Senior Research Systems Administrator

Competition 1737

This competition is restricted to internal applicants of the University of Alberta. Please log in to verify your internal candidate status.

This position is a part of the Non-Academic Staff Association (NASA).     

This position offers a comprehensive benefits package which can be viewed at: Faculty & Staff Benefits.

Location - This role is hybrid with a mix of remote and in-person work at North Campus Edmonton.

Working at the University of Alberta

The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages and cultures of First Nations, Métis, Inuit and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.

The University of Alberta is a community of knowledge seekers, change makers and world shapers who lead with purpose each and every day. We are home to over 14,000 faculty and staff, more than 40,000 students and a growing community of 300,000 alumni worldwide.

Your work will have a meaningful influence on a fascinating cross-section of people — from our students and community members, to our renowned researchers and innovators, making discoveries and generating solutions that make the world healthier, safer, stronger and more just. Learn more.

Working for Information Services & Technology

Information Services & Technology (IST) is the central support group for the university's technological landscape. IST plays a pivotal role in ensuring the evolution and smooth operation of technology for teaching, learning, research and working at the University of Alberta. Beyond having expansive technical expertise, IST fosters a supportive environment where our staff values include compassion, connection, collaboration, creativity and courage. If you are passionate about leveraging technology to empower education, research and to drive institutional excellence, join us and be part of shaping the future of the University of Alberta through innovative IT solutions.

Position 

The Research Systems Administrator plays a key role in designing and managing digital research infrastructure, with an emphasis on high-performance computing systems, storage solutions, specialized software, and related services. This administrator supports researchers across various disciplines, e.g., medicine, biomedical sciences, agriculture, science, and engineering, to ensure effective use of HPC resources.

Located at the University of Alberta, this HPC digital research infrastructure supports projects that involve sensitive, confidential data and other data governed by strict regulatory requirements.

As a senior team member, the incumbent plays a vital role in ensuring the efficient and effective utilization of the HPC research infrastructure while maintaining compliance with the regulatory requirements and policies of various entities. Additionally, the incumbent collaborates closely with colleagues, including other members of IST and those in research computing communities, to maintain a secure and robust environment for researchers.

Duties 

• Participate in the deployment and administration of digital research infrastructure. Plan, design, deploy, and provision digital research infrastructure and associated services, ensuring security, reliability, and scalability for future growth.
• Take a leadership role in establishing policies, best practices, and procedures to address the needs of research communities.
• Address operational issues affecting systems and researchers, conducting in-depth root cause analysis.
• Monitor resources to maximize the utilization of infrastructure, collect metrics, and develop key performance indicators (KPIs) to provide regular reports to senior leadership.
• Assist researchers in resolving issues and effectively using the digital research infrastructure. This includes a range of services such as workload preparation, code optimization, training, and job submission procedure refinement, all aimed at ensuring the successful utilization of high-performance computing resources to meet research goals.
• Participate in focus groups and committees, providing expert-level knowledge and gathering input.
• Participate in industry conferences and maintain relationships with vendors to stay informed about emerging technologies and improve service quality.
• Participate in a 24/7 on-call support rotation.

Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Science with a focus on High Performance Computing, or a Bachelor of Science in Computing Science or a related field, with additional relevant experience.
• Minimum of 8 years of extensive experience with Linux systems in roles such as system administrator or system analyst.
• Advanced working knowledge of administering large numbers of systems in an enterprise environment.
• Advanced working knowledge of automation technologies for provisioning, configuration management, infrastructure as code, and orchestration tools (Ansible, Puppet, Chef, etc.).
• Advanced working knowledge of programming and/or scripting with languages such as Bash, Python, and others.
• Working experience in supporting large-scale High Performance Computing environments.
• Working knowledge of scheduling software, such as Slurm, is a strong asset.
• Working knowledge of container deployment (Kubernetes or other) in the cloud or on-premises, as well as the administration of containerized applications.
• Demonstrated ability to participate in a 24/7 on-call support rotation.
• Effective communication and facilitation skills.
• Demonstrated ability in problem-solving and process optimization.