Applied Research Specialist - Programmable Networks

Why this role matters

This is a technical expert role in Research and Network Strategy where the individual will apply their key expertise within a clearly defined sphere of technical knowledge to complex business issues or opportunities. The role holder actively engages with colleagues to progress new research in important technical topics and supports the realisation of business value from research and innovation outputs.

This role is based in Ipswich and our hybrid working model means you are expected to be in the office 3 days per week.

You'll have the following responsibilities

•    Executes Work with Autonomy – execute all required work (allocated and self-identified). Works proactively with the wider team to align and understand the priorities
•    Demonstrate strong support to the successful delivery of programmes, projects and complex testing.
•    Drives own performance ensuring effectively contribution to wider team measures. 
•    Ensures that mandatory compliance, regulatory, data, security and informational requirements are maintained and recorded. 
•    Works in partnership with line manager, other colleagues in wider team as well as wider BT and industrial and academic partners  to deliver end to end platform requirements. 
•    Ensures all work on equipment is in accordance with documented procedures and practices as provided by BT and its suppliers, agreeing any changes with appropriate source. 
•    Takes ownership of and effectively maintains tools and equipment ensuring quality and calibration. 
•    Fosters an Improvement approach to all work across the team, personally contributing to driving performance by engaging to generate ideas, supporting in ownership of improvements, reporting issues and demonstrating actions taken to progress these improvements to completion.
•    Agrees appropriate actions and proactively takes ownership of these to resolve issues. 
•    Responsible and supporting the implementation of assigned projects or work packages as required. Presenting and representing business data with internal / external customers as required. 
•    Delivers work with full regard of H&S aspects. Carries out on-site risk assessments giving careful consideration to any hazards before starting work and as the work progresses. 
•    Leading and managing one or more related research projects and activities comprising of matrixed resources both inside and outside BT, including university students and vendors.
•    Proactively leading engagement with working level stakeholders across the organisation as well as external partners as appropriate.
•    Domain expert responsible for maintaining expertise in a specific technical domain.
•    Depending on business needs, may manage Research Specialists, Professionals or other Team members.

You'll have the following skills and experience

Skills

•    Technical domain expert: Deep technical and domain expertise. They continually develop their expertise in a key technical area so they are recognised as a technical expert in that domain
•    Qualifications: Strong academic record in technology specialism.
•    Problem Solving: The ability to deal with a variety of issues and effectively implement solutions as required.
•    Communication: Able to communicate clearly and precisely through a variety of methods in any given circumstance or location
•    Self-Starting: Using their own initiative to drive the actions required from both themselves and wider team.
•    Ownership: Ability to support in owning and delivering tasks, activities and resources. Works with the wider team to understand priorities across the unit.

Experience

•    Technical domain expert: (MANDATORY) evidence of significant knowledge, skill and experience of at least 10 years with the following areas:
•    Network Engineering
•    Network and hardware configuration
•    Test planning, design, scripting, execution, automation and documentation
•    API design and implementation
•    Open source software
•    Problem-solving, troubleshooting, attention to detail, and data analysis.
•    Virtualisation
•    Cloud computing 
•    Platform design and orchestration 
•    Hands-on lab experience.
•    Collaboration research testbed design and run experience

(MANDATORY)

•    Significant delivery: evidence of significant business impact through delivery of relevant testbed work (MANDATORY)
•    Stakeholder management: evidence of managing project stakeholders across the business at a variety of grade and seniority levels (MANDATORY)
•    Innovative Thinker: ability to spot and identify new innovations and act to bring them in and capitalise and create value (MANDATORY)
•     Interpersonal Skills: Strong communication, teamwork, and adaptability. (MANDATORY)
•    Commercial Applicability: understanding the business case principals around relevant innovations and the real value to the business through value proposition build (MANDATORY)
•    Excellent awareness of industry trends, future direction and opportunities (MANDATORY)
•    Self-starter, pro-actively working with minimal guidance (MANDATORY)
•    Problem solving, intellectually curious, comfortable taking ownership and responsibility (MANDATORY)

Benefits

•    10% on target bonus
•    BT Pension scheme, minimum 5% Employee contribution, BT contribution 10%
•    From January 2025, equal family leave:  receive 18 weeks at full pay, 8 weeks at half pay and 26 weeks at the statutory rate. It’s for all parents, no matter how your family is made up.
•    Enhanced women’s health support: including help with menopause symptoms, cancer screenings, period care and more.
•    25 days annual leave (not including bank holidays), increasing with service
•    24/7 private virtual GP appointments for UK colleagues
•    2 weeks carer’s leave 
•    World-class training and development opportunities
•    Option to join BT Shares Saving schemes

Our leadership standards

Looking in:
Leading inclusively and Safely
I inspire and build trust through self-awareness, honesty and integrity.
Owning outcomes
I take the right decisions that benefit the broader organisation.

Looking out:
Delivering for the customer
I execute brilliantly on clear priorities that add value to our customers and the wider business.
Commercially savvy
I demonstrate strong commercial focus, bringing an external perspective to decision-making.

Looking to the future:
Growth mindset
I experiment and identify opportunities for growth for both myself and the organisation.
Building for the future
I build diverse future-ready teams where all individuals can be at their best.