Senior HPC Systems Administrator Closing date: Oct 01, 2026

University of Oxford, Department of Engineering Science; Oxford; On-site; GBP 49,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Oxford's Department of Engineering Science is inviting applications for a Senior HPC Systems Administrator to lead the design, deployment, and operation of its HPC infrastructure within the Visual Geometry Group (VGG). This full-time role focuses on large-scale CPU/GPU clusters, storage, and networking to support cutting-edge AI and computer vision research.

The ideal candidate will have extensive Linux systems administration experience, expertise in cluster management,

Qualifications

• Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or 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.
• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities; able to work independently.

Responsibilities

• Designing, building, and maintaining HPC clusters and related 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.
• Mentoring researchers, software engineers, and postgraduate students.
• Developing documentation, training materials, and best practices.
• Collaborating with departmental and university IT teams.

Skills

Linux admin

HPC infrastructure

GPU computing

Scripting (Bash/Python)

Storage & backup

Communication

Mentoring

Education

Degree in CS/Engineering

Tools

SLURM

Containerisation

Virtualisation

BeeGFS/Lustre

Cloud platforms

Job description

Oxford, United Kingdom

ENGINEERING SCIENCE

Careers

Senior HPC Systems Administrator

Salary

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

Closing date

Oct 01, 2026 12:00PM

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

• 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
• 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

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/

You will be required to upload:

• A covering letter/supporting statement explaining how your skills and experience meet the selection criteria
• A CV
• 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.

• High Performance Computing (HPC)
• Linux Systems Administration
• GPU Computing
• Cloud & Container Technologies
• Computer Vision & AI Infrastructure

Contact name

Sofia Sampaio

Contact email

[e-mail]