The Office of Information Technology, High Performance & Scientific Computing group at The University of Tennessee Knoxville is seeking qualified applicants for a System Administrator position which will perform a key role in evaluating, deploying, maintaining, securing, and operating the research cyberinfrastructure resources used to support the research mission of the University. Under the guidance of the High Performance & Scientific Computing Manger and Executive Director of Research Computing, this individual will have knowledge of system administration and be part of a team that manages centralized high performance computing and storage resources, a secure research computing environment, and works with faculty and researchers to make effective use of the resources for research.
The successful candidate will perform analysis, troubleshooting, and provide problem solving to maintain and administer the research cyberinfrastructure resources used to support the research mission of the University. The responsibilities of the System Administrator include, but are not limited to:
Coordinating the configuration and maintenance of the storage resources, including hardware and software
Configuring and maintaining server-class, HPC resources, including compute and storage hardware, OS software, application software, and SLURM resource management system
Maintaining an effective security posture including implementing the required security controls specified in the system security plans
Diagnosing and resolving hardware, software, networking, and system issues when they arise
Monitoring services and responding to service failures
Implementing configuration management processes and procedures
Providing technical support and user support as needed
Documenting processes and procedures to administer and maintain the storage systems, computational systems, and infrastructure; ensuring required backups are performed regularly and successfully
Working with other OIT groups, such as, Networking Services, Help Desk, and Systems to support the continued and efficient operation of the research cyberinfrastructure
Required Qualifications
Due to regulatory requirements the successful candidate(s) must be a U. S. citizen or legal permanent resident with a green card
Education Master's degree in computer science, data science, information technology, engineering field, bioinformatics, genomics, or hard sciences field.
Experience Three years performing information technology administration - experience can be substituted for equivalent time pursuing education related to information technology at an institution of higher education
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Knowledge of system administrator role, duties, and activities for Linux-based information technology systems
Knowledge of information technology administrator technologies, best practices, and troubleshooting techniques
Knowledge of installation and use of Red Hat Linux or other Linux operating systems
Knowledge and proficiency in configuring, operating and managing a large information technology environment
Knowledge and skill in operating and maintaining Ethernet based networking equipment and systems
Experience with batch schedulers such as Slurm, Torque + MOAB, or HTCondor
Skills in writing and interpersonal communication - writing sample, manuscript, or cover letter required.
Preferred Qualifications
Education PhD in computer science, data science, information technology, engineering field, bioinformatics, genomics, or hard sciences field.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Knowledge and proficiency in high performance computing technology (hardware, software and services)
Knowledge of operation and support of Lustre parallel file system technologies
Knowledge of hardware, software and services in cloud computing technologies
Knowledge of best practices and technologies related to research computing in a University environment
Knowledge of installation and use of Windows based operating systems
Knowledge of CMMC policies and procedures such as NIST 800-171 or NIST 800-53
Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA), Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE), Red Hat Certified Specialist in (RHCS Virtualization) or Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform certifications preferred
Experience with Icinga, SolarWinds, or XDMod monitoring tools
Experience with the use of Microsoft productivity tools, such as, Teams, OneDrive, and Sharepoint
Experience with ticketing systems such as Team Dynamics
Work Location
Compensation and Benefits
Application Instructions
To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments:
About The Division
The High Performance and Scientific Computing group provides centralized HPC resources and expertise to the UTK research community. HPSC operates the ISAAC cluster — a multi-thousand-core, GPU-accelerated computing environment supporting research in fields ranging from computational physics and engineering to genomics, machine learning, and the social sciences. HPSC is entering a period of significant growth and transformation, with strategic investments in AI/GPU computing, a new secure enclave for sensitive data, expanded user onboarding, and deeper integration with the university's Research Computing Support (RCS) team.
