HPC Scientific Support Engineer

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Berkeley (CA); On-site; USD 156,864 - 191,724; Full time

Job summary

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is looking for an HPC Scientific Support Engineer to join the NERSC division, enhancing support for over 10,000 researchers. The role includes providing HPC consulting, improving user services, and documenting workflows.

Ideal candidates will have significant experience in high-performance computing and a strong technical background. The position offers a competitive salary based on experience and skills, with a start date of August 3, 2026.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree.
• Minimum 2 years of experience using HPC systems.
• Strong critical thinking skills.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively.

Responsibilities

• Provide front-line HPC consulting and one-on-one user support.
• Develop user documentation, tutorials, and training programs.
• Analyze and resolve complex technical issues.
• Enhance the NERSC user environment.

Skills

High performance scientific computing

Linux/Unix

Fortran

C/C++

MPI

OpenMP

Python

AI models

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

Docker

Performance tools

Job description

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is hiring an HPC Scientific Support Engineer for the NERSC division, the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science's high-performance computing center serving more than 10,000 researchers across scientific disciplines.

As part of the User Engagement Group (UEG), the primary interface between NERSC and its users, you will provide expert HPC consulting and technical support, help improve user-facing services and documentation, and contribute to projects that enhance functionality, workflows, and the overall user experience.

This position has an anticipated start date of August 3, 2026.

At CSE3 level, you will:

• Provide front-line HPC consulting and one-on-one user support for workflow optimization, job and data management, and code debugging.
• Stay current on emerging HPC technologies and contribute to planning future NERSC systems from a user-support perspective.
• Enhance the NERSC user environment by installing, maintaining, and documenting productivity tools and software.
• Develop user documentation, tutorials, and training programs to improve user knowledge and productivity.
• Analyze and resolve complex technical issues, applying sound judgment to evaluate solutions and achieve results.
• Help define methods and procedures for new initiatives and coordinate activities when needed.

In addition to the above, the CSE4 level will:

• Mentor early-career staff in technical skills and project work.
• Monitor emerging HPC and AI trends and identify opportunities for NERSC users.
• Independently analyze and resolve complex, ambiguous technical challenges.

What we are looking for at CSE3 level:

• A minimum of 8 years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• A minimum of 2 years of experience using HPC systems is required.
• Strong critical thinking skills and the ability to resolve complex problems and develop solutions for NERSC's users.
• In-depth knowledge and experience with high performance scientific computing is required; your experience should include at least four of the following: Linux/Unix, Fortran, C/C++, MPI, OpenMP, OpenACC, CUDA, shell scripting, Python, parallel algorithms, programming models, AI models, debuggers, performance tools, containers.
• Ability to interact effectively with users, understand user needs, and show initiative, tact, and judgment in developing solutions for users.
• The ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to use and implement common internet technologies to communicate with technical users (e.g., web, chat, email, discussion forums, trouble ticket systems) and write effective technical documentation for the web.
• Teaching and developing classes, tutorials, and/or workshops in technical computing areas.

The CSE4 level position will have:

• A minimum of 12 years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree; 8 years and a Master's degree; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• In-depth knowledge and experience with high performance scientific computing is required; your experience should include at least five of the following: Linux/Unix, Fortran, C/C++, MPI, OpenMP, OpenACC, CUDA, shell scripting, Python, parallel algorithms, programming models, AI models, debuggers, performance tools, containers.
• Ability to work on and resolve significant and unique issues where analysis of situations or data requires an evaluation of intangibles.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment in methods, techniques and evaluation criteria for obtaining results.

Desired skills/knowledge:

• Ability to build and/or containerize complex scientific codes.
• Optimizing parallel programs for very large-scale execution.
• Developing scientific application code.
• Organizing technical conferences.
• Experience with AI and data analytics software stacks.
• Strong background in mathematics and statistics.
• Web programming (REST, JavaScript) and database skills (SQL).

Salary range:

• Level 3: The expected salary for this position is $156,864 - $191,724, which fits into the full salary of $139,440 - $235,308 depending upon the candidate's skills, knowledge, and abilities. This includes education, certifications, and years of experience.
• Level 4: The expected salary for this position is $178,644 - $218,364, which fits into the full salary of $158,808 - $267,996 depending upon the candidate's skills, knowledge, and abilities. This includes education, certifications, and years of experience.

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer: The foundation of Berkeley Lab is our Stewardship Values: Team Science, Service, Trust, Innovation, and Respect; and we strive to build community with these shared values and commitments. Berkeley Lab is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We heartily welcome applications from all who could contribute to the Lab's mission of leading scientific discovery, excellence, and professionalism. In support of our rich global community, all qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories under State and Federal law.

Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct, are currently being investigated for misconduct, left a position during an investigation for alleged misconduct, or have filed an appeal with a previous employer.