Job Description

Cochrane is a global independent network of health practitioners, researchers, patient advocates and others, responding to the challenge of making the vast amounts of evidence generated through research useful for informing decisions about health. We do this by identifying, appraising and synthesizing individual research findings to produce the best available evidence on what can work, what might harm and where more research is needed.

Our work is recognised as the international gold standard for high quality, trusted information. We want to be the leading advocate for evidence-informed health care across the world.

We are looking for an IT Manager to join the Cochrane Informatics and Knowledge Management Department (IKMD). The IKMD is a team of currently thirteen working from four different locations. We interact with international internal and external partners involved in review production and all communication is in English. Our team produces the software and websites required for writing Cochrane reviews and supporting the infrastructure of the organisation. Out enterprise platform, Archie, is based on Java web/Java EE technologies running on a JBoss server. You need to be experienced in working with EJB, JSP, Servlets, and REST web services, and in-depth knowledge of XML is required to work with our reviews. Experience with client side web technologies (JavaScript, JQuery, AJAX) and SQL databases would also be an advantage. In addition, we are working on a number of innovative projects including the Cochrane Linked Data Project, which leverages semantic technologies for enriching Cochrane content to enable production and dissemination of evidence. This person will oversee development and technical operations and will be asked to think strategically about how Cochrane’s IT infrastructure best delivers the organisation’s  Strategy to 2020.

The Ideal Candidate will have:

Essential:

• Advanced degree in computer science or a related discipline
• Minimum 5-7 years experience managing teams of developers and overseeing the technical operations and delivery of software and web applications using an AGILE methodology for a large, global organisation
• Strong technical and data architecture skills including REST architecture and related standards
• Excellent knowledge of both Windows and Unix server environments
• Excellent knowledge of multiple programming languages and frameworks (Java, HTML5, Javascript, AngularJS, Node.js), including CMSs (Drupal) and XML and publishing systems
• Knowledge of semantic technologies, including RDF, OWL, and SPARQL is preferred
• Experience overseeing the development of large-scale web applications using the latest standards and best practices
• Strong communication skills (both written and verbal), good collaboration skills, and the ability to work effectively across teams and organizations in a global (mostly virtual) work environment
• Strong project management skills in the delivery of highly-complex, technical software and web application projects
• Results-orientated, and ability to deliver business value
• Negotiation skills and ability to influence decision-making
• Excellent analytical and judgment skills including ability to troubleshoot and advise on solutions in the area of technical operations
• Ability to work efficiently and effectively with a geographically-dispersed department and organization
• Ability to understand complex specifications and communicate them in an accessible manner to non-technical people
• A strong team player with the ability to train, mentor, and lead in technical areas
• Willingness to travel as required

Preferred:

• Knowledge of Cochrane, evidence-based health care, and/or the global health sector
• Experience working in a healthcare or health field
• Experience with text mining and machine learning technologies
• Experience of process innovation