HPSC System Administrator: Office of Innovative Technologies - UTK

University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Knoxville (TN); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Tennessee Knoxville is seeking a System Administrator to support the High Performance & Scientific Computing group. You will evaluate, deploy, maintain, secure, and operate research cyberinfrastructure used to support the university's research mission.

Responsibilities include configuring storage and HPC resources, maintaining security, diagnosing issues, and coordinating with Networking, Help Desk, and Systems teams. Location: Knoxville, TN; Hybrid work arrangement.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in computer science, data science, information technology, engineering field, bioinformatics, genomics, or hard sciences field is required.
• Three years performing information technology administration; experience can be substituted for equivalent education.
• Knowledge of Linux-based IT systems, installation and use of Red Hat Linux or other Linux OS, and large IT environment management.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate configuration and maintenance of storage resources (hardware and software).
• Configure and maintain HPC resources, including compute/storage hardware, OS and application software, SLURM.
• Maintain security posture by implementing required security controls.
• Diagnose and resolve hardware, software, networking, and system issues.
• Monitor services and respond to service failures; document processes and procedures.

Skills

Linux administration

Networking

SLURM

Security controls

Troubleshooting

Documentation

Communication skills

Education

Master's degree in computer science / IT / engineering

Tools

Red Hat Linux

Ansible

Puppet

Monitoring tools (Icinga/SolarWinds/XDMod)

Windows OS knowledge

Job description

Job Description

The Office of Information Technology, High Performance & Scientific Computing group at The University of Tennessee Knoxville is seeking qualified applicants for a System Administrator position which will perform a key role in evaluating, deploying, maintaining, securing, and operating the research cyberinfrastructure resources used to support the research mission of the University. Under the guidance of the High Performance & Scientific Computing Manger and Executive Director of Research Computing, this individual will have knowledge of system administration and be part of a team that manages centralized high performance computing and storage resources, a secure research computing environment, and works with faculty and researchers to make effective use of the resources for research.

Responsibilities

• Coordinating the configuration and maintenance of the storage resources, including hardware and software
• Configuring and maintaining server-class, HPC resources, including compute and storage hardware, OS software, application software, and SLURM resource management system
• Maintaining an effective security posture including implementing the required security controls specified in the system security plans
• Diagnosing and resolving hardware, software, networking, and system issues when they arise
• Monitoring services and responding to service failures
• Implementing configuration management processes and procedures
• Providing technical support and user support as needed
• Documenting processes and procedures to administer and maintain the storage systems, computational systems, and infrastructure; ensuring required backups are performed regularly and successfully
• Working with other OIT groups, such as, Networking Services, Help Desk, and Systems to support the continued and efficient operation of the research cyberinfrastructure

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Due to regulatory requirements the successful candidate(s) must be a U. S. citizen or legal permanent resident with a green card
• Education: Master's degree in computer science, data science, information technology, engineering field, bioinformatics, genomics, or hard sciences field.
• Experience: Three years performing information technology administration - experience can be substituted for equivalent time pursuing education related to information technology at an institution of higher education
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
• Knowledge of system administrator role, duties, and activities for Linux-based information technology systems
• Knowledge of information technology administrator technologies, best practices, and troubleshooting techniques
• Knowledge of installation and use of Red Hat Linux or other Linux operating systems
• Knowledge and proficiency in configuring, operating and managing a large information technology environment
• Knowledge and skill in operating and maintaining Ethernet based networking equipment and systems
• Experience with batch schedulers such as Slurm, Torque + MOAB, or HTCondor
• Skills in writing and interpersonal communication - writing sample, manuscript, or cover letter required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Education: PhD in computer science, data science, information technology, engineering field, bioinformatics, genomics, or hard sciences field.
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
• Knowledge and proficiency in high performance computing technology (hardware, software and services)
• Knowledge of operation and support of Lustre parallel file system technologies
• Knowledge of hardware, software and services in cloud computing technologies
• Knowledge of best practices and technologies related to research computing in a University environment
• Knowledge of installation and use of Windows based operating systems
• Knowledge of CMMC policies and procedures such as NIST 800-171 or NIST 800-53
• Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA), Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE), Red Hat Certified Specialist in (RHCS Virtualization) or Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform certifications preferred
• Experience with Icinga, SolarWinds, or XDMod monitoring tools
• Experience with the use of Microsoft productivity tools, such as, Teams, OneDrive, and Sharepoint
• Experience with ticketing systems such as Team Dynamics
• Experience with Ansible, Puppet, Chef, or Salt/SaltStack provisioning, configuration management, and application deployment

Work Location

• Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
• Hybrid

Compensation And Benefits

• UT market range: MR14
• Anticipated hiring range: $95,000 – $105,000
• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here
• Find more information on UT Benefits here

About The Division

The High Performance and Scientific Computing group provides centralized HPC resources and expertise to the UTK research community. HPSC operates the ISAAC cluster — a multi-thousand-core, GPU-accelerated computing environment supporting research in fields ranging from computational physics and engineering to genomics, machine learning, and the social sciences. HPSC is entering a period of significant growth and transformation, with strategic investments in AI/GPU computing, a new secure enclave for sensitive data, expanded user onboarding, and deeper integration with the university's Research Computing Support (RCS) team.

About Us

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees—the Volunteers—who uphold the university’s tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and service.

UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. As Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university, its footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry leaders and the US Department of Energy’s largest multidisciplinary laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The Knoxville campus serves and recruits for UT Knoxville, including the Institute of Agriculture and the Space Institute, as well as the UT Institute of Public Service.

UT Knoxville considers its employees its number one asset. With values that focus on work-life balance, compensation, and innovation leadership, all Vols are supported to advance professionally. Employees have access to career development and coaching, continued education, and an extensive list of development and training possibilities. The Volunteer employee experience implements structures and practices to attract and retain top-tier talent, fostering a strong staff community and supporting a culture of involvement and engagement for everyone.

The university holds a strong commitment to its land-grant mission of learning and engagement, with a tradition of service and leadership that carries that Volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world. It has been ranked nationally as “Best Employer for New Graduates,” “One of America’s Best Large Employers,” and “Best Workplace for Women,” and has been designated as “Best Place for Working Parents” by Forbes Magazine.