Senior Research Systems Engineer – Secure Data & Cloud

Columbia University; New York (NY); On-site; USD 110,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Columbia University is seeking a Sr. Research Engineer to design, implement, and manage secure research environments with a focus on restricted data and compliance.

You will support on‑premise data enclaves, cloud projects, and data transfer services, ensuring alignment with NIST and HIPAA requirements while collaborating with researchers and IT teams. You will help develop cloud services, configure images, manage software, and advise on security practices across AWS/GCP and hybrid setups,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and/or its equivalent required.
• 4-6 years’ related experience.
• 4+ years’ experience in security engineering, preferably in regulated or research environments.
• Advanced Linux administration (RHEL, Ubuntu).
• Experience with secure data environments, enclaves, or controlled-access systems.
• Familiarity with data privacy and compliance frameworks (e.g., HIPAA, IRB protocols).
• Knowledge of server operating systems, networking, system and network security.
• Experience in at least one programming language (Ex. Python, Java).
• Automation via scripting (Python/Bash/Terraform) and third‑party tools.
• Virtualization experience (VMware ESXi, VDI).
• Experience with Git, Terraform, Docker.

Responsibilities

• Administers and supports the on-premises Secure Data Enclave (SDE) platform across Windows and Linux environments.
• Patching and maintaining virtual machines, deploying and managing software, and log analysis.
• Collaborates with researchers, IT, and compliance teams to enable secure data use.
• Manages Globus High Assurance Subscription; develops documentation and training.
• Provides consulting cloud services for researchers using Columbia cloud services.
• Advises on AWS, GCP, and best security practices for cloud and on-prem infrastructure.
• Plans and designs new cloud research computing services; reviews design and risk assessments.
• Represents RCS at campus events on research cyberinfrastructure and cloud.
• Contributes to best practices documentation and knowledge transfer.
• Leads training workshops for researchers on cloud and security RC resources.

Skills

Linux

Python

Terraform

Docker

Git

Security engineering

Cloud (AWS/GCP)

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

VMware vSphere

ESXi

Terraform

Job description

Columbia University is seeking a Sr. Research Engineer to design, implement, and manage secure research environments with a focus on restricted data and compliance.

You will support on‑premise data enclaves, cloud projects, and data transfer services, ensuring alignment with NIST and HIPAA requirements while collaborating with researchers and IT teams. You will help develop cloud services, configure images, manage software, and advise on security practices across AWS/GCP and hybrid setups,