The Office of Information Technology (OIT) High Performance & Scientific Computing (HPSC) group at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, provides high performance computing resources and scientific computing support to faculty and researchers. Under the guidance of the associate CIO and HPSC director and the mentorship of the HPSC manager, the Research Consultant will help and support researchers in accessing and using the resources managed by OIT HPSC. The successful candidate will have an in-depth knowledge of scientific computing and be part of a team that supports the university’s high performance computing resources and secure research computing environment.

This position involves helping researchers develop, port, troubleshoot, and optimize scientific applications for high performance computing platforms. The Research Consultant will consult on simulation, workflow, and application design and development; provide HPC and parallel computing support; install and test scientific computing compilers, libraries, open-source and licensed software; and develop documentation, training content, and technical writing content. Working collaboratively with the HPSC team and other OIT groups, the Research Consultant will operate in a dynamic research environment as both a team member and a project leader. This position cannot be 100% remote.

Responsibilities

• Provide guidance and technical support to researchers for developing and troubleshooting scientific applications.
• Consult with faculty and researchers on simulation, workflow, and application design and development.
• Provide HPC and parallel computing support.
• Install and test compilers, libraries, and software (both open-source and licensed) on HPC platforms.
• Develop documentation, training materials, and technical writing content.
• Work effectively with the HPSC team and other OIT groups to ensure optimal system performance and user support.
• Serve as a project or task leader, demonstrating professionalism and courtesy in all interactions.

Required Qualifications

• Education:
  • Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology, engineering, math, business, natural sciences, or closely related field at time of hire.
  • U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident with a green card.
    
• Experience:
  • At least two years’ experience using Linux in an HPC environment (including bash command line).
  • Two years’ experience with computational methods for research in engineering or science disciplines.
  • Two years’ experience with one or more of data analytics, parallel algorithms, HPC software development, MPI, Fortran, and/or C/C++.
  • Two years’ experience with using and/or supporting a scientific computing environment.
  • Experience compiling/running scientific applications on an HPC platform.
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
  • Knowledge of one or more scripting/programming languages (e.g., Python, C/C++, Fortran).
  • Knowledge of SLURM or a similar resource management system in an HPC environment.
  • Excellent writing, communication, and interpersonal skills (sample paper and presentations desired).
  • Ability to work independently, prioritize assignments with minimal supervision, and collaborate as a member of a team.
  • Ability to respond to researcher inquiries with courtesy and professionalism.

Preferred Qualifications

• Education:
  • Master’s degree in computer science, information technology, engineering, math, business, natural sciences, or closely related field at time of hire.
  • Doctoral degree in computer science, information technology, engineering, math, business, natural sciences, or closely related field at time of hire.
• Experience:
  • Experience using Windows virtual machines for scientific research.
  • Experience with job submission and monitoring (SLURM, Open OnDemand, Jupyter Notebooks).
  • Experience and success in publishing peer-reviewed papers or articles.
  • Teaching and/or workshop development experience.
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
  • Specific knowledge of SLURM resource management in an HPC environment.
  • Knowledge of best practices and protocols related to research computing in a university environment.

Work Location

Knoxville, Tennessee. This position is onsite (cannot be 100% remote).

Compensation and Benefits

• UT Market Range: 13
• Anticipated Hiring Range: $70,000 to $82,000
• Find more information on the UT Market Range Structure here.
• Find more information on UT Benefits here.

Application Instructions

For best consideration, please submit a cover letter and résumé (in MS Word or PDF form). Applicants may also submit a sample paper and presentations if available.

About the College/Department/Division

The Office of Information Technology (OIT) High Performance & Scientific Computing (HPSC) group furthers the University of Tennessee’s research mission by providing support and guidance for high performance computing and secure research computing to faculty, students, and staff.