Systems Engineer, HPC & Cloud Infrastructure

Pittsburgh Tomorrow; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); Hybrid; USD 250,000 - 800,000; Full time

Job summary

Life in Pittsburgh seeks a Systems Engineer to architect and operate large Linux clusters, scale GPU resources, and build data infrastructure for computational drug discovery. You will manage petabyte-scale storage, configure high-performance networks, and deploy cloud and Kubernetes solutions to support researchers and software agents.

The role emphasizes collaboration across teams and flexibility to work with cutting-edge HPC and data-center technologies in a hybrid setting.

Qualifications

• Experience managing large-scale Linux/HPC environments and distributed systems.
• Ability to design and operate complex data infrastructure for researchers.
• Familiarity with Kubernetes and cloud-based deployments preferred.

Responsibilities

• Architect and operate Linux clusters ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of CPU cores and custom supercomputers.
• Scale and maintain GPU clusters containing hundreds of GPUs.
• Build and manage a storage environment holding tens of petabytes.
• Design and support high-performance RDMA fabrics and wide-area networks.
• Deploy Kubernetes-powered applications and administer public cloud environments.
• Own the identity management infrastructure governing access across systems.
• Develop systems software to tie the environment together securely.

Skills

Linux administration

Networking

File systems

Processes

Python programming

Distributed systems

Kubernetes

HPC systems engineering

Systems software development

Data center infrastructure

Tools

RDMA fabrics

Public cloud environments

Petabyte-scale storage

Job description

Systems Engineer: Servers, Cloud, and Data Infrastructure for Computational Drug Discovery

The Opportunity

Predicting how molecules of biological and pharmaceutical importance behave at atomic resolution, and turning those predictions into highly selective drugs, depends on very large and varied computing infrastructure. This role is at the center of that infrastructure: GPU and CPU clusters, custom-built supercomputers, petabyte-scale storage, public cloud, and the networks that connect them. Your work will decide how reliably and securely the client’s researchers, and the software agents working with them, can use that capacity.

The client is a research company in the Greater New York Area working in drug discovery and computational biochemistry. It combines purpose-built supercomputers with high-speed commodity hardware and machine learning methods across its internal and partnered drug discovery programs.

The Research Environment

The infrastructure exists to serve scientists. Its main users are researchers in machine learning and drug discovery, along with the agents they deploy, and the core goal is giving them secure, convenient access to compute and data. Custom hardware and commodity systems run side by side, supporting drug discovery programs carried out in-house and with outside collaborators. The client describes its culture as collaborative, positive, and intellectually stimulating.

What You’ll Do

• Architect and operate Linux clusters ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of CPU cores, alongside massively parallel custom supercomputers.
• Scale and maintain GPU clusters containing hundreds of GPUs.
• Build and manage a storage environment holding tens of petabytes.
• Design and support high-performance RDMA fabrics and the wide-area networks that link sites together.
• Deploy Kubernetes-powered applications and administer the organization’s public cloud environments.
• Own the identity management infrastructure that governs access across these systems.
• Develop the systems software that ties the environment together and opens it to researchers and agents securely and with minimal friction.

What You Bring

• Solid grounding in core Linux concepts, including File Systems, Networking, and Processes, plus hands-on experience administering Linux systems.
• Intellectual curiosity, versatility, and a record of strong accomplishment. The client weighs these more heavily than depth in any single specialty below.
• Experience in one or more relevant areas, such as:
  • Large-Installation Systems Administration or HPC Systems Engineering
  • Python programming and scripting for Distributed Systems
  • High-Performance Data-Parallel Computing
  • Systems Software or general Software Development
  • Kubernetes Systems Engineering
  • Email and Data Retention processes
  • User Support
• The ability to explain technical reasoning clearly to experts and non-specialists alike.
• Candidates at every experience level will be considered.

Paths Into This Role

Candidates whose training centered on Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or computation-heavy Physics or Chemistry will recognize much of this work. Running large Linux and HPC environments, writing distributed Python code, and supporting research users are familiar territory in those fields. The posting names no specific degree and is open to all experience levels, so substantial hands-on systems work is an equally direct route in.

Compensation & Total Rewards

• Base salary: $250,000–$800,000 per year. The final figure depends on factors including depth of prior experience, education, and location.
• Variable compensation: sign-on and year-end bonuses.
• Benefits: a generous package, including relocation and immigration assistance.
• Work arrangement: hybrid. Employees are in the office three days a week and may work remotely the remaining two.
• Locations: the client’s New York City office or one of its U.S. data-center facilities.