High Performance Computing Data Storage Administrator I - 530898

The University of Alabama; Tuscaloosa (AL); Hybrid; USD 62,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Alabama is seeking a HPC Data Storage Administrator I to oversee enterprise and high-performance computing storage systems. You will monitor health, capacity, and performance, perform routine maintenance, provisioning and filesystem expansion, and assist researchers with data management.

The role involves developing Bash and Python scripts to automate provisioning and monitoring tasks, handling backups, data migrations, and lifecycle activities.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED with 4 years of storage/sys admin experience; OR associate's degree with 2 years of experience; OR bachelor's or master's degree.
• Must have a valid U.S. driver's license and be at least 19 years old; some driving restrictions may apply for younger applicants.

Responsibilities

• Administers enterprise HPC storage systems and monitors health, capacity, availability and performance.
• Automates provisioning and monitoring with Bash and Python scripts.
• Supports backups, recovery, archiving workflows, data migrations and lifecycle activities.
• Assists researchers and staff with data management and file access issues.

Skills

Filesystems

Networking basics

Troubleshooting

Communication skills

Education

High school diploma

Associate's degree

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Tools

Linux

GPFS

DataCore Ngenea

PowerScale

NFS

SSH

Ansible

Globus

VMware

Job description

Pay Grade/Pay Range

Minimum: $69,200 - Midpoint: $89,900 (Salaried E11)

Department/Organization

200706 - OIT-HPC Center Services

Normal Work Schedule

Monday - Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm

Note to Applicants

Position is eligible for hybrid work subject to University policy.

Job Summary

The High Performance Computing Data Storage Administrator I assists with the administration of enterprise and high-performance computing (HPC) storage systems. Monitors storage health, capacity, availability, and hardware and assists with routine maintenance, upgrades, provisioning, and filesystem expansion. Assists with administering distributed and parallel filesystems, managing project storage allocations, configuring quotas and permissions, and supporting metadata management. Performs backups, recovery operations, archive workflows, data migrations, and lifecycle activities. Monitors utilization and input/output performance, identifies potential bottlenecks, and assists with filesystem tuning. Develops and maintains Bash and Python scripts to automate provisioning and monitoring tasks. Troubleshoots storage and file access issues and assists researchers and technical staff with data management.

Additional Department Summary

Provides operational and technical support for the University's high-performance computing (HPC) storage infrastructure. Works with system administrators and application administrators to ensure reliable, secure, and high-performance access to research data across multi-petabyte storage systems. Assists with storage administration, user support, data lifecycle management, and performance monitoring. Develops expertise in enterprise-scale HPC storage technologies.

Required Minimum Qualifications

High school diploma or GED and four (4) years of systems administration or storage administration experience; OR associate's degree and two (2) years of systems administration or storage administration experience; OR bachelor's degree and some systems administration or storage administration experience; OR master's degree.

Additional Required Department Minimum Qualifications

Must have valid U.S. driver's license. Must be at least 19 years of age at time of hire and have an acceptable Motor Vehicle Report that is in compliance with University policies. Applicants under the age of 21 will have some driving restrictions.

Skills and Knowledge

Understanding of filesystems and storage concepts. Familiarity with networking fundamentals. Strong troubleshooting skills. Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems, data science, or a related computational discipline. One (1) year of Linux systems administration or storage administration experience. Experience with Linux command line. Experience supporting research users. Experience with Linux, Bash, Python, GPFS, DataCore Ngenea, PowerScale, PowerScale Archive, NFS, DMB, SSH, Git, Ansible, Globus, VMWare or virtualization, object storage, or other data transfer tools.

Background Investigation Statement

Prior to hiring, the final candidate(s) must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation and information obtained from social media and other internet sources. A prior conviction reported as a result of the background investigation DOES NOT automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration for this position. A candidate with a prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags will receive an individualized review of the prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags before a hiring decision is made.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment or volunteer status without regard to any legally protected basis and will not be discriminated against because of their protected status. Applicants and employees of this institution are protected under Federal law from discrimination on several bases. More information is available in the EEOC’s Know Your Rights: Workplace discrimination is illegal poster. The University of Alabama affirms its longstanding commitment to institutional neutrality, free speech, and academic freedom.