ISAAC NEWTON GROUP OF TELESCOPES
LA PALMA, CANARY ISLANDS
Band 3 Operations Manager
CVN ref: LP4/01 Closing
date: 12 September 2001
A vacancy
exists for an Operations Manager at the Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes (ING)
on the island of La Palma in the Canaries.
The ING comprises three world-class optical telescopes: the 4.2 metre
William Herschel Telescope, the largest and most advanced astronomical
telescope in Europe, the 2.5 metre Isaac Newton Telescope and the 1.0 metre
Jacobus Kapteyn Telescope. The
telescopes are equipped with a wide range of imaging and spectroscopic
instrumentation using solid state optical and infra red detectors.
Operations,
involving engineers and astronomers, in support of scientific observations,
ensures the safe and reliable use of the telescopes. The Operations Team undertakes this and members are rostered from
the engineering and astronomy groups to carry out routine and fault maintenance
on a day to day basis, to provide observers with working telescopes,
instruments and systems fit for that nights schedule, as well as carrying out
preparations for future observations.
The daily Operations Team comprises around eight members, while for
nights, weekends and public holidays, the primary cover is provided by a Duty
Engineer.
Reporting to
the Head of Engineering, the Operations Manager is in a key position in
ensuring that observers are satisfied and performance targets are met. The post
requires the day to day supervision of those staff allocated to the team. All three telescopes are scheduled for
operations 365 nights of the year.
Appointment
will be to PPARC's Band 3 (appointment will be in the range £22,351 to £27,464
with potential for progression to £34,517, pending 2001 pay settlement) or to
Band 2 for exceptional candidates (£28,217 to £36,364 with potential for
progression to £55,616). The position
is fluidly graded Band 3/Band 2.
DUTIES
·
Ensuring that the telescopes,
instrumentation and systems perform to the satisfaction of the Telescope
Managers, setting priorities in the context of the observing schedule.
·
The prime responsibility day to day
is to hand over three working telescopes to observers and ensure they remain
working during the night
·
Leading operations by acting as team
leader, chairing daily meetings and delegating routine and repair work. Authorised to deploy resources and work
un-rostered overtime.
·
Chairing a fortnightly operations
meeting with Telescope Managers and representatives from the engineering groups
to discuss previous faults, their status and remedies, together with the
operational requirements for the next two weeks. Producing minutes of these
meeting.
·
Ensuring that the fault monitoring
system is effective and beneficial.
That faults are analysed, allocated, effective repairs made and closed
out and feedback is given to originators. Long standing problems are to be
investigated, prioritised and resolved.
·
Reviewing the engineering
requirements for telescope operations, providing feedback on the proposed
schedules (based on availability, resources and time) to the telescope managers
to provide a workable schedule
·
Liasing with Group Heads over the
rostering of staff onto the operations team and as Duty Engineers. Ensuring that the relevant staff are
available to match the schedule and drawing up the staff roster at least two
months in advance.
·
Liasing with Engineering Group Heads
to ensure that sufficient staff are trained and available as duty
engineers/incident officers.
·
Responsible for ensuring that
operational documentation is accurately produced, is used and is updated,
including daily check lists, instrument changes, manuals and the operations
procedure.
·
Responsible for ensuring that a
training programme for operations is established, undertaken and recorded.
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
Applications
are welcomed from engineering professionals, preferably though not necessarily,
with experience in an astronomical observatory. Diversity of experience,
including industry, will be an advantage.
Equally, we welcome applications from people with an astronomy
background with relevant knowledge, skills or experience.
The primary
requirement is for organisational, management and leadership skills to organise
operations, analyse trends and plan for future requirements in order to
maintain the ING telescopes as best of their class.
Ideally
applicants for the post should have a degree in an appropriate discipline and
have had experience in a similar position. They must have the interpersonal
skills needed to liase with other senior staff over the requirements of the
schedule and the deployment of necessary resources, while being able to lead
and motivate team members. They must
be responsive to the demands of an operational environment and be capable of
leading a team working to deadlines, sometimes under demanding conditions and
unsociable hours. The ability to speak
Spanish or a willingness to learn is also desirable.
Further information
The post will
be based on La Palma where free accommodation will be provided along with a
range of other benefits. The salary
will be in PPARC's range for overseas staff at the grade concerned together
with a Recruitment and Retention Allowance.
A Cost of Living Allowance, based on personal circumstances, will also
be paid. Further information on the
post may be obtained from Gordon Talbot, ING's Head of Engineering. The Personnel contacts for information on
the terms and conditions for the post may be obtained from Les Edwins (lie@ing.iac.es) or
Lucy Lawler (lal@ing.iac.es)
APPLICATIONS
PPARC staff
wishing to be considered for the post should complete a PPARC Vacancy
Application Form, copies of which are obtainable from their local Personnel
Group. Alternatively, an application
form may also be found on ING's website,
http://www.ing.iac.es
The form should be forwarded, together with statements of suitability
from their Reporting and Countersigning Officers, to reach ING's Personnel
Section by the closing date of 12 September 2001. Applications from non-permanent employees can only be considered
if they were recruited to their present posts through fair and open competition
and have the necessary entry qualifications for the grade for which they are
applying.
Applications
for a request interview may be made against this Vacancy Notice by employees of
the PPARC who have served in their present grade for at least seven years (at
the date of this Notice) and have not been interviewed for promotion within the
same Occupational Group for at least four years. CEM 7D, section 8, refers.
In the first
instance this vacancy is being trawled across PPARC.
Les Edwins August
2001
Head of ING
Administration