Research Manager Network Programmability

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 is an exciting opportunity to join a new team within BT's Research & Network Strategy team. Our work is focussed on Intelligent Service Orchestration, using new and emerging technologies to drive value for BT and shape its next generation of network services.

We're looking for established & recognised researchers to work on topics such as orchestration of dynamic services (for example via network slicing), closed loop automation, and application of AI/ML for intelligent decision making in the network platform.

You'll be designing and building prototypes, storytelling with data, and working with our partners and business stakeholders to bring to life the potential value that technologies in this space can offer to BT. And we'll offer a supportive and inclusive environment to develop yourself and your skills along the way.

If you are interested in a new challenge, please get in touch!

You'll have the following responsibilities

• 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.
• Proactive engagement with the relevant business units to downstream strategic technologies forcommercial realisation.
• Domain expert responsible for maintaining expertise in a specific technical domain.
• Responsible for intellectual property creation, managing patent filing in their domain and supporting IPR exploitation where appropriate
• Accountable for defining and performing research in Intelligent Service Orchestration to deliver high impact and high value across multiple domains.
• Responsible for authoring thought leadership, technical papers, capturing intellectual property 
• Supervision of professionals, graduates and post graduate student placements and secondments 
• 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 or domain expertise. They continually develop their expertise in a key technical area so are recognised as a technical expert in service orchestration and automation. Ability to capture requirements from customer and stakeholders and translate them to tangible solutions to research for outcomes with focus on automation and orchestration.
• Qualifications: Strong academic record in technology specialism with post-graduate qualification(s) (PhD or equivalent research experience).
• Expert communicator: Regularly presents to peers and managers about their research and area of technical expertise
• Experienced in open innovation: Skilled in patenting, technical publications, conference presentations etc.
• Storytelling with data: strong skills in building the case for change, drawing on data and analytical techniques where appropriate, and communicating this to business audiences
• Concept Evaluation: ability to spot relevant innovations, horizon scanning, determine relevance for the business, develop an effective conceptualisation and build trials to test the concept

Experience

• Technical domain expert: evidence of significant knowledge and skill relevant to Intelligent Service Orchestration including 
o Expertise in service orchestration and SD-WAN features
o requirements capture for feature development for network automation
o network automation and orchestration in frameworks and toolsets including software development skills such as Java, Python, APIs
o Network programming skills including YANG, JSON, etc…
o Expertise in Cloud computing including OpenStack
o Automation data pipelines
o Intent based networking
o Expert in service orchestration industry standards
o AI/ML expert including experience 
with LLM training techniques, design and frameworks
o Proven experience in researching and/or development in this area (MANDATORY)
• Significant delivery: evidence of significant business impact through delivery of research (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)
• 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
• Self-starter, pro-actively working with minimal guidance
• Problem solving, intellectually curious, comfortable taking ownership and responsibility

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• 10% on target bonus
• BT Pension scheme, minimum 5% Employee contribution, BT contribution 10%
• 25 days annual leave (not including bank holidays), increasing with service
• Huge range of flexible benefits including cycle to work, healthcare, season ticket loan
• World-class training and development opportunities
• Option to join BT Shares Saving schemes.
• Discounted broadband, mobile and TV packages
• Access to 100’s of retail discounts including the BT shop

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.