Research Computing Systems Engineer

The Pennsylvania State University; State College (Centre County); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Pennsylvania State University is seeking a High-Performance Computing (HPC) system administrator for the Applied Research Laboratory. You will enhance defense capabilities while maintaining HPC systems and collaborating with a multi-disciplined team.

This position requires extensive knowledge of Linux, scripting languages, and diagnostics. You will have opportunities for professional growth, working hands-on with users and systems. Joining Penn State means committing to equal opportunity and providing a supportive work environment.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience with Linux operating systems and networking.
• Current eligibility for access to classified information.
• Effective diagnostic and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Maintain existing HPC systems and resolve computational performance issues.
• Develop scripts for system health monitoring.
• Perform diagnostics to resolve hardware failures.

Skills

Linux operating systems (especially RHEL)

Scripting languages (bash, python, perl)

Networking

Problem-solving skills

Batch schedulers (Slurm, Torque, PBS)

Configuration management tools (Puppet, Chef, Ansible)

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Job description

Position Overview

We are searching for a High-Performance Computing (HPC) system administrator to join the Structural Mechanics Division at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State. You will work with our team of scientists and engineers to develop and advance our nation's defense capabilities. This position offers broad opportunities for professional growth, including exposure to a range of existing HPC implementations—both in‑house and at leading institutions—and hands‑on involvement in all aspects of HPC administration, from system design to working directly with end‑users to resolve computational performance issues.

Responsibilities

• Maintain existing HPC systems by ensuring compute node and storage availability to end‑users.
• Develop and deploy various scripts to monitor system health and assess system usage.
• Maintain system firmware and software revisions, including operating system upgrades, updates, and patches.
• Perform component and system diagnostics to resolve hardware failures.
• Work with users and hardware vendors to identify and procure components for both existing and new systems.
• Monitor system performance and usage levels and work with team members to resolve immediate and anticipated future issues.

Required Skills and Experience

• Extensive experience with Linux operating systems (especially RHEL), networking, parallel file systems, and security.
• Experience collaborating in multi‑disciplinary, team‑oriented cultures.
• A demonstrated track record of setting and meeting goals.
• Effective diagnostic and problem‑solving skills.
• Expertise with scripting languages (e.g., bash, python, perl), batch schedulers (e.g., Slurm, Torque, PBS), and configuration management tools (e.g., Puppet, Chef, Ansible, Salt).
• Current eligibility for access to classified information at the Secret/Top Secret level or higher and may be subject to a government background investigation to upgrade clearance eligibility, if required.

Minimum Education, Experience & Certifications

• Bachelor’s Degree and 3+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted. No certifications are required.

EEO Statement

Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814‑865‑1473.