Support Technician, HPC

Columbia University Irving Medical Center

New York (NY)

On-site

USD 90,000 - 100,000

Full time

14 days+

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Job summary

A leading medical research institution in New York is looking for a Support Technician to provide technical assistance for research computing needs. This mid-senior level full-time role requires strong Unix and scripting skills along with the ability to communicate effectively with researchers. The ideal candidate will help maximize computing resources for diverse research initiatives within an innovative team environment.

Qualifications

4 years of related experience required.
In-depth knowledge of virtual HPC environments.
Hands-on experience with command line and data transfer tools.

Responsibilities

Work with HPC resources to ensure efficient resource use.
Collaborate with researchers on computing needs.
Manage user access to research computing resources.

Skills

Unix skills

Scripting (R, Bash, Python)

Problem-solving abilities

Communication skills

Teamwork skills

Adaptability to new technologies

Education

Bachelor’s degree in computer science or related field

Tools

AWS

Google Cloud

Azure

Job description

Support Technician, HPC – Columbia University Irving Medical Center

Job Type: Officer of Administration
Regular/Temporary: Regular
Hours Per Week: 35
Salary Range: $90,000–$100,000

Position Summary

The successful candidate will be responsible for understanding and addressing users’ research computing requirements and providing essential technical support. The role requires a blend of technical expertise, strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to troubleshoot research computing issues. A key goal is to help foster a collaborative environment, allowing researchers to maximize the benefits of computing resources for groundbreaking research across diverse fields.

Responsibilities

Work closely with the Director of HPC resources to ensure efficient use of computing resources, tracking and reviewing compute and storage allocation.
Collaborate with researchers to understand their computing and research requirements, identify challenges, and share options/resources to address them.
Orient researchers on the computing resources supported by the school, both on‑premises HPC clusters and cloud services, providing guidance on best fit.
Manage access to School research computing resources – set up user accounts, configure access controls, assist with software installations, and advise on resource allocation/utilization.
Troubleshoot account issues, scripting errors, memory allocation errors, etc.
Serve as an escalation point and liaison for researchers whose issues require vendor intervention.
Assist the Director of HPC resources in developing and conducting training sessions and workshops on resource availability and best practices in HPC and cloud computing.
Refer researchers with special data needs (e.g., HIPAA data, restrictive data use agreements) to appropriate resources.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
4 years of related experience.
Unix skills.
Experience with scripting and automation (e.g., R, Bash, Python).
Understanding of the principles of computer clusters – parallel computing, resource allocation, multiple threads, etc.
Proficiency in configuring jobs for a parallel environment, specifically allocating adequate memory and nodes to meet specific time/budget.
In‑depth knowledge of virtual HPC environments, such as AWS, Google, Azure; AWS experience is a strong plus.
Hands‑on experience with various software and tools: command line, multiple R versions and packages, FTP clients, data transfer tools such as Snowball and Globus.
Strong problem‑solving and troubleshooting abilities.
Excellent communication and teamwork skills.
Eagerness to learn and adapt to new technologies.