Systems Engineer - Computing; HPC

Systems Engineer - High Performance Computing (HPC) Job Summary

The Office of Information Technology at Auburn University is seeking an experienced Systems Engineer to join our High-Performance Computing team! Auburn researchers use High Performance Computing to solve some of the world’s most difficult and important problems. As an HPC Systems Engineer at Auburn, your programming, automation, and systems administration skills make a direct, positive impact on scientific discovery, and advance the Auburn mission, which is dedicated to improving quality of life across the world.

This position will play a crucial role in ensuring the continuous operation and enhancement of our High-Performance Computing infrastructure, supporting diverse research projects and academic initiatives. You will collaborate with a team of accomplished researchers, educators, and administrators to provide a robust HPC environment.

Working onsite is a requirement of the job. May work up to 2 days hybrid remote in local area with supervisor’s approval.

• Designs, implements, and maintains components of HPC infrastructure including workload schedulers, storage systems, and distributed compute nodes.
• Applies analytical methods to evaluate system performance, identify bottlenecks, and implement corrective actions to improve computational efficiency.
• Develops and maintains automation scripts, APIs, and monitoring tools to ensure reproducibility and consistent system configuration.
• Supports integration of research applications, libraries, and tool chains across multiple computing environments.
• Implements and enforces security and compliance standards consistent with institutional and regulatory requirements.
• Collaborates with researchers, faculty, and IT staff to design and optimize computational workflows that leverage HPC resources effectively.
• Participates in capacity planning, hardware evaluation, and software testing to ensure long-term system sustainability and scalability.
• Maintains technical documentation and operational procedures following professional IT and research computing best practices.

In addition, this position will work closely with both IT personnel and end-users from a number of different disciplines and backgrounds. Performs on-call support during evenings, weekends and holidays on a rotating basis.

• Life-Changing Impact
  :
  Our work changes lives through research, instruction, and outreach, making a lasting impact on our students, our communities, and the world.
• Culture of Excellence
  :
  We are committed to leveraging our strengths, resources, collaboration, and innovation as a top employer in higher education.
• We’re Here for You
  :
  Auburn offers generous benefits, educational opportunities, and a culture of support and work/life balance.
• Sweet Home Alabama
  :
  The Auburn/Opelika area offers southern charm, vibrant downtown scenes, top-ranked schools, and easy access to Atlanta, Birmingham, and the Gulf of Mexico beaches.
• A Place for Everyone
  :
  Auburn is committed to fostering an environment where all faculty, staff, and students are welcomed, valued, respected, and engaged.

This position is advertised at two levels:

• High school diploma and 11 years of relevant experience.
• Associate’s degree and 7 years of experience.
• Bachelor’s degree and 3 years of experience.
• Bachelor’s degree and 6 years of relevant IT experience in the administration of distributed computer systems.

• Advanced knowledge of general Linux systems administration, standard CLI commands and tools, and shell scripting.
• Installation, configuration, and use of common Linux administration tools and software.
• Advanced knowledge of common Linux services, protocols, and ports and their corresponding management, configuration, monitoring, and security.
• Advanced knowledge of information technology principles and applications, IT system management methodologies, and evaluation and testing of new technologies.
• Understanding of server infrastructure and operating systems.

• Degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Information…