Academic and Research Computing Support Specialist

Overview

Category: Professional

Department: Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science

Locations: Binghamton, NY

Posted: Jun 17, 2025

Closes: Open Until Filled

Type: Full-time

.: 02689

Position : 189235

About Binghamton University:
Binghamton University is a premier public R1 research institution in the SUNY system that unites more than 130 interdisciplinary programs with vibrant research. The university emphasizes student success, research and service, and a collegial, inclusive culture.

Job Description:

Budget

Title:

Lead Programmer/Analyst (SL-3)

Salary: $65,000+ (commensurate with experience)

Watson College is seeking a skilled and motivated individual to provide technical support of our Academic and Research computing needs. This includes supporting faculty, staff and student systems in offices and labs, assisting in management of data centers, maintenance of virtualization infrastructure, high-performance computing clusters, and storage systems. The candidate will administer, document, and optimize computing environments that support academic and research initiatives.

• Physical and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Administration
• Provide support to Faculty, Staff and Students in all Watson College Departments and Schools as a member of the Watson Computing team
• Maintain School of Computing Academic computing labs (Linux-based OS, Physical and Virtual deployments)
• Assist in supporting the Watson College's VDI environment (Watson View)
• Develop and maintain administrative documentation and provide recommendations for improvements

• Data Center Operations
• Maintain comprehensive documentation of data center environments, including maintenance records, access procedures, asset inventory, and usage information for chargebacks
• Administration and support of the Watson College HPC Cluster (Spiedie) and the academic OpenHPC cluster
• Consult with faculty, staff, and research assistants to assess computational needs and provide appropriate guidance of resources

• Server & Storage System Management
• Manage Watson College servers and storage systems, including infrastructure for specific Schools and departments
• Support the Watson College virtual server environment (VMware)
• Manage virtual and physical servers, procurement, inventory, and setup
• Manage research storage systems and iSCSI Storage
• Ensure a secure computing environment in collaboration with ITS Information Security Office

• High-Performance Computing (HPC) Cluster Support
• Manage cluster user accounts and monitor daily operations
• Coordinate updates/patches to minimize impact
• Work with faculty to integrate new computing nodes and obtain vendor quotes
• Gather and incorporate user feedback to improve ease of use

• General Responsibilities
• Provide backup support during staff absences or emergencies
• Offer technical assistance to the University Helpdesk for Watson-related issues
• Collaborate with faculty, staff, and students
• Recommend and implement improvements to procedures and infrastructure
• Coordinate integration of new employee computer accounts with ITS
• Manage Active Directory objects, OUs, and Group Policies; troubleshoot AD issues
• Assign user rights and manage secure network resources

• Bachelor's degree (or higher)
• Experience administering Linux-based and Windows Server environments
• Experience with network configurations in Linux, Windows, MacOS, and with network switches/routers
• Proficiency in cybersecurity fundamentals for system administration
• Familiarity with VMware-based virtualization
• Familiarity with storage technologies (iSCSI, NAS, SAN)
• Knowledge of Active Directory management and security best practices
• Documentation and organizational skills
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced academic/research environment

• Bachelor's degree (or higher) with two years of experience in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field
• Minimum of 2 years in data center operations, virtualization, and/or HPC management
• Experience with high-performance computing cluster administration
• Scripting experience (Bash, Power Shell, Python, etc.) for automation
• Experience in a higher education research computing environment
• Familiarity…