HPC Architecture Leader

CGG Services (U.S.) Inc.; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Viridien is seeking an experienced HPC Architecture Leader to guide end-to-end architecture for next-gen HPC systems and deliver secure, scalable data processing solutions.

You will align stakeholders across engineering, operations, vendors, and clients, while driving a culture of engineering excellence and data-driven decision making. This role emphasizes leadership, strategic planning, and hands-on architecture delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in STEM (CS, Engineering, Physics, or equivalent).
• 8+ years designing, implementing, and scaling large-scale HPC compute/storage architectures in production.
• 3+ years managing and leading an HPC technology team.
• Demonstrated people leadership: mentoring, coaching, setting expectations, and building strong team culture.
• Proven expertise in designing performance-optimized, high-density CPU/GPU systems.
• Deep command of the HPC stack: next-gen processors, memory subsystems, high-speed interconnects.
• Comprehensive mastery of Linux-based environments and the broader HPC ecosystem.
• Familiarity with HPC benchmarking, monitoring, and performance-tuning tools.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management across a matrixed organization.
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives across distributed teams and vendors.
• Curious, self-driven mindset with a passion for learning emerging HPC technologies.

Responsibilities

• Set the end-to-end HPC architecture vision and roadmap across engineering, operations, security, and product stakeholders.
• Drive vendor strategy and partnerships—co-designing solutions and optimizing for performance and total cost.
• Build and run a performance engineering program with benchmarks, success criteria, and POC tests.
• Oversee deployment and integration of new HPC platforms into production with readiness and lifecycle planning.
• Partner with leaders to translate business needs into scalable architectures and investment plans.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing HPC architecture team and governance culture.
• Own execution, sequencing work, blockers removal, and meeting commitments with quality.
• Establish team operating mechanisms to improve transparency, consistency, and speed.

Skills

HPC architecture

People leadership

Linux expertise

GPU/CPU high-density systems

Interconnects expertise

Benchmarking tools

Monitoring tools

Stakeholder management

Cross-functional leadership

Continuous learning

Education

Bachelor's degree in STEM

Tools

Benchmarking tools

Monitoring tools

Performance-tuning tools

Job description

Viridien (www.viridiengroup.com) is an advanced technology, digital and Earth data company that pushes the boundaries of science for a more prosperous and sustainable future. We discover new insights, innovations, and solutions that efficiently and responsibly resolve complex natural resource, digital, energy transition and infrastructure challenges.

Overview

Viridien is seeking an experienced HPC Architecture Leader to join our global HPC technology team. In this role, you will lead end-to-end architecture for next‑generation HPC systems, aligning stakeholders across engineering, operations, vendors, and clients to deliver secure, scalable, and cost‑optimized solutions that power mission‑critical data processing and simulation workloads.

Key Responsibilities

• Set the end‑to‑end HPC architecture vision and roadmap, aligning priorities across engineering, operations, security, and product/program stakeholders.
• Drive vendor strategy and partnerships—co‑designing solutions, negotiating trade‑offs, and optimizing for performance, reliability, supply constraints, and total cost of ownership.
• Build and run a performance engineering and validation program (benchmarks, success criteria, POCs), coaching the team in rigorous experimentation and data‑driven decision‑making.
• Oversee deployment and integration of new HPC platforms into production, ensuring operational readiness, monitoring, incident learnings, and lifecycle planning.
• Partner with leaders across the organization to translate business needs into scalable architectures, capacity plans, and investment proposals.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high‑performing HPC architecture team—establishing clear roles, growth plans, and a culture of engineering excellence.
• Own team execution and delivery outcomes: planning, sequencing work, removing blockers, and ensuring commitments are met with high quality.
• Establish team operating mechanisms (cadence, reviews, architecture governance, decision records) to improve transparency, consistency, and speed of execution.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a STEM discipline (Computer Science, Engineering, Physics, or equivalent).
• 8+ years of experience designing, implementing, and scaling large‑scale HPC compute and storage architectures, with demonstrated ownership of outcomes in production environments.
• 3+ years managing and leading an HPC technology team.
• Demonstrated people leadership (direct or dotted‑line): mentoring, coaching, setting expectations, and building strong team culture.
• Proven expertise in designing performance‑optimized, high‑density systems utilizing both CPU and GPU technologies.
• Deep technical command of the HPC stack, including next‑gen processors, memory subsystems, and high‑speed interconnects.
• Comprehensive mastery of Linux‑based environments and the broader HPC ecosystem.
• Familiarity with HPC benchmarking, monitoring, and performance‑tuning tools.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, including the ability to align teams and drive decisions across a matrixed organization.
• Experience leading cross‑functional initiatives, including planning, risk management, and driving execution across globally distributed teams and vendors.
• Curious, self‑driven mindset with a passion for learning and applying emerging HPC technologies.

Nice to Have

• Experience building and scaling technical teams (hiring, onboarding, and developing talent) in a fast‑changing environment.
• Ability to communicate technical trade‑offs to senior stakeholders and influence investment and roadmap decisions.
• Change leadership experience (introducing standards, improving processes, and raising engineering maturity across teams).
• Knowledge of high‑performance networking and interconnects (e.g., InfiniBand, high‑speed Ethernet fabrics).
• Experience with high‑performance storage technologies such as Lustre, Ceph, or BeeGFS.
• Exposure to cloud‑native and hybrid HPC technologies.

We value diversity and are committed to equal employment opportunities for all professionals.