Spotlight digital exhibittool, Mirador IIIF viewer, and underlying components such as Blacklight, Solr and Fedora. There is scope to support collections-based research projects within the University and to contribute to, and learn from, cultural sector development communities internationally.

The main working contacts for Systems Developers are:

- library, archive and museum specialists within the department
- technical experts within Computing and Information Services
- supplier support analysts and product managers
- end-users, including students and researchers working with collections
- research software engineers in the Advanced Research Computing unit
- developers in similar organisations nationally and internationally

The University Library and Collections is made up of six sections: Collections; Customer Services; Education, Learning and Engagement; Research and Systems; Museums, Galleries and Exhibitions; and Finance and Administration. Staff work flexibly between thesections, 7 enabled by cross-cutting groups, Collections, Education, Engagement, User Experience, Operations, Research, Staff Development and a Programme and Project Steering Group.

**Role responsibilities**:

- Design, build and maintain complex, specialist library systems to support teaching and research.
- Provide management for the delivery of high-quality library, archive, museum and repository technology services across the University.
- Take responsibility for the design, set-up, documentation, maintenance and integrity of relevant IT systems and technologies.
- Provide specialist technical problem-solving advice to inform activity and project planning, continuous improvement and service development
- Act as a point of contact for service colleagues and stakeholders to interpret and resolve complex infrastructure, architecture and technical problems.
- Use appropriate problem-solving techniques and analytical tools to deliver project and service objectives, providing advice and making recommendations for resolution as appropriate.
- Collaborate with other specialists within the service and across the University, regarding collections metadata, personal and financial data, employing robust methods and standards to deliver integrity and consistency with service delivery.
- Provide advice on digital tools and infrastructure to ensure an appropriate approach to developing world class teaching and research support.
- Schedule and monitor maintenance and installation works, projects and work streams across the University.
- Liaise with internal and external agencies, suppliers and software development communities where appropriate.
- Take responsibility for monitoring and updating risk assessments and safety procedures, providing guidance to others where necessary.
- Develop, modify and optimise protocols and methodologies.
- Record, monitor and collate information, analyse patterns and trends as part of teaching, learning and research activities.
- Any other reasonable duties.

**Person specification**

**Essential Criteria**
- Excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to convey technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
- Proven advanced IT skills, commensurate with the role.
- Proven experience of scripting languages and web server technologies (for example, PHP, Ruby, Javascript and others)
- Educated to degree level (or equivalent experience).
- Experience of being able to network effectively and develop strong and productive working relationships.
- Ability to solve problems and resolve issues, plan solutions and make pragmatic decisions.
- Ability to deliver IT projects.
- Knowledge of and commitment to IT system best practice including issue tracking, testing, documentation and version control.
- Ability to manage workload and prioritise effectively working under own initiative or collaboratively in a small team within a pressurised environment.

This vacancy is being advertised on behalf of GEM Partnership Ltd, who are operating as an Employment Agency