What are the responsibilities and job description for the HPC Systems Engineer position at University of Chicago?
Department
Provost Research Computing Center
About The Department
The University of Chicago Research Computing Center (RCC), a unit in the Office of Research, provides high-end research computing resources to researchers at the University of Chicago. It is dedicated to enabling research by providing access to centrally managed High-Performance Computing (HPC), storage, and visualization resources. These resources include hardware, software, high-level scientific and technical user support, and the education and training required to help researchers make full use of modern HPC technology and local and national supercomputing resources. The Office of Research oversees the conduct of sponsored research, research program development, and contract management functions.
Job Information
Installs, configures, and maintains large computer clusters/servers and software. Day-to-day operations of the systems including systems administration, monitoring and storage performance up to and including network components. Management of the system’s network switch, parallel file system and HPC software stack and tools. Configuration of the scheduling and queuing system. Diagnosing and resolving system operational problems quickly and effectively. Coordinating with vendors to resolve hardware and software problems. Assist users with access and other help desk ticket requests or issues. Building and deploying open source software and software from vendors/partners. Providing reliable and efficient backups/restores for all managed systems. Maintaining and monitoring the security of the HPC systems and servers. Documenting system administration procedures for routine and complex tasks. Technical Environment: Linux build automation in a large, distributed computing environment with Puppet/Ansible/Git/Docker; scripting with Python/Shell/Perl. Experience must include: Implementing automation and monitoring using shell scripting; install, configure and maintain job management tools (SLURM/Moab/ TORQUE/PBS); operating systems deployment with XCAT/ROCKS; configure administer and support network storage subsystems (IBM/NetAppl/Data Direct Network/LSI); distributed file systems (GPFS/Lustre/Gluster); configure, install tuning and maintain scientific app software, performance monitoring and optimization tools
Additional Responsibilities
Education and Experience:
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electronics Engineering or closely related field plus 5 years of progressive experience in scientific computing required.
Required: 5 years: Linux build automation in a large, distributed computing environment with Puppet/Ansible/Git/ Docker; scripting with Python/Shell/Perl.
Experience must include: Implementing automation and monitoring using shell scripting; install, configure and maintain job management tools (SLURM/Moab/ TORQUE/PBS); operating systems deployment with XCAT/ROCKS; configure administer and support network storage subsystems (IBM/NetAppl/Data Direct Network/LSI); distributed file systems (GPFS/Lustre/Gluster); configure, install, tune and maintain: scientific app software, performance monitoring and optimization tools.
When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.
Benefit Eligibility
Yes
The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off.
Pay Rate Type
Salary
Pay Range
$95,930.00 - $110,000.00
The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.
Scheduled Weekly Hours
37.5
Union
Non-Union
Job is Exempt
Yes
Drug Test Required
No
Health Screen Required
No
Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
No
Posting Date
2026-05-29
Posting Statement
The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.
Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.
All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.
The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu. Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.
Provost Research Computing Center
About The Department
The University of Chicago Research Computing Center (RCC), a unit in the Office of Research, provides high-end research computing resources to researchers at the University of Chicago. It is dedicated to enabling research by providing access to centrally managed High-Performance Computing (HPC), storage, and visualization resources. These resources include hardware, software, high-level scientific and technical user support, and the education and training required to help researchers make full use of modern HPC technology and local and national supercomputing resources. The Office of Research oversees the conduct of sponsored research, research program development, and contract management functions.
Job Information
Installs, configures, and maintains large computer clusters/servers and software. Day-to-day operations of the systems including systems administration, monitoring and storage performance up to and including network components. Management of the system’s network switch, parallel file system and HPC software stack and tools. Configuration of the scheduling and queuing system. Diagnosing and resolving system operational problems quickly and effectively. Coordinating with vendors to resolve hardware and software problems. Assist users with access and other help desk ticket requests or issues. Building and deploying open source software and software from vendors/partners. Providing reliable and efficient backups/restores for all managed systems. Maintaining and monitoring the security of the HPC systems and servers. Documenting system administration procedures for routine and complex tasks. Technical Environment: Linux build automation in a large, distributed computing environment with Puppet/Ansible/Git/Docker; scripting with Python/Shell/Perl. Experience must include: Implementing automation and monitoring using shell scripting; install, configure and maintain job management tools (SLURM/Moab/ TORQUE/PBS); operating systems deployment with XCAT/ROCKS; configure administer and support network storage subsystems (IBM/NetAppl/Data Direct Network/LSI); distributed file systems (GPFS/Lustre/Gluster); configure, install tuning and maintain scientific app software, performance monitoring and optimization tools
Additional Responsibilities
Education and Experience:
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electronics Engineering or closely related field plus 5 years of progressive experience in scientific computing required.
Required: 5 years: Linux build automation in a large, distributed computing environment with Puppet/Ansible/Git/ Docker; scripting with Python/Shell/Perl.
Experience must include: Implementing automation and monitoring using shell scripting; install, configure and maintain job management tools (SLURM/Moab/ TORQUE/PBS); operating systems deployment with XCAT/ROCKS; configure administer and support network storage subsystems (IBM/NetAppl/Data Direct Network/LSI); distributed file systems (GPFS/Lustre/Gluster); configure, install, tune and maintain: scientific app software, performance monitoring and optimization tools.
When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.
Benefit Eligibility
Yes
The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off.
Pay Rate Type
Salary
Pay Range
$95,930.00 - $110,000.00
The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.
Scheduled Weekly Hours
37.5
Union
Non-Union
Job is Exempt
Yes
Drug Test Required
No
Health Screen Required
No
Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
No
Posting Date
2026-05-29
Posting Statement
The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.
Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.
All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.
The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu. Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.
Salary : $95,930 - $110,000