Data Service Manager - AI Factory

Job Reference

226_26_AII_DSM

Position

Data Service Manager - AI Factory

Closing Date

Thursday, 21 May, 2026

Reference: 226_26_AII_DSM

Job title: Data Service Manager - AI Factory

About BSC

The Barcelona Supercomputing Center - Centro Nacional de Supercomputación (BSC-CNS) is the leading supercomputing center in Spain. It houses MareNostrum, one of the most powerful supercomputers in Europe, was a founding and hosting member of the former European HPC infrastructure PRACE (Partnership for Advanced Computing in Europe), and is now hosting entity for EuroHPC JU, the Joint Undertaking that leads large-scale investments and HPC provision in Europe. The mission of BSC is to research, develop and manage information technologies in order to facilitate scientific progress. BSC combines HPC service provision and R&D into both computer and computational science (life, earth and engineering sciences) under one roof, and currently has over 1000 staff from 60 countries.

Look At The BSC Experience

BSC-CNS YouTube Channel

Let's stay connected with BSC Folks!

We are particularly interested for this role in the strengths and lived experiences of women and underrepresented groups to help us avoid perpetuating biases and oversights in science and IT research. In instances of equal merit, the incorporation of the under-represented sex will be favoured.

We promote Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, fostering an environment where each and every one of us is appreciated for who we are, regardless of our differences.

If you consider that you do not meet all the requirements, we encourage you to continue applying for the job offer. We value diversity of experiences and skills, and you could bring unique perspectives to our team.

Context And Mission

The Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) is a leading European research infrastructure providing high-performance computing, data services, and scientific expertise to the research community. BSC operates at the intersection of computational science, AI, and applied research, supporting projects across life sciences, social sciences, earth sciences, and engineering.

The Data Innovation Group (DIG) is a center-wide coordination unit within the AI Institute responsible for developing new solutions for data infrastructure, data services, information security governance, and compliance. DIG provides technical and governance frameworks that support research departments and programs across BSC, ensuring that data-intensive activities meet the highest standards of security, quality, and regulatory compliance. A core function of DIG is the management of Data Services for the BSC AI Factory. The Group Leader acts as Data Services Manager for the AI Factory, overseeing the design and delivery of data services for the project and representing the project in European forums and working groups where the AI Factory's data strategy and capabilities are discussed.

The Leader of the Data Innovation Group holds overall responsibility for the group's strategy, team, operations, and service delivery. The role requires strong leadership across technical and institutional functions, active engagement with research departments and external partners, and the ability to translate complex regulatory and technical requirements into workable organizational solutions.

This project is funded by the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility, in accordance with Council Regulation (EU) 2020/2094 of 14 December 2020, and regulated by Regulation (EU) 2021/241 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 February 2021, in the context of the “BSC AI Factory” project.

The BSC AI Factory project has received funding from the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (JU) under grant agreement No 101234399. The JU receives support from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Programme and Spain, Portugal, Romania and Türkiye.

Key Duties

• Define and drive the strategic direction of the Data Innovation Group, aligned with AI Institute's mission and priorities.
• Lead, develop, and mentor a multidisciplinary team of engineers, data stewards, and governance specialists; foster a culture of continuous improvement and professional growth.
• Represent Data Innovation Group in BSC's senior leadership forums and contribute to center-wide technology and data strategy planning.
• Stay current with developments in research data infrastructure, information security, and applicable regulatory frameworks; translate emerging trends into actionable recommendations for BSC leadershi
• Represent BSC in relevant national and international forums related to research data and computing infrastructure.
• Oversee the planning, execution, and delivery of the group's project portfolio, resource alignment, and quality of outputs.
• Manage team growth in line with operational demand; define staffing requirements, lead hiring processes, and onboard new team members.
• Develop and maintain operational processes, governance documentation, and service standards; drive continuous improvement across all operational areas.
• Oversee budgeting, procurement, and contract negotiations for external services, tools, and partnerships within the group's scope
• Define and monitor key performance indicators for DIG services; report progress and risks to senior leadership on a regular basis.
• Define and maintain institutional frameworks for data governance, information security, and research compliance, ensuring alignment with applicable regulations and certification standards.
• Chair or participate in governance committees responsible for data access, research ethics review, and information security oversight.
• Oversee the development of policies, procedures, and control frameworks that enable research departments to handle sensitive data securely and in compliance with legal obligations
• Ensure that data protection obligations — including impact assessments, processing records, and breach response procedures — are maintained across all DIG-supported activities
• Serve as the primary liaison between DIG and institutional teams, including Data Management, Innovation, Operations, Legal and DPO, coordinating shared responsibilities and resolving cross-functional dependencies.
• Work closely with department heads and principal investigators to understand their data and infrastructure needs and ensure DIG services address them effectively
• Identify and coordinate cross-departmental initiatives, creating opportunities for shared infrastructure, reduced duplication, and improved alignment across BSC
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with external partners, including research computing organizations, public administration, infrastructure providers, and regulatory bodies at the European level
• Participate in relevant IT governance processes and contribute to institutional planning activities as required.
  
  

Requirements

• Education
• MSc in Computer Science, Data Science, Information Systems, or a closely related field.

Looking to advance your Development & Programming career with relocation support? Explore Development & Programming Jobs with Relocation Packages that include comprehensive packages to help you move and settle in your new role.

• Additional training or qualifications in information security, data governance, or research management is an asset.
• Essential Knowledge and Professional Experience
• At least 10 years of experience in technology leadership roles, with demonstrated responsibility for data infrastructure, information security, or research computing
• Proven experience managing multidisciplinary teams and delivering complex technology projects in a research, academic, or public sector environment
• Solid understanding of information security management frameworks, with experience leading or contributing to certification or audit processes.
• Working knowledge of data protection law and its application in research contexts, including impact assessment methodology and processing records management
• Track record of successful coordination across technical and non-technical stakeholders, including legal, compliance, and executive audiences
• Experience defining and implementing data governance processes, including access control, data classification, and audit logging
• Fluency in English is required. Working knowledge of Spanish and Catalan is an asset
• Additional Knowledge and Professional Experience
• Familiarity with secure research data environment standards and frameworks (e.g., Five Safes model or equivalent).
• Experience with high-performance computing (HPC) or cloud-based research infrastructure.
• Knowledge of EU regulatory frameworks relevant to research data, including GDPR, the EU AI Act, and sector-specific requirements
• Experience managing vendor relationships and negotiating service agreements for external technology providers
• Experience working with European research infrastructure organizations or international research computing partnerships
• Competences
• Strong leadership and team management skills, with the ability to coordinate across organizational boundaries and build consensus among stakeholders with differing priorities
• Clear and effective communication, able to convey technical requirements to non-technical audiences and translate policy obligations into operational practice
• Strategic thinking combined with attention to implementation detail and operational rigo
• Ability to manage competing priorities and maintain delivery quality under institutional and regulatory time pressure
• Commitment to data security, research ethics, and regulatory compliance as core professional values
• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural and international environment.
  

Conditions

• The position will be located at BSC within the Directors Department
• We offer a full-time contract (35h/week), a good working environment, a highly stimulating environment with state-of-the-art infrastructure, flexible working hours, extensive training plan, restaurant tickets, private health insurance, support to the relocation procedures
• Duration: Open-ended contract due to technical and scientific activities linked to the project and budget duration
• Holidays: 22 days of holidays + 6 personal days + 24th and 31st of December per our collective agreement
• Salary: we offer a competitive salary commensurate with the qualifications and experience of the candidate and according to the cost of living in Barcelona
• Starting date: 01/06/2026
  
  

Applications procedure and process

All applications must be submitted via the BSC website and contain:

• A full CV in English including contact details
• A cover/motivation letter with a statement of interest in English, clearly specifying for which specific area and topics the applicant wishes to be considered. Additionally, two references for further contacts must be included. Applications without this document will not be considered.
  
  

Development of the recruitment process

The selection will be carried out through a competitive examination system ("Concurso-Oposición"). The recruitment process consists of two phases:

• Curriculum Analysis: Evaluation of previous experience and/or scientific history, degree, training, and other professional information relevant to the position. - 40 points
• Interview phase: The highest-rated candidates at the curriculum level will be invited to the interview phase, conducted by the corresponding department and Human Resources. In this phase, technical competencies, knowledge, skills, and professional experience related to the position, as well as the required personal competencies, will be evaluated. - 60 points. A minimum of 30 points out of 60 must be obtained to be eligible for the position.
  
  

The recruitment panel will be composed of at least three people, ensuring at least 25% representation of women.

In accordance with OTM-R principles, a gender-balanced recruitment panel is formed for each vacancy at the beginning of the process. After reviewing the content of the applications, the panel will begin the interviews, with at least one technical and one administrative interview. At a minimum, a personality questionnaire as well as a technical exercise will be conducted during the process.

The panel will make a final decision, and all individuals who participated in the interview phase will receive feedback with details on the acceptance or rejection of their profile.

At BSC, we seek continuous improvement in our recruitment processes. For any suggestions or comments/complaints about our recruitment processes, please contact recruitment@bsc.es.

For more information, please follow this link.

Deadline

The vacancy will remain open until a suitable candidate has been hired. Applications will be regularly reviewed and potential candidates will be contacted.

OTM-R principles for selection processes

BSC-CNS is committed to the principles of the Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers of the European Commission and the Open, Transparent and Merit-based Recruitment principles (OTM-R). This is applied for any potential candidate in all our processes, for example by creating gender-balanced recruitment panels and recognizing career breaks etc.

BSC-CNS is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We are pleased to consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or any other basis protected by applicable state or local law.

For more information follow this link

Application Form

You are applying for the following job offer

Name and Surname *

Gender ** *

Female

Male

Other

Email *

Nationality** *

Where did you first see this job offer (Please indicate the name of the website, social media, referral etc.)? *

please choose one of this and if needed describe the option : - BSC Website - Euraxess - Spotify - HiPeac - LinkedIn - Networking/Referral: include who and how - Events (Forum, career fairs): include who and how - Through University: include the university name - Specialized website (Metjobs, BIB, other): include which one - Other social Networks: (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube): include which one - Other (Glassdoor, ResearchGate, job search website and other cases): include which one

Indicate what BSC department/s you want to apply.

Computer Sciences

CASE

Life Sciences

Earth Sciences

Indicate what research group/s you want to apply.

Upload CV (select the file, then click the Upload button) *

Please, upload your CV document using the following name structure: Name_Surname_CV

Files must be less than 3 MB.

Allowed file types: txt rtf pdf doc docx.

Cover Letter (optional) (if so, select the file and then click the Upload button)

Please, upload your CV document using the following name structure: Name_Surname_CoverLetter

Files must be less than 3 MB.

Allowed file types: txt rtf pdf doc docx zip.

Other Documents (optional) (if so, select the file and then click the Upload button)

Please, upload your CV document using the following name structure: Name_Surname_OtherDocument

Files must be less than 10 MB.

Allowed file types: txt rtf pdf doc docx rar tar zip.

• Consider that the information provided in relation to gender and nationality will be used solely for statistical purposes.
  
  

Data policy: *

I accept the data policy *

Other: *

I confirm that the information given in this form is true, complete and accurate.

Leave this field blank