Senior HPC Systems Administrator

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Senior HPC Systems Administrator, SAS Computing

Job Profile Title

Systems Administrator Senior

Job Description Summary

The Linux Infrastructure Services (LIS) group at the School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) is seeking a passionate and skilled Senior HPC Systems Administrator. Join our team and collaborate with world-renowned researchers tackling questions about the human brain, the upper atmosphere, ocean biogeochemistry, social program impacts, and more. Under the guidance of the HPC team leadership, you will ensure the smooth operation of our HPC research services using technologies like GPU’s, CPU’s, Slurm, conda, infiniband, and many other components of a modern, shared HPC environment. This position is hybrid-eligible.

Job Description

The School of Arts and Sciences is the heart of Penn’s academic enterprise, home to hundreds of faculty and thousands of students engaged in innovative research and teaching across the liberal arts and sciences. SAS Computing provides comprehensive IT support for Penn’s world-class research, teaching and learning, and administrative activities. Our team works closely with faculty and staff to deliver innovative, forward-looking technology solutions that meet a wide range of needs. With a dedicated group of professionals known for strong collaboration and teamwork, SAS Computing translates technical expertise into practical support that advances the academic mission of the School.

Job Responsibilities/Duties:

Serve as a Sr. Systems Administrator managing complex Linux systems. This role involves supporting our research computing clusters,, databases, and web servers. In addition to the School-based HPC services, this role will involve supporting SAS researchers who use Penn’s new PARCC (Penn Advanced Research Computing Center) centralized HPC services, including both CPU and GPU cutting-edge technologies.  

Under the direction of the HPC team leadership, maintain, configure, and provide automation support for high-performance computing solutions in our datacenters and the cloud.  Engage with researchers to understand how HPC can enhance and transform their work. Proactively pursue efficient and collaborative solutions to requests, partnering with faculty and local computing support providers across the school. The systems managed by our group often support high-profile projects.

Responsibilities include:

• Deploy and manage Linux systems
• Develop shell and python scripts
• Configure, manage, and optimize job scheduling software (SLURM)
• Install and configure free and licensed software
• Monitor systems and services
• Perform routine systems maintenance
• Manage data and configuration backups
• Coordinate hardware repairs
• Oversee ordering and installation of hardware
• Recommend and track software and hardware changes
• Automate systems configuration tasks and deployments
• Provide technical consulting and end-user Linux support
• Support web services
• Assist first-tier support staff with end-users issues on our systems
• Maintain expert-level knowledge of HPC technologies
• Propose and implement improvements to our HPC services
• Provide support for SAS researchers using Penn’s PARCC central HPC cluster and partner with the PARCC team to meet the needs of SAS faculty

This position also participates in the linux systems administration on-call rotations, which includes on-prem and cloud (AWS) services.

Qualifications:

Bachelor of Science and 3 to 5 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.

Required Technical Skills and Experience:

• Proficiency in Linux OSes (Ubuntu preferred)
• Advanced Linux scripting skills (BASH, Python, etc.)
• A working knowledge of job scheduling systems (SLURM  preferred)
• Expertise in managing high-performance computing resources
• Networking experience including Infiniband  and TCP networks, and configuring and managing network architecture within an HPC environment
• Proficiency in managing storage solutions and backups
• Experience in using configuration management tools such as Salt, Ansible, and MAAS.
• Experience in working with git repositories
• Experience in deploying and managing HPC hardware systems, including CPU and GPU nodes, networks, and storage.
• Skilled in triaging complex problems and developing solutions
• Strong communication skills to maintain effective interactions with stakeholders and team members

Preferred Skills and Experience:

• Experience deploying and managing cloud-based linux resources (AWS preferred)_
• Ability to work collaboratively with SAS Computing colleagues, faculty, research staff, and other stakeholders
• Capable of managing and tracking multiple ongoing projects simultaneously
• Committed to the research and academic mission of SAS

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

School of Arts and Sciences

Pay Range

$83,500.00 - $105,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement 

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin(including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protectedunder applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements 
Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.

• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.

• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.

• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.

• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.

• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.

• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.

• Flexible Work Hours:Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.

• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.

• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

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To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay