Student Assistant II - High Performance Computing

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research; Boulder (CO); On-site; USD 27,000 - 39,000; Part time

Job summary

UCAR in Boulder is seeking a Student Assistant to support the CIRRUS platform team in CISL. The role focuses on cloud-native, Kubernetes-based scientific computing and improving documentation for the CIRRUS environment.

You will verify workflows and assist with onboarding new scientific workloads, gaining hands-on experience in HPC infrastructure while working with a team of engineers and researchers. Opportunity for professional growth.

Qualifications

• Must be enrolled for credit in an accredited school.
• Basic Linux and containers knowledge from coursework or projects.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Test and verify platform workflows and documentation before release.
• Develop reusable workflows and document them for reuse.
• Improve CIRRUS user guides and onboarding material.

Skills

Linux basics

Containers (Docker/Podman)

Team collaboration

Technical writing

Education

Enrolled student

Tools

Docker

Podman

Git

Job description

Position Type: Term - Casual (Fixed Term)

Visa Sponsored Job: No

Relocation Assistance Eligible: No

Hiring Range: 49,524.00 - 49,524.00

Application Closes at 12:00am MST on: 2026-11-06

About the Role

The updated hourly rate for this role is $23.81.

Great experience opportunity! The Computational and Information Systems Laboratory (CISL) is seeking a motivated Student Assistant to join the CIRRUS platform team.

CIRRUS is a modern, cloud-native, Kubernetes-based scientific computing platform spanning bare-metal clusters across our Boulder and Cheyenne facilities.

In this role, you will work alongside experienced systems engineers and scientific researchers to ensure platform reliability, enhance documentation, and help onboard new scientific workloads.

This position is structured for professional growth: you will begin by verifying workflows and improving documentation usability, then gradually build hands‑on experience in cloud‑native platform operations and High‑Performance Computing (HPC) infrastructure.

Notes

• This is a 1-year term role with the possibility of extension for an additional year.
• To qualify for this role, you must maintain the "Student" status for the entire duration of the appointment.
• Student Assistants may not work more than 1,000 hours in any 12-month period.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

• Test and verify platform workflows, new functionality, and supporting documentation before release. Review documentation as an end‑user to confirm it is accurate, complete, and easy to understand, and provide written feedback and recommendations for improvement. Validates that documented procedures produce the expected results on the Kubernetes‑based CIRRUS environment.
• Develops and maintains reusable, repeatable workflows that validate new workloads onboarded to the platform. Modifies and runs existing workflows, scripts, and manifests, and proposes improvements to the validation process. Documents these workflows so other team members and platform users can reuse them.
• Authors, edits, and improves CIRRUS documentation, including user‑facing guides and onboarding material, for an audience of scientific and HPC‑background users. Writes clear technical documentation and may help produce technical reports, walkthroughs, or presentations on platform functionality.
• Develops knowledge of the CIRRUS platform and atmospheric and Earth system science workloads. Gains experience with platform operations under the supervision of senior staff. Additional tasks may be assigned from time to time.

Education & Experience REQUIRED

• Must be enrolled (and intend to enroll in the next regular session) for credit in an accredited secondary or post‑secondary school, college or university, or in a trade school that has received a Certificate or Approval from the Colorado State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities REQUIRED

• Basic familiarity with Linux and containers (e.g., Docker or Podman), gained through coursework, personal projects, or prior work.
• Ability to work with a team and convey technical concepts to engineers and platform users.
• Good oral and written communication skills, with an aptitude for clear technical writing and documentation.
• Ability to follow moderately complex procedures/practices.

Preferred Qualifications

Desired but Not Required

• Experience with at least one scripting language such as Python or Bash.
• Interest in Kubernetes
• Familiarity with Git and version control.
• Familiarity with scientific or high‑performance computing environments.

Background checks and/or federal screenings are conducted for candidates selected for hire.

UCAR is an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes applications from all individuals. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, age, sex, gender identity, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Applicants are not required to provide age‑related information (like date of birth or graduation dates) in initial submissions.

For sponsored positions : UCAR can sponsor individuals for H‑1B status only if they are al