Academic and Research Systems Administrator - Information Technology Services

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo; San Luis Obispo (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental & vision insurance

Pension retirement benefits

Educational benefits for eligible

Job summary

Cal Poly seeks an experienced Linux/HPC Systems Administrator to deploy, design, and maintain enterprise-grade computing platforms for research and instruction. You will manage on-prem NVIDIA HPC infrastructure, AWS workloads, and Kubernetes-based AI/ML services, collaborating with faculty and ITS teams to ensure high availability and security.

This role emphasizes automation, scripting, and infrastructure-as-code using tools like Ansible and Terraform, with strong emphasis on GPU hardware and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with four years of relevant experience.
• Advanced Linux and HPC experience with production systems.
• Experience with Ansible, Terraform, AWS Systems Manager and Git/CI-CD.

Responsibilities

• Deploy, design, enhance, manage, document and maintain systems, servers, storage and services.
• Support on-prem NVIDIA HPC platform (AI Factory) and AWS workloads across Kubernetes-based AI/ML services.
• Collaborate with faculty and ITS teams to ensure availability, security and optimization for academic use.

Skills

Linux system administration

HPC & GPU hardware

Ansible

Terraform

AWS Systems Manager

Git CI/CD

Python Bash scripting

Kubernetes

NVIDIA GPU tech

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related field

4+ years relevant experience

Tools

Slurm

VAST storage

Kubernetes

AWS

Job description

Job Summary

Working independently under the Director of Enterprise IT Operations, this position deploys, designs, enhances, manages, documents, and maintains systems, servers, storage, and services supporting Cal Poly’s research and instructional computing. The role supports the on-premises NVIDIA HPC platform (AI Factory), AWS workloads, Kubernetes-based AI/ML services, and related monitoring and automation. It partners with faculty, researchers, students, the Noyce School of Applied Computing, and ITS teams to ensure these platforms remain available, secure, reliable, and optimized for academic and research use. #CalPolyITS

Department Summary

Information Technology Services (ITS) is a fast-moving team that is responsible for helping Cal Poly achieve academic excellence through developing and implementing learning, teaching, and administrative solutions which leverage technology that align with strategic goals and objectives. With a focus on continuous improvement, ITS fosters innovation, supports continuous learning, and develops people to their full potential. Our team of more than 180 professionals work in a DevOps environment to shape the technology landscape at Cal Poly. #CalPolyITS

Key Qualifications

• Thorough and advanced experience with Linux operating systems, including RHEL, Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux, or Ubuntu, in production research and HPC environments.
• Advanced knowledge of systems support and management practices, including backup and restore, system maintenance, networking, scripting, security, operating-system deployment, monitoring, disaster recovery, and server and GPU hardware.
• Advanced ability to use configuration-management and infrastructure-as-code tools in a large-scale enterprise DevOps environment, including Ansible, Terraform, AWS Systems Manager, and Git/CI-CD.
• Advanced skill supporting complex cloud, container, and HPC environments, including AWS, Kubernetes, NVIDIA GPU technologies, Slurm, and high-performance storage platforms such as VAST.
• Thorough and advanced knowledge of automation and scripting using technologies such as Ansible playbooks, Bash, and Python.

Education and Experience

Equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in a related field and four years of relevant experience. Additional experience which demonstrates acquired and successfully applied knowledge and abilities shown above may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis. An advanced degree in a related field may be substituted for the required experience on a year-for-year basis.

Salary and Benefits

Anticipated Hiring Range: $100,404 - $115,332 Per Year

Classification Range: $87,408-$127,332 Per Year

Factors in determining the appropriate compensation for a role include experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The Anticipated Hiring Range referenced in the job posting is the budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position. The Classification Range may be broader than what the University anticipates paying for this position, based on internal equity, budget, and collective bargaining agreements (when applicable).

Cal Poly offers a best-in-class benefits program, including health, dental and vision insurance, retirement participation in the Public Employees' Retirement System, and educational benefits for eligible employees. See our benefits website for additional information.

About Cal Poly

Known for its Learn by Doing philosophy, Cal Poly is ranked among the top 10 public universities in the nation. Each year, more than 23,000 top-tier students come to Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly Maritime Academy in Solano County to put knowledge into action, taking their learning outside the classroom as they prepare for careers in engineering, agriculture, science, business, humanities, maritime and the built environment. Cal Poly’s hands‑on philosophy, small class sizes and close student‑faculty mentorships result in graduates ready from day one to impact their communities, California and the world. For more information, visit www.calpoly.edu.

Working Within the California State University System

As part of the California State University, the nation's largest public four-year university system, Cal Poly employees contribute to a broader mission of advancing knowledge, creating opportunity and serving the people of California.

Equal Opportunity and Excellence in Education and Employment

This position is open and available to all regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin. Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, Cal Poly provides equal opportunity in education and employment without unlawful discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. Our commitment to equal opportunity means ensuring that every student and employee has access to the resources and support they need to thrive and succeed in a university environment and in their communities. Cal Poly complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the California Equity in Higher Education Act, California’s Proposition 209 (Art. I, Section 31 of the California Constitution), other applicable state and federal anti‑discrimination laws, and CSU’s Nondiscrimination Policy. We prohibit discriminatory preferential treatment, segregation based on race or any other protected status, and all forms of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all university programs, policies, and practices.

Cal Poly is a diverse community of individuals who represent many perspectives, beliefs and identities, committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and intellectually vibrant environment. We cultivate a culture of open dialogue, mutual respect, and belonging to support educational excellence and student success. Through academic programs, student organizations and activities, faculty initiatives, and community partnerships, we encourage meaningful engagement with diverse perspectives. As a higher education institution, we are dedicated to advancing knowledge and empowering individuals to reach their full potential by prioritizing inclusive curriculum development, faculty and staff training, student mentorship, and comprehensive support programs. At Cal Poly, excellence is built on merit, talent, diversity, accessibility, and equal opportunity for all.

Supplemental Information

Satisfactory completion of a background check (including a criminal records check) is required for employment. Cal Poly will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Current employees who are offered positions on campus will be required to undergo a background check for any position where a background check is required by law or that Cal Poly has designated as sensitive. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current CSU employee who was conditionally offered the position.

The person holding this position is considered a 'mandated reporter' under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.

Cal Poly is not a sponsoring agency for staff or management positions. Applicants for staff and management positions must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

Education Code 89521 Requirements: Applicants will be required to disclose whether they have received a final administrative decision or final judicial decision determining that they have committed sexual harassment within the last 7 years only after a determination is made that they meet the minimum qualifications for the position, and before an offer of employment is extended. Applicants who reach the final stages of the application process must also sign a release form that authorizes the release of information by the applicant’s current and/or former employers to the CSU concerning any substantiated allegations of misconduct.

Positions are posted for a minimum of 14 calendar days.