Technical Architect

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 (e.g. SLURM), Containerisation (Docker, Kubernetes, orchestration)
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code and DevSecOps practices
• Understanding of both cloud and on-prem / physical infrastructure