Senior HPC Systems Administrator

Corehr; Oxford; On-site; GBP 49,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Oxford, Department of Engineering Science, seeks a Senior HPC Systems Administrator for the Visual Geometry Group (VGG). The role leads design, deployment and optimisation of large-scale HPC, GPU clusters, storage, and networking to support AI and vision research.

You will manage Linux compute/storage environments, implement automation, collaborate with researchers, and help evolve technology across the department. Excellent communication and independence are essential.

Qualifications

• Degree in Computer Science, Engineering or related discipline.
• Extensive HPC infrastructure experience in research or technical settings.
• Experience with GPU servers and high‑performance networking.
• Scripting/automation with Bash and Python.
• Experience with SLURM or other job schedulers.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms.
• Knowledge of BeeGFS or Lustre file systems.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain HPC clusters and infrastructure.
• Manage Linux compute and storage environments.
• Support GPU-enabled research computing systems.
• Maintain high‑performance storage and backups.
• Monitor performance, security, and availability.
• Mentor researchers and postgraduate students.
• Develop documentation and best practices.
• Collaborate with IT teams and researchers.
• Evaluate and deploy new technologies.

Skills

HPC systems

Linux admin

GPU computing

Scripting Python

SLURM

Networking

Storage systems

Documentation

Communication

Cloud platforms

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or Engineering

Tools

BeeGFS

Lustre

Job description

UK date and time: 22-September-2026 12:59

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:

• 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.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical discipline
• Extensive experience managing HPC infrastructure in research or technical environments
• 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
• 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

For informal enquiries, please contact: [e-mail]

For more information about working at the Department, see:

www.eng.ox.ac.uk/about/work-with-us/

Only online applications received before midday on the 1st October 2026 can be considered. You will be required to upload:

• A covering letter/supporting statement explaining how your skills and experience meet the selection criteria
• Details of two referees

The Department holds an Athena Swan Bronze Award, recognising its commitment to advancing gender equality and supporting an inclusive working environment.

Salary (£) : Grade 8: £49,119 - £55,031 per annum (Inclusive of Oxford University weighting)