Principal IT Auditor - Computing; HPC

Principal IT Auditor - High Performance Computing (HPC)

We are seeking an experienced Principal-level IT Auditor to support a specialized audit of a high-performance computing (HPC) environment that supports academic and medical research. This engagement will augment an existing internal audit team and focus on both technical controls and regulatory compliance, including HIPAA and NIST SP 800-171 / CMMC considerations.

• Audit Planning & Scoping
  • Partner with internal audit leadership and stakeholders to define and refine audit scope for a complex HPC environment
  • Assist in determining whether the engagement should proceed as a phased audit initiative
  • Evaluate risks unique to supercomputing environments, including shared compute resources, research workloads, and sensitive data handling
• Technical & Compliance Audit Execution
  • Perform an independent IT audit of HPC infrastructure, policies, and controls
  • Assess governance, access controls, monitoring, and operational practices related to HPC systems
  • Evaluate compliance with:
    • HIPAA (particularly as it applies to medical and research data in HPC environments)
    • NIST SP 800-171 / CMMC (as applicable to federally funded or DoD-adjacent research)
  • Review technical components such as:
    • HPC job scheduling (e.g., Slurm)
    • Infini Band networking
    • Linux-based supercomputing environments (non-traditional enterprise infrastructure)
  • Identify control gaps, risks, and remediation recommendations
• Stakeholder Collaboration
  • Work closely with the Principal Auditor and Audit Director
  • Interface with technical staff and university stakeholders using clear, business-appropriate audit language
  • Provide guidance and expertise without requiring deep institutional onboarding

• 7+ years of IT audit experience, ideally at a Senior or Principal level
• Prior experience auditing High Performance Computing (HPC) or supercomputing environments (hands‑on operations experience not required)
• Strong understanding of IT general controls, infrastructure risk, and audit methodologies
• Experience with HIPAA compliance audits
• Familiarity with NIST SP 800-171 and/or CMMC frameworks
• Ability to operate independently in a solo audit role with minimal oversight
• Strong communication skills and comfort working in an academic or research-focused environment

• Experience auditing or supporting university, academic, or medical research environments
• Exposure to HPC technologies such as:
  • Slurm or other HPC schedulers
  • Infini Band networking
  • Linux-based compute clusters
  • GPU-enabled research environments

• Position type: 6-month contract opportunity with potential for extension
• Pay rate approved up to $120-165/hr depending on experience

Must be authorized to work in the United States.

Russell Tobin offers eligible employee’s comprehensive healthcare coverage (medical, dental, and vision plans), supplemental coverage (accident insurance, critical illness insurance, and hospital indemnity), a 401(k)-retirement savings, life & disability insurance, an employee assistance program, identity theft protection, legal support, auto and home insurance, pet insurance, and employee discounts with some preferred vendors.

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