Senior HPC Systems Administrator, SAS Computing

Job Description Summary

The Linux Infrastructure Services (LIS) group at the School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) is seeking a passionate and skilled Senior HPC Systems Administrator. Join our team and collaborate with world-renowned researchers tackling questions about the human brain, the upper atmosphere, ocean biogeochemistry, social program impacts, and more. Under the guidance of the HPC team leadership, you will ensure the smooth operation of our HPC research services using technologies like GPU's, CPU's, Slurm, conda, infiniband, and many other components of a modern, shared HPC environment. This position is hybrid-eligible.

Job Description

The School of Arts and Sciences is the heart of Penn's academic enterprise, home to hundreds of faculty and thousands of students engaged in innovative research and teaching across the liberal arts and sciences. SAS Computing provides comprehensive IT support for Penn's world-class research, teaching and learning, and administrative activities. Our team works closely with faculty and staff to deliver innovative, forward-looking technology solutions that meet a wide range of needs. With a dedicated group of professionals known for strong collaboration and teamwork, SAS Computing translates technical expertise into practical support that advances the academic mission of the School.

Job Responsibilities/Duties:

Serve as a Sr. Systems Administrator managing complex Linux systems. This role involves supporting our research computing clusters, databases, and web servers. In addition to the School-based HPC services, this role will involve supporting SAS researchers who use Penn's new PARCC (Penn Advanced Research Computing Center) centralized HPC services, including both CPU and GPU cutting-edge technologies.

Under the direction of the HPC team leadership, maintain, configure, and provide automation support for high-performance computing solutions in our datacenters and the cloud. Engage with researchers to understand how HPC can enhance and transform their work. Proactively pursue efficient and collaborative solutions to requests, partnering with faculty and local computing support providers across the school. The systems managed by our group often support high-profile projects.

Responsibilities include:

• Deploy and manage Linux systems
• Develop shell and python scripts
• Configure, manage, and optimize job scheduling software (SLURM)
• Install and configure free and licensed software
• Monitor systems and services
• Perform routine systems maintenance
• Manage data and configuration backups
• Coordinate hardware repairs
• Oversee ordering and installation of hardware
• Recommend and track software and hardware changes
• Automate systems configuration tasks and deployments
• Provide technical consulting and end-user Linux support
• Support web services
• Assist first-tier support staff with end-users issues on our systems
• Maintain expert-level knowledge of HPC technologies
• Propose and implement improvements to our HPC services
• Provide support for SAS researchers using Penn's PARCC central HPC cluster and partner with the PARCC team to meet the needs of SAS faculty

This position also participates in the linux systems administration on-call rotations, which includes on-prem and cloud (AWS) services.

Qualifications:

Bachelor of Science and 3 to 5 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.

Required Technical Skills and Experience:

• Proficiency in Linux OSes (Ubuntu preferred)
• Advanced Linux scripting skills (BASH, Python, etc.)
• A working knowledge of job scheduling systems (SLURM preferred)
• Expertise in managing high-performance computing resources
• Networking experience including Infiniband and TCP networks, and configuring and managing network architecture within an HPC environment
• Proficiency in managing storage solutions and backups
• Experience in using configuration management tools such as Salt, Ansible, and MAAS.
• Experience in working with git repositories
• Experience in deploying and managing HPC hardware systems, including CPU and GPU nodes, networks, and storage.
• Skilled in triaging complex problems and developing solutions
• Strong communication skills to maintain effective interactions with stakeholders and team members

Preferred Skills and Experience:

• Experience deploying and managing cloud-based linux resources (AWS preferred)
• Ability to work collaboratively with SAS Computing colleagues, faculty, research staff, and other stakeholders
• Capable of managing and tracking multiple ongoing projects simultaneously
• Committed to the research and academic mission of SAS

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

School of Arts and Sciences

Pay Range

$83,500.00 - $105,000.00 Annual Rate