Research Computing Systems Engineer III, Cloud Technologies IS&T Research Computing

Boston University; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Time Off & Holidays

Retirement Plan

Tuition Assistance

Job summary

Boston University IS&T is seeking a Research Computing Systems Engineer III to operate and grow our high-performance computing (HPC) environment. You will maintain a 1,000+ node Linux cluster, manage Grid Engine and GPFS, and help deploy a NIST 800-171-compliant secure research computing setup built on tiCrypt and Slurm.

You will write infrastructure as code, troubleshoot hardware, and support researchers while collaborating with senior engineers.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of relevant work experience with a bachelor's degree or equivalent.
• Linux systems administration experience with patching, upgrades, and security maintenance.
• Scripting in Bash and Python; knowledge of additional languages is a plus.
• Experience with configuration management systems (Ansible, Puppet, Chef) and revision control (Git).
• Hands-on experience with Linux virtualization and containerization (KVM, OpenStack, OpenNebula, Docker, Kubernetes).
• Strong communication, problem-solving, and teamwork skills.

Responsibilities

• Operate, maintain, and optimize the university's production HPC cluster and storage.
• Contribute to build, deployment, and operations of a secure, compliant research computing environment.
• Advance monitoring, observability, and configuration management through CI/CD and automation.
• Automate provisioning, deployment, and routine operations across the full stack.
• Identify, diagnose, and resolve complex system, storage, network, and performance issues.
• Produce technical documentation and share expertise with colleagues and researchers.

Skills

Communication

Problem-solving

Teamwork

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

Tools

Ansible

Puppet

Chef

Git

CI/CD

Docker

Kubernetes

Bash

Python

OpenStack

Job description

Research Computing Systems Engineer III, Cloud Technologies IS&T Research Computing

Job Description

Research Computing Systems Engineer III, Cloud Technologies IS&T Research Computing

Category

Charles River Campus --> Information Technology

Job Location

Boston, MA, United States

Tracking Code

26500348040825

Posted Date

8/25/2026

Salary Grade

Grade 50

Expected Hiring Range Minimum

$100,300.00

Expected Hiring Range Maximum

$125,000.00

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, training and internal pay comparison. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Position Type

Full-Time/Regular

Boston University Information Services & Technology (IS&T) is seeking applicants with diverse skills and experiences to join our innovative and inclusive community. We're looking for a Research Computing Systems Engineer to help operate and grow the high-performance computing (HPC) environment that powers research across every discipline at BU. In this role, you will keep our production HPC cluster running reliably, help deploy and operate a new NIST 800-171-compliant secure research computing environment built on tiCrypt, and modernize the way we monitor, automate, and deliver services. This is a full-stack, operations- and automation-focused position for an engineer who enjoys working on systems end to end - from writing infrastructure as code, to troubleshooting hardware, to planning physical rack deployments. You'll join a small, deeply technical team where everyone stays hands-on and has a real voice in shaping how we operate our infrastructure. You'll work closely with senior engineers, collaborate with other HPC professionals, support researchers, and also work independently. This position is partially remote.

You Will

• Operate, maintain, and optimize the University's production HPC cluster, including a 1,000+ node bare-metal Linux deployment, the Grid Engine (SGE) scheduler, and GPFS (IBM Storage Scale) parallel file system, to keep research computing services reliable and performant.
• Contribute to the build, deployment, and operations of a new NIST 800-171-compliant secure research computing environment built on tiCrypt, including a Slurm workload manager.
• Help improve monitoring, observability, and configuration management using CI/CD pipelines, Ansible, Git, and related automation tools.
• Automate provisioning, deployment, and routine operations across the full stack, from bare metal through services.
• Identify, diagnose, and resolve complex system, storage, network, and performance issues.
• Contribute to technical documentation and share your expertise with colleagues and the research community.

Required Skills

• 3+ years of relevant work experience with a bachelor's degree, relevant post-secondary education, or a combination of these two.
• Linux systems administration experience, including OS patching, upgrades, and security maintenance.
• Experience programming in a Linux environment, preferably Bash and Python.
• Experience in multiple languages such as Perl or C is a plus.
• Ability to work with configuration management systems (e.g., Ansible, Puppet, Chef) and revision control systems (e.g., Git).
• Hands-on experience and understanding of Linux virtualization and containerization technologies (e.g., KVM, OpenStack, OpenNebula, Docker, Kubernetes).
• Strong communication, problem-solving, and teamwork skills.

Benefits

Boston University offers an excellent benefits package including:

• Time Off: In addition to PTO and leave policy, BU employees have a paid intersession break and 13 paid holidays.
• Retirement: University-funded retirement plan with full vesting after 2 years of eligible service.
• Tuition Assistance Program: Competitive tuition assistance program for yourself and family members.
• Check out https://www.bu.edu/wellness/ and https://www.bu.edu/hr/part-time-employee-perks/ for more information!

Boston University IS&T invests in our staff and their personal and professional growth. We promote staff learning including lunch and learn sessions, an extensive library of online courses, Fun Advisory Board (FAB) arranges a number of events throughout the year and opportunities to engage with peers at NERCOMP and EDUCAUSE events. If you require a reasonable accommodation in order to complete the employment application process, please contact the Equal Opportunity Office at 617-353-6474. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, or veteran status.

We, at IS&T, appreciate each individual's knowledge, experiences and insights which enhance who we are, and as our DEIA knowledge and practice grows, we will ensure that our Mission, Vision & Practices remain equitable and welcoming to all

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, natural or protective hairstyle, religion, sex, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military service, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, or because of marital, parental, or veteran status. We are a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.