Team Leader – Operations

Your role

ECMWF are looking to recruit an Operations Team Leader to lead, coordinate and support a skilled Operations team at our Data Centre in Bologna. Reporting to the Head of Service Delivery, you will be managing a team of eleven Operators who work a 12-hour shift system, covering 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Data Centre Operations team is responsible for monitoring the performance of ECMWF forecast services, computing systems, and the data centre infrastructure (power, cooling etc.) ensuring that all monitored systems (both hardware and software) are effective in supporting the running of ECMWF’s operations. The Operations Team Leader will also liaise with service owners to enhance the maintenance of operational monitoring services and procedures.

The Team Leader – Operations position is responsible for following up on operational issues and incidents, supporting both analysts and service owners in their tasks to identify and solve problems. You will also control the escalation processes, keeping relevant stakeholders updated and, in addition, you will complete post-incident reports, capturing lessons learned, and providing recommendations to prevent recurrence. You will also collaborate with various internal stakeholders to maintain and enhance the Centre’s ITSM (IT Service Management) framework.

Your responsibilities

• Organise the Operator roster planning, schedule requests and emergencies, and be responsible for the team’s health and safety
• Coordinate escalations and follow-up operational incidents, conduct investigations and post-analysis reports, capture relevant lessons learned and provide recommendations to prevent recurrence. Prepare regular status reports for internal and external stakeholders
• Actively participate in the Change Advisory Board
• Contribute to the roll-out and improvement of procedures and monitoring aspects of the new and existing services, liaising with various internal and external service owners
• Contribute to the goals of the section by collaborating with the section head and the other sections’ teams
• The post foresees the possibility of carrying out shift turns in extreme emergencies

About ECMWF

The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) is a world-leader in weather and environmental forecasting. As an international organisation we serve our members and the wider community with global weather predictions and data that is critical for understanding and solving the climate crisis. We function as a 24/7 research and operational centre with a focus on medium and long-range predictions, holding one of the largest meteorological data archives in the world. The success of our activities builds on the talent of our scientists and experts, strong partnerships with 35 Member and Co-operating States and the international community, some of the most powerful supercomputers in the world, and the use of innovative technologies and machine learning across our operations. ECMWF is a multi-site organisation, with a main office in Reading, UK, a data centre/supercomputer in Bologna, Italy, and a large presence in Bonn, Germany. ECMWF has also developed a strong partnership with the European Union and has been entrusted with the implementation and operation of the Destination Earth Initiative and the Climate Change and Atmosphere Monitoring Services of the Copernicus Programme. Other areas of work include High Performance Computing and the development of digital tools that enable ECMWF to extend provision of data and products covering weather, climate, air quality, fire and flood prediction and monitoring.

See   for more info about what we do. 

What we’re looking for

• Experience in managing and coordinating 24/7 monitoring IT services
• Experience in leading teams with operational responsibilities would be a strong advantage
• Experience in maintaining and reviewing operational policies and procedures and ensuring appropriate team awareness
• Experience organising the monitoring of operational IT services with strict service availability, quality, and response time requirements

Skills and knowledge

• Experience in designing and applying processes in line with ITSM and ITIL frameworks
• Some experience with Linux systems and scripting languages would be an advantage
• Candidates must be able to work effectively in English. Knowledge of Italian, and/or one of ECMWF’s other working languages (French or German) would be an advantage

Other information

Grade remuneration:  The successful candidates will be recruited at the A2 grade, according to the scales of the Co-ordinated Organisations. The position is assigned to the employment category STF-C  as defined in the ECMWF Staff Regulations. Full details of salary scales and allowances available on the ECMWF website at . 

Starting date:  As soon as possible

Candidates are expected to relocate to the duty station location. As a multi-site organisation, ECMWF has adopted a hybrid organisation model which allows flexibility to staff to mix office working and teleworking, including away from the duty station (within the area of our member states and co-operating states).

Interviews by videoconference (MS Team) are expected to take place in early June. 

Who can apply

Applicants are invited to complete the online application form by clicking on the apply button below. 

At ECMWF, we consider an inclusive environment as key for our success. We are dedicated to ensuring a workplace that embraces diversity and provides equal opportunities for all, without distinction as to race, gender, age, marital status, social status, disability, sexual orientation, religion, personality, ethnicity and culture. We value the benefits derived from a diverse workforce and are committed to having staff that reflect the diversity of the countries that are part of our community, in an environment that nurtures equality and inclusion. 

Applications are invited from nationals from ECMWF Member States and Co-operating States: 

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, North Macedonia, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom. 

In these exceptional times, we also welcome applications from Ukrainian nationals for this vacancy.  

Applications from nationals from other countries may be considered in exceptional cases.