Computational Research Support Specialist, Research Computing

Empire AI; New York (NY); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Empire AI in New York seeks a Computational Research Support Specialist to enable researchers to run HPC workflows and AI pipelines on shared platforms. You will resolve issues, optimize workloads, and build a robust knowledge base so users succeed on the Empire AI computing environment.

Reporting to the Manager of Computational Research Support, the role combines hands-on system work with user guidance, documentation, and training across diverse scientific domains.

Qualifications

• PhD in a STEM discipline with computational research.
• At least 1 year of experience with HPC or research computing.
• Strong communication and problem-solving with diverse users.
• Experience with Linux/Unix, job schedulers (Slurm), and scientific software environments.
• Scripting experience (Bash, Python).

Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on technical support for HPC systems, AI tools, and distributed storage.
• Diagnose and resolve user-reported issues related to software environments and performance.
• Manage tickets and escalation for complex platform issues.
• Assist new users with account provisioning and environment setup.
• Develop user-facing docs and run training sessions for varied skill levels.

Skills

High-performance computing

Communication

Problem solving

Linux/Unix

Slurm

Scripting (Bash, Python)

Education

Ph.D. in STEM

Tools

Slurm

Bash

Python

Job description

Computational Research Support Specialist, Research Computing

Empire AI is establishing New York as the national leader in responsible artificial intelligence. Backed by a consortium of top academic and research institutions including Columbia, Cornell, NYU, CUNY, RPI, SUNY, Rochester Schools, Mount Sinai, Simons Foundation, and the Flatiron Institute.

By leveraging the state’s rich academic resources and research institutions, Empire AI is driving innovation in fields like medicine, education, energy, and climate change, all while giving New York’s researchers access to computing resources that are often prohibitively expensive and only available to big tech companies, fueling statewide innovation, driving economic growth, and preparing a future-ready AI workforce to tackle society’s most complex challenges.

The initiative is funded by $500+ million in public and private investments, State Capital Grant, Academic Institutions, Simons Foundation, Flatiron Institute, and Tom Secunda (Co-Founder of Bloomberg).

Position Summary

The Computational Research Support Specialist helps faculty, researchers, and students turn scientific ambition into real-world impact through Empire AI’s shared advanced computing platforms.

This role reports to the Manager, Computational Research Support. It is a hands-on technical role and the person in it will be a go-to expert in high-performance computing (HPC), AI workflows, and data-intensive science. The Specialist works directly with users to resolve issues, optimize workloads, and build the knowledge base, so that every Empire AI user has the tools, knowledge, and guidance to succeed on the platform.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on technical support for HPC systems, AI tools, secure enclaves, and distributed storage
• Diagnose and resolve user-reported issues related to software environments, job performance, and access
• Work tickets and consulting queues to deliver fast, effective resolutions, and elevate complex or platform-side issues as needed
• Support new users with account provisioning, environment configuration, and system orientation
• Help users understand system architecture, policies (e.g., storage quotas, job scheduling), and available software environments
• Consult with researchers on workflow design, job optimization, and scaling AI/ML and simulation workloads
• Install, build, and maintain scientific software, libraries, and containerized environments for user communities
• Support secure computing onboarding, including guidance on compliance frameworks and protected data workflows
• Collaborate with systems administrators and developers to troubleshoot platform-side incidents and support system uptime
• Develop and maintain in-depth knowledge of Empire AI infrastructure, user tools, and HPC best practices
• Create and maintain user-facing documentation, quick-start guides, and troubleshooting resources
• Deliver technical training sessions and workshops tailored to different user skill levels and scientific domains
• Contribute to Empire AI user community events, forums, and collaboration platforms
• Promote inclusive access to Empire AI systems, including engagement with underrepresented communities in AI research
• Recommend improvements to support workflows, tooling, and documentation based on recurring user issues
• Participate in pilots, infrastructure rollouts, or tool evaluations to assess and expand Empire AI’s service capabilities
• Assist researchers with computational resource estimates and data management planning for grant proposals
• Share usage insights and user feedback with the team to improve training materials and support strategy

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. in a STEM discipline involving computational research (e.g., Computer Science, Physics, Bioinformatics, Applied Math, Engineering)
• At least 1 year of experience using or supporting high-performance or research computing systems
• Strong communication and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work effectively with diverse users
• Experience with Linux/Unix systems, job schedulers (e.g., Slurm), and scientific software environments
• Scripting experience (e.g., Bash, Python, or similar)

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with machine learning workflows, AI research tools (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow), or scientific simulation environments
• Experience with GPU computing, CUDA, MPI, or performance profiling and optimization
• Experience working with faculty or research groups in academic, national lab, or industry research settings
• Exposure to secure or regulated research environments (e.g., HIPAA, NIST 800-171)
• Experience with containers (Apptainer/Singularity, Docker) and version control systems (e.g., Git)
• Background in delivering user training, workshops, or documentation