Dr Paddy Porter - Ulster University
Dr Paddy Porter, Technical Planning & Development Manager in the School of Engineering at Ulster University, completed the Executive Programme in Strategic Technical Leadership in November 2024.
The Executive Programme in Strategic Technical Leadership is a four-month professional development programme which is designed to help Strategic Technical Leaders from higher education and research institutions across the UK to develop their skills in strategic leadership, helping them to become more visible advocates of the technical workforce in their institutions.
With content delivered by experts from across the sector and the chance for participants to build a network with likeminded colleagues, the programme is already having a lasting impact upon technical leaders and their institutions.
Dr Paddy Porter, Technical Planning & Development Manager in the School of Engineering at Ulster University, attended the 2024 cohort of the programme. Paddy has been Technical Planning & Development Manager in the School of Engineering for nearly 10 years and is responsible for a large complex suite of specialist labs across the school and in multiple research centres, over 200 specialist pieces of equipment as well as a multi-disciplinary team of technical staff.
The School of Engineering at Ulster University specialises in a broad multi-disciplinary approach to Engineering in order to solve industrial problems. The school is part of the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and The Built Environment (CEBE). CEBE consists of four Schools, offering industry-informed, professionally recognised courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.
Writing about what motivated him to apply for the programme, Paddy said:
I chose the Executive Programme in Strategic Technical Leadership because it was a leadership course dedicated to technical staff and I liked the fact that Nottingham University Business School had partnered with the Institute for Technical Skills and Strategy (ITSS) to deliver the course. It had also been recommended to me by someone who had joined the first cohort in 2023.
The programme includes two residentials with interactive workshops and guest speaker talks, and plenty of time and space is provided for participants to network. It also features a short series of online workshops between the residentials which enable the participants to stay in touch with one another and continue to develop their knowledge and skills after returning to their workplaces. New to the programme in 2024 was the use of the Spotlight profiling tool which allowed the participants to explore their own leadership styles and how to optimise these for their individual roles and organisations.
Reflecting upon the elements of the programme which he has found most useful, Paddy said:
The most effective and interesting elements of the of the programme were the Spotlight profiling tool, networking, workshops and the overall craic with the attendees and program delivery team.
When asked about the impact that the programme has had on himself and his organisation, Paddy said:
I personally benefitted from the programme by building further networks and undertaking key training opportunities and further development opportunities. It has helped me develop key skills to enhance my involvement and output in my current role, as well as providing a further link into the broader Ulster University strategy and ensuring that technicians have a key voice to help us to enhance both the staff and student experience.
In addition, it has provided me with a further understanding of the UK higher education sector, its current affairs and the evolving landscape for technical staff which I have highlighted and communicated via our Ulster University Technician Commitment steering group. This is helping to enhance everyone’s understanding of the technical workforce and to improve both our internal and external relationships with key stake holders, providing further knowledge transfer and staff development.
Paddy and the other members of his cohort have now joined the Strategic Technical Leaders Network, alongside participants from the first cohort, providing further opportunities for networking, support and career development.
To find out more about the Executive Programme in Strategic Technical Leadership, or to read further case studies and blogs from past participants, please visit the programme webpage:
