Senior HPC Systems Administrator

University of Oxford; Oxford; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Oxford's Department of Engineering Science seeks a Senior HPC Systems Administrator to lead the design, deployment, and evolution of the group’s HPC infrastructure, supporting AI, computer vision, and multimodal learning research.

You will design, deploy, maintain, and optimise large-scale CPU and GPU clusters, high-performance storage, and advanced networking, working with researchers, software engineers, and IT teams to ensure robust, scalable systems.

Qualifications

• Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Extensive experience managing HPC infrastructure in research or technical environments.
• Strong Linux systems administration expertise.
• Experience with GPU servers and high-performance networking technologies.
• Experience with scripting and automation (Bash, Python).
• Knowledge of storage systems and backup/archive procedures.
• Strong troubleshooting and systems integration skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a research environment.

Responsibilities

• Designing, building, and maintaining HPC clusters and associated infrastructure.
• Managing Linux compute and storage environments.
• Supporting GPU-enabled research computing systems.
• Maintaining high-performance storage and backup solutions.
• Monitoring system performance, security, and availability.
• Supporting and mentoring researchers, software engineers, and postgraduate students.
• Developing documentation, training materials, and operational best practices.
• Collaborating with departmental and university-wide research IT teams.
• Evaluating and deploying new technologies to support evolving research requirements.

Skills

Linux systems administration

HPC infrastructure management

GPU computing

Scripting: Bash and Python

Networking and storage expertise

Documentation and training

Team collaboration

Education

Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related technical discipline

Tools

SLURM

BeeGFS/Lustre

Containerisation (Docker/Singularity)

Cloud platforms

Job description

We are seeking a full-time Senior HPC Systems Administrator to join the Department of Engineering Science at the University of Oxford, working within the internationally recognised Visual Geometry Group (VGG). This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced systems professional to lead the development, administration, and strategic evolution of the groups high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure supporting cutting-edge AI, computer vision, and multimodal learning research. The successful candidate will take a leading role in the design, deployment, maintenance, and optimisation of large-scale HPC systems, including CPU and GPU clusters, high-performance storage, and advanced networking technologies. The postholder will work closely with academic researchers, software engineers, and departmental IT teams to ensure robust, scalable, and secure computational infrastructure capable of supporting world-leading research in machine learning and visual computing. You will possess extensive experience in Linux systems administration and HPC environments, together with strong technical expertise in cluster management, storage systems, networking, scripting, and infrastructure automation. Experience with GPU computing environments, containerisation technologies, cloud platforms, and scientific software environments will be highly desirable. The role also requires excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders. The role includes responsibility for:

Responsibilities

• Designing, building, and maintaining HPC clusters and associated infrastructure
• Managing Linux compute and storage environments
• Supporting GPU-enabled research computing systems
• Maintaining high-performance storage and backup solutions
• Monitoring system performance, security, and availability
• Supporting and mentoring researchers, software engineers, and postgraduate students
• Developing documentation, training materials, and operational best practices
• Collaborating with departmental and university-wide research IT teams
• Evaluating and deploying new technologies to support evolving research requirements

The successful candidate will work under the direction of the departmental HPC Infrastructure Architect, with approximately 20% of their time allocated to broader departmental infrastructure activities.

Qualifications

• Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical discipline
• Extensive experience managing HPC infrastructure in research or technical environments
• Strong Linux systems administration expertise
• Experience with GPU servers and high-performance networking technologies
• Experience with scripting and automation (e.g. Bash, Python)
• Knowledge of storage systems and backup/archive procedures
• Strong troubleshooting and systems integration skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a research environment

Desirable Skills

• Experience with SLURM or other job scheduling systems
• Experience with containerisation and virtualisation technologies
• Knowledge of cloud computing platforms
• Familiarity with scientific computing tools and AI/ML research workflows
• Experience supporting research software or academic computing environments
• Knowledge of high-performance file systems such as BeeGFS or Lustre