Southern Methodist University
Senior HPC Systems Administrator (HR Title: Systems Administrator III)
Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, United States, 75215
Overview
Senior HPC Systems Administrator (HR Title: Systems Administrator III) at Southern Methodist University (SMU). This on-campus, in-person role is responsible for the design, implementation, and management of High Performance Computing (HPC) systems supporting the university’s research community. The Senior HPC Systems Administrator is part of a two-person team and ensures reliability, performance, and scalability of the HPC infrastructure to support computational research and SMU’s research mission. Responsibilities
HPC System Administration: Design, plan, deploy, and administer HPC services to support research at SMU. Install and maintain cluster environments, provision systems using automated installation methods, and manage distributed parallel file systems, NFS storage, and storage interconnects. Automation and Software Support: Develop and maintain scripts and tools to automate administrative tasks using shell scripting, Python, and C. Compile, install, and port software as needed to support research activities. Build and deploy open-source and commercial software required by researchers. Project Planning and Communication: Plan and manage technical projects. Communicate effectively with end users and stakeholders, provide regular updates, and manage expectations throughout the project lifecycle. Documentation: Maintain comprehensive documentation for system configurations, procedures, and changes. Create and update system administration guides for routine and complex tasks. System Troubleshooting and Optimization: Diagnose and resolve system and operational issues. Collaborate with researchers to troubleshoot and optimize workloads on HPC systems. Participate in on-call support for research infrastructure. Vendor Coordination: Work with hardware and software vendors to resolve technical issues. Ensure firmware and software versions are up to date and aligned with best practices for HPC systems. Professional Development: Stay current with trends, technologies, and best practices in research computing and high-performance computing. Qualifications
Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree is required. A minimum of six years of full-time Linux system administration experience in a large computing environment is required. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Candidate must demonstrate clear, professional communication to work with team members and customers of diverse technical abilities. Experience with container technologies and orchestration platforms (preferably Kubernetes). Familiarity with reporting and monitoring tools and knowledge of large distributed parallel file systems. Experience installing and maintaining clustered environments and provisioning systems using automated installation methods. Ability to develop and maintain scripts and tools in shell, Python, and C. Strong written communication, problem-solving, and organizational, planning, and time-management skills. This position participates in a 24-hour, 7-day on-call support rotation and off-hours maintenance windows. Physical and Environmental Demands
Sit for long periods of time. Deadline to Apply
Open until filled. EEO Statement
SMU will not discriminate in any program or activity on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression. The Executive Director for Access and Equity/Title IX Coordinator is designated to handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies and may be reached at the Perkins Administration Building, Room 204, 6425 Boaz Lane, Dallas, TX 75205, 214-768-3601, accessequity@smu.edu. Benefits
SMU offers staff a broad, competitive array of health and related benefits. In addition to traditional benefits such as health, dental, and vision plans, SMU offers a wide range of wellness programs to help attract, support, and retain our employees whose work continues to make SMU an outstanding education and research institution. SMU is committed to providing retirement programs that benefit and protect you and your family, and employees have access to tuition benefits. Job Details
Primary Location: USA-TX-Dallas Job: Information Technology Organization: Information Technology Services Schedule: Regular Shift: Staff Employee Status: Individual Contributor Job Type: Full-time Job Level: Day Job Travel: No Job Posting: Jul 8, 2025, 2:28:43 PM
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Senior HPC Systems Administrator (HR Title: Systems Administrator III) at Southern Methodist University (SMU). This on-campus, in-person role is responsible for the design, implementation, and management of High Performance Computing (HPC) systems supporting the university’s research community. The Senior HPC Systems Administrator is part of a two-person team and ensures reliability, performance, and scalability of the HPC infrastructure to support computational research and SMU’s research mission. Responsibilities
HPC System Administration: Design, plan, deploy, and administer HPC services to support research at SMU. Install and maintain cluster environments, provision systems using automated installation methods, and manage distributed parallel file systems, NFS storage, and storage interconnects. Automation and Software Support: Develop and maintain scripts and tools to automate administrative tasks using shell scripting, Python, and C. Compile, install, and port software as needed to support research activities. Build and deploy open-source and commercial software required by researchers. Project Planning and Communication: Plan and manage technical projects. Communicate effectively with end users and stakeholders, provide regular updates, and manage expectations throughout the project lifecycle. Documentation: Maintain comprehensive documentation for system configurations, procedures, and changes. Create and update system administration guides for routine and complex tasks. System Troubleshooting and Optimization: Diagnose and resolve system and operational issues. Collaborate with researchers to troubleshoot and optimize workloads on HPC systems. Participate in on-call support for research infrastructure. Vendor Coordination: Work with hardware and software vendors to resolve technical issues. Ensure firmware and software versions are up to date and aligned with best practices for HPC systems. Professional Development: Stay current with trends, technologies, and best practices in research computing and high-performance computing. Qualifications
Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree is required. A minimum of six years of full-time Linux system administration experience in a large computing environment is required. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Candidate must demonstrate clear, professional communication to work with team members and customers of diverse technical abilities. Experience with container technologies and orchestration platforms (preferably Kubernetes). Familiarity with reporting and monitoring tools and knowledge of large distributed parallel file systems. Experience installing and maintaining clustered environments and provisioning systems using automated installation methods. Ability to develop and maintain scripts and tools in shell, Python, and C. Strong written communication, problem-solving, and organizational, planning, and time-management skills. This position participates in a 24-hour, 7-day on-call support rotation and off-hours maintenance windows. Physical and Environmental Demands
Sit for long periods of time. Deadline to Apply
Open until filled. EEO Statement
SMU will not discriminate in any program or activity on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression. The Executive Director for Access and Equity/Title IX Coordinator is designated to handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies and may be reached at the Perkins Administration Building, Room 204, 6425 Boaz Lane, Dallas, TX 75205, 214-768-3601, accessequity@smu.edu. Benefits
SMU offers staff a broad, competitive array of health and related benefits. In addition to traditional benefits such as health, dental, and vision plans, SMU offers a wide range of wellness programs to help attract, support, and retain our employees whose work continues to make SMU an outstanding education and research institution. SMU is committed to providing retirement programs that benefit and protect you and your family, and employees have access to tuition benefits. Job Details
Primary Location: USA-TX-Dallas Job: Information Technology Organization: Information Technology Services Schedule: Regular Shift: Staff Employee Status: Individual Contributor Job Type: Full-time Job Level: Day Job Travel: No Job Posting: Jul 8, 2025, 2:28:43 PM
#J-18808-Ljbffr