Research Computing Systems Engineer

Penn State University; University Park (TX); On-site; USD 86,300 - 129,500; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Retirement plans

Paid time off

75% tuition discount

Job summary

Penn State University is hiring a High-Performance Computing (HPC) system administrator to work with scientists and engineers. Responsibilities include maintaining HPC systems, developing monitoring scripts, and performing diagnostics. Required skills include extensive Linux experience, scripting, and problem-solving. A Bachelor's Degree and 3+ years of experience are necessary. Salary range is $86,300.00 – $129,500.00, with a comprehensive benefits package including medical coverage and tuition discounts.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years of relevant experience or equivalent education.
• Ability to obtain government security clearance required.
• Experience in multi-disciplinary, team-oriented cultures.

Responsibilities

• Maintain existing HPC systems ensuring availability to end users.
• Develop scripts to monitor system health and assess usage.
• Perform hardware diagnostics and resolve failures.
• Collaborate with team to address system performance and usage.

Skills

Linux (especially RHEL)

Networking

Parallel file systems

Scripting languages (bash, python, perl)

Batch schedulers (Slurm, Torque, PBS)

Configuration management tools (Puppet, Chef, Ansible, Salt)

Effective diagnostic and problem-solving skills

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. The role involves working with scientists and engineers to develop and advance the nation’s defense capabilities using a range of HPC implementations both in‑house and at leading institutions.

Responsibilities

The incumbent will:

• Maintain existing HPC systems by ensuring compute node and storage availability to end users.
• Develop and deploy scripts to monitor system health and assess usage.
• Maintain system firmware and software revisions, including OS 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 existing and new systems.
• Monitor system performance and usage levels and collaborate with team members to resolve immediate and future issues.

Required Skills and Experience

• Extensive experience with Linux (especially RHEL), networking, parallel file systems, and security.
• Experience collaborating in multi‑disciplinary, team‑oriented cultures.
• A 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 willingness to undergo a government background investigation if required.

Minimum Education and Experience

Bachelor’s Degree and 3+ years of relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Location and Travel

Full‑time, on‑site position in State College, PA. Periodic travel to remote locations may be required.

Background Checks and Clearances

Employment requires successful completion of background checks in accordance with University policies and the ability to obtain a government security clearance. The candidate must be a U.S. citizen.

Salary and Benefits

The salary range, including all possible grades, is $86,300.00 – $129,500.00, potentially impacted by geographic differential. Penn State provides a competitive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision coverage; retirement plans; paid time off; and a generous 75% tuition discount for employees and eligible spouses and children.

Equal Opportunity Employer 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.