Credit: Reto Scheiwiller/Pixabay

The Department for Transport is seeking a senior manager to lead its work in the area of digital twins.

Increasingly used in the planning of public infrastructure, a digital twin is a virtual recreation of a existing or planned physical environment or process. 

The DFt describes “digital twins [as] part of the vision for embedding the latest advances in technology to improve transport networks”. 

The new leader spearheading efforts to make this vision a reality will take on responsibility for “coordinating the many strands of work in this area… working across government departments and with international partners, ensuring both DfT-funded and external R&D is directed to the needs of the UKs transport network”, the job advert says.

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“You will be working with policy colleagues to ensure their priorities are supported,” it adds. “Key to the role is your ability to translate the complex and detailed technology of digital twins to policy professionals who may not have a strong technical background, ensuring the fundamental technological understanding of risks and opportunities are embedded into the work of the department.”

The postholder will be the DfT’s primary “deep technical expert” in the area, and will play a key role in supporting the work of the Connected Places Catapult to establish a “federated network” of digital twins.

The role will be based in one of Hastings, Birmingham, Leeds, or London. In the first three of these, the salary on offer will be £61,940. If the successful candidate wishes to be based in the capital, this figure will rise to £66,748. Applications are open until 11.55pm on Sunday 22 January.