Senior HPC Linux Systems Engineer

Requisition Id 15559

• Provide technical leadership in the design, integration, and administration of large-scale Linux-based HPC clusters, high-speed networks, and storage systems.
• Lead medium to large technical projects, coordinating requirements, schedules, and deliverables across internal and external stakeholders.
• Architect and deploy advanced infrastructure solutions supporting exascale-class and mission-critical computing environments.
• Serve as a technical mentor for HPC engineers, guiding best practices in automation, performance tuning, and system security.
• Develop, implement, and maintain configuration management and automation frameworks (e.g., Ansible, Puppet, Salt) to enhance reliability and reproducibility.
• Perform advanced system performance analysis, troubleshooting, and optimization, ensuring system scalability and long-term sustainability.
• Manage critical vendor and partner relationships, representing ORNL’s technical requirements during procurement, integration, and system acceptance.
• Contribute to strategic planning and technology roadmaps, influencing unit goals and technical direction.
• Collaborate closely with scientists, researchers, and IT specialists to align infrastructure capabilities with research and security objectives.
• Ensure compliance with DOE cybersecurity standards, configuration baselines, and operational policies.
• Author technical documentation, present internal briefings, and communicate complex issues and resolutions to management and stakeholders.
• Participate in on-call rotations, maintenance windows, and incident response as needed to support 24x7 operations.

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, or a related technical field.
• A minimum of 8 years of relevant experience in Linux systems administration or HPC systems engineering.

• Demonstrated experience leading the design and deployment of HPC or large-scale distributed computing systems.
• Expertise with batch schedulers (SLURM, PBS, LSF) and parallel file systems (Lustre, GPFS/Spectrum Scale).
• Proven ability to lead technical projects from concept through implementation, balancing technical depth with project delivery.
• Strong proficiency in automation and infrastructure-as-code frameworks (Ansible, Puppet, Salt).
• Advanced scripting or programming skills (Python, Bash, Go) for automation and operational tooling.
• In-depth understanding of high-speed interconnects (InfiniBand, Slingshot, Ethernet) and storage architectures.
• Experience managing identity and access management systems, including MFA, SSO, and zero-trust frameworks (PingFederate, RSA SecureID, Entra ID).
• Experience integrating virtualization or containerization solutions (VMware, KVM, Apptainer, Podman) into HPC environments.
• Ability to manage client and stakeholder relationships across multiple directorates and technical disciplines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex technical concepts to diverse audiences.
• Proven ability to influence technical strategy and mentor staff in a collaborative research environment.

This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain clearance from the Department of Energy. As such, this position is a Workplace Substance Abuse (WSAP) testing designated position. WSAP positions require passing a pre-placement drug test and participation in an ongoing random drug testing program.

• Work on the world’s most powerful supercomputers, including Frontier, the first system to achieve exascale performance.
• Enable breakthrough science in fields like fusion energy, climate modeling, AI, and national security.
• Collaborate with diverse teams of scientists, engineers, and technologists from across the DOE complex and academia.
• Grow your career in a mission-driven, innovation-focused environment with access to professional development and leadership opportunities.
• Enjoy life in East Tennessee, with a thriving research community, scenic outdoor recreation, and a high quality of life.

This position will remain open for a minimum of 5 days after which it will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.

We accept Word (.doc, .docx), Adobe (unsecured .pdf), Rich Text Format (.rtf), and HTML (.htm, .html) up to 5MB in size. Resumes from third party vendors will not be accepted; these resumes will be deleted and the candidates submitted will not be considered for employment.

If you have trouble applying for a position, please email ORNLRecruiting@ornl.gov.

ORNL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, are encouraged to apply. UT-Battelle is an E-Verify employer.