"Research Infrastructure Specialist"

Special Instructions to Applicants: Applicants should attach a resume and cover letter in PDF format to the Supporting Documents section of the application.

About Rice

Boasting a 300-acre, tree-lined campus in the heart of Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. We are more than a place of academic excellence and pioneering research—Rice is a vibrant and welcoming community where every faculty, staff, and student is valued and empowered to grow.

Rice is committed to unparalleled excellence as we work to become the premier university in the world for teaching and research. We won’t do it like any other institution. We will do it with humanity for the good of humankind. We will do it on a personalized scale as only Rice can.

The Rice Experience is our excellence and our culture of care — the close interactions between faculty and students, the interdisciplinary connectedness of our fields of study, the commitment and ownership to Rice and our community. Learn more about Rice University’s newly launched ten-year strategic plan, Momentous.

At Rice, we share a set of core values—Responsibility, Integrity, Community, and Excellence—that shape our culture and guide how we engage with one another and the world around us. These values define our commitment to fostering an inclusive community.

Rice University Office of Information Technology (OIT)

OIT provides excellent constituent service, acting as a strategic partner to advance Rice University’s priorities and mission of “pathbreaking research, unsurpassed teaching, and contribution to the betterment of our world.” We fuel innovation at speed across the university by building a culture of trust, using an effective operating model, driving seamless experiences, and providing core IT capabilities.

OIT is service-oriented and team-enabling. We seek applicants who will contribute to our mission.

• Trust Building and Stakeholder Engagement – Foster trust across the campus by being transparent, reliable, consistent, and solution-oriented in communication and execution. Ensure clear, consistent, and timely communication with all constituents, maintaining a service-oriented mindset and addressing challenges with integrity.
• Collaboration and Cross-functional Commitment – Work effectively with colleagues across teams, departments, and roles to support shared goals and a positive work environment. Communicate clearly and professionally with team members throughout OIT and across the campus to ensure smooth coordination of tasks and projects. Build and maintain positive relationships with others by being approachable, reliable, and responsive. Proactively share relevant information and follow up to ensure alignment and efficiency in team efforts.
• Agility and Responsiveness – Adapt quickly to evolving needs, technologies, and priorities, ensuring efficiency and relevance. Identify potential challenges in advance and take proactive steps to minimize disruption to end users. Approach unexpected changes with a problem-solving mindset, balancing speed with thoughtful engagement. Prioritize user experience by delivering seamless, timely, and effective support and potential solutions. Maintain a culture of continuous learning and ask questions from a place of curiosity and possibility to enhance agility and service outcomes.
• Operational Excellence and Continuous Improvement – Maintain a culture of continuous improvement in all IT operations to ensure efficient and effective service delivery. Regularly assess and optimize processes, systems, and technologies to enhance performance, scalability, and user satisfaction.

Position Summary

The Center for Research Computing (CRC) at Rice University enables faculty and researchers to effectively use on- and off-premise (1) shared high-performance computing, (2) VM and cloud computing, (3) data storage infrastructure, and (4) broader IT services to accelerate and advance world-class research and scholarship across the University. We are currently looking to expand our team of professionals with a Research Infrastructure Specialist who can help the CRC (1) support, develop, and manage existing Linux-based core infrastructure that supports centrally managed research environments, and (2) evaluate, deploy, develop, and operate new infrastructure to more effectively bridge Center services, extend research cyberinfrastructure, and provide best-in-class support to our research community. This is a fantastic opportunity for a self-motivated team member to engage in a positive and creative work environment that offers the candidate the opportunity to grow and contribute to accelerating the research mission of Rice University.

Reporting to the CRC Co-Director, the ideal candidate has excellent judgment and communication skills, brings adaptability and integrity to the Linux-based infrastructure team, and utilizes best practices to improve system usability, management, and documentation.

Working Requirements

This is an on-campus position with the potential for a flexible work schedule in the future. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range:

This is a full-time, benefits-eligible position, and the salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications. Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree
  • In lieu of the education requirement, additional related experience, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year-for-year basis may be substituted
• 2+ years of experience in software projects and middleware management, including experience gained while in school
  • In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year-for-year basis may be substituted

Skills:

• Familiarity with the principles and practice of system configuration management and networked/distributed computing environments
• Substantive experience with Linux operating systems is required; other OS experience is welcome
• Technical skills, including but not limited to Linux systems analysis, VM administration, containerization, cloud infrastructure, and storage technology administration
• Demonstrated ability with programming or scripting in SQL, Bash, Ansible, Python, and PHP
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and troubleshooting skills
• Ability to work independently and in team settings, set priorities, and meet deadlines consistently
• Ability to explain applications and operating system fundamentals to others
• Excellent judgment, verbal, and written communication skills
• Ability to establish effective, ongoing relationships with colleagues and management

Preferred Skills/Experience

• Master’s degree in a related field
• 2+ years of experience in managing and supporting research computing infrastructure operations
• 3 years of experience supporting Linux infrastructure related to middleware development

Essential Functions:

• Develops information systems based on scope and objectives
• Monitors, tunes, and troubleshoots applications
• Participates in testing, debugging, configuring, and documenting applications and software
• Tests and implements complex software services; provides technical support and resolves systems and application problems
• Ensures data/media recovery by implementing a schedule of system backups and database archive operations
• Provides routine consultation and research computing support within the Center
• Documents and assists other technical staff as needed on production support issues, resolution, and application/utility software development and maintenance
• Provides insight and recommendations to stakeholders around potential process changes or solutions
• Develops documentation of systems and use cases, including use cases and workflow diagrams as needed
• Performs other duties as assigned