DIRECTOR, HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTING

Sanford Burnham Prebys; San Diego (CA); Hybrid; USD 135,641 - 195,000; Full time

Job summary

Sanford Burnham Prebys in San Diego seeks a Director of High-Performance Computing to lead the strategy and daily operations of its research computing environment. You will ensure a reliable, scalable HPC platform supporting faculty research, with a transparent cost-recovery model and strong stewardship of resources.

The role requires 10+ years in HPC or large-scale infrastructure, strong leadership, and collaboration with central IT.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Technology, Data Science, Computational Science, or a related technical discipline. Advanced degree in a related field preferred.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day HPC operations ensuring high availability and performance.
• Implement monitoring, incident response, and continuous improvement processes.
• Develop and manage user support, onboarding, and training for faculty and labs.
• Define SLAs aligned with grant timelines and research priorities.
• Evaluate future-state architecture including on-premise, cloud, and hybrid models.
• Lead a high-performing HPC team and coordinate with Central IT and finance.

Skills

HPC strategy

Team leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Cost recovery

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/CE/IT/Data Science

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

HPC systems

Storage management

Networking

Job description

Sanford Burnham Prebys

Sanford Burnham Prebys is a research facility and hub for innovation, a vibrant global community of scientists and researchers from over 30 countries. We strive to be leaders in biomedical research by fostering collaboration across cultures and backgrounds, advancing science and translating research into health.

Position Summary

The Director of High-Performance Computing (HPC) will lead the strategy and day-to-day operations of the Institute’s research computing environment. This role is responsible for delivering a reliable, responsive, and scalable HPC platform that supports faculty research, accelerates scientific discovery, and adapts to evolving computational needs. The Director will oversee HPC as an institutional resource, ensuring consistent, high-quality access for faculty and teams, and will implement a transparent cost recovery model to support expanding demand.

Duties and Responsibilities

Operations & Service Delivery

• Oversee and be accountable for day-to-day HPC operations, ensuring high availability, performance, and reliability
• Ensure faculty have consistent, timely access to computing resources critical to their research workflows
• Establish and manage service levels (SLAs) aligned with grant timelines and research priorities
• Implement monitoring, incident response, and continuous improvement processes to support stable and predictable operations
• Develop and oversee user support services, including onboarding, training, and troubleshooting for faculty and labs
• Manage capacity allocation and workload prioritization to reflect research impact and time‑sensitive projects
• Continuously improve system performance, usability, and accessibility from a researcher’s perspective

Strategy & Planning

• Develop and execute a research‑driven HPC strategy and multi‑year roadmap aligned with faculty priorities and institutional growth
• Engage faculty to anticipate emerging computational needs (AI/ML, genomics, large‑scale data analysis) and translate these into infrastructure and service requirements
• Evaluate and recommend future‑state architecture, including on‑premise, cloud, and hybrid computing models
• Ensure HPC capabilities evolve to support increasing scale, complexity, and competitiveness of grant‑funded research
• Define long‑term investment priorities, capacity planning, and technology lifecycle strategies
• Partner with Finance and leadership to align strategy with sustainable funding and recharge models
• Benchmark HPC capabilities against peer institutions to ensure competitiveness and research enablement
• Identify and enact (jointly with faculty and stakeholders) creative funding strategies to maximize HPC capacities

Team Leadership & Development

• Build, manage, and mentor a high‑performing HPC team
• Supervise staff responsible for system administration, storage, and user support
• Clearly define ownership for operations, support, and infrastructure components
• Foster a culture of service, accountability, and responsiveness to faculty needs

Collaboration with Central IT Services

• Partner closely with central IT to ensure HPC services integrate seamlessly with the broader technology environment used by faculty
• Coordinate on infrastructure critical to research workflows, including high‑speed networking for large data transfers, secure and accessible storage systems, identity and access management for research teams, and backup and data protection services
• Align with institutional cybersecurity and data governance standards while ensuring ease of use for researchers
• Serve as a bridge between faculty computing needs and enterprise IT capabilities

Faculty Engagement & Research Partnership

• Build strong relationships with directors, faculty, lab managers, and research staff
• Be a trusted advisor helping researchers optimize HPC usage for scientific outcomes
• Gather and incorporate faculty feedback into service improvements and operational priorities
• Ensure HPC services directly contribute to research productivity, grant success, and scientific output

Technology & Vendor Management

• Evaluate technologies that improve research performance and operational efficiency
• Oversee vendor relationships and ensure cost‑effective solutions
• Assess cloud and hybrid HPC options to support both burst capacity and long‑term scaling

Perform other related tasks, duties and responsibilities as required, assigned or directed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Technology, Data Science, Computational Science, or a related technical discipline. Advanced degree in a related field preferred.

Experience:

• 10+ years of experience in HPC, research computing, or large‑scale infrastructure
• Experience operating shared services with recharge/cost recovery models preferred
• Experience collaborating with central IT organizations in complex environments
• Supervision of staff and/or project teams

Certifications, Licenses, etc: None Other Knowledge, Skills and/or Abilities:

• Demonstrated ability to lead both HPC strategy and hands‑on operations in a research environment
• Clear understanding of cloud‑based, on‑prem and co‑lo HPC environments
• Strong expertise in HPC architecture (compute, storage, networking)
• Familiarity with federal grant cost principles (OMB Uniform Guidance) preferred
• Proven ability to manage and develop technical teams
• Strong communication skills with the ability to translate technical concepts into research impact

Supervisory Responsibilities

Direct: Yes
Indirect: No

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here represent those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

This is a hybrid position. On site, the environment is a standard office setting with low to moderate noise, varied odors, temperature changes, and equipment with moving parts (computers, phones, printers, etc.).

Working from home requires a quiet, organized, and comfortable setting free from significant noise or distractions. Reliable internet connectivity and a suitable workstation are essential.

Physical Requirements

• Sitting, Standing and Walking: Ability to occasionally (up to 3 hours) walk and stand, but primarily sitting for extended periods (6–8 hours) daily.
• Bending, squatting, climbing, kneeling, crawling or twisting: Not generally required.
• Lifting and Carrying: Not generally required.
• Manual Dexterity: Simple grasping, reaching above shoulder, and fine manipulation occasionally required.
• Repetitive Motions: Repetitive use of hands daily, usually for keyboarding/typing.
• Visual Acuity: Ability to view paperwork and computer monitors; virtually all work is on paper or online.

Work Location

This is a hybrid position; candidates must be willing to work onsite in San Diego. Out‑of‑state applicants must disclose willingness to relocate.

Compensation

The expected hiring range is $135,641.00 to $195,000.00 per year, commensurate with relevant experience.

Equal Employment Opportunity

We welcome talented individuals of all backgrounds regardless of gender, sex, religion, race, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, perceived disability, pregnancy, pregnancy‑related condition, reproductive health decisions, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDS, marital status, covered veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations. We are proud to be an equal employment opportunity employer.

As part of this commitment, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations for the hiring process. If a reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact our Benefits Team at (858) 646‑3100 or via e‑mail at [e-mail].

Equal Employment Opportunity, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

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