Penn State Job Catalog

Additional levels that exist for this job profile can be seen below.

The defined natural career progression within or between job profiles.

Research Computing Systems Engineering

The Research Computing Systems Engineer is responsible for the design, implementation, and maintenance of advanced computing systems used in research environments; develops and/or maintains advanced knowledge of high performance computing (HPC) clusters and clouds; makes recommendations on operational projects and configuration of HPC resources in support of research; participates on projects and initiatives to increase performance of HPC systems; works with vendors to develop and streamline process for hardware and software issues; requires a deep understanding of HPC, cloud infrastructure, and computational workflows to support the research community's diverse and evolving needs.

• Design and deploy scalable, high-performance computing (HPC) systems tailored to the needs of research projects
• Configure and optimize HPC clusters, cloud-based resources, and other computational infrastructure
• Develop and implement system architectures that support complex computational workflows and data analysis
• Manage and maintain research computing systems, including installation, configuration, and upgrades
• Monitor system performance and availability, identifying and addressing issues; develop and deploy tests to verify system functionality and performance
• Provide solutions to generate alerts and monitoring dashboards to allow for the observation of system status to detect performance issues before users experience problems
• Implement and manage security protocols to protect research data and computational resources
• Provide expert technical support for researchers encountering issues with computing systems and resources
• Develop and maintain documentation related to system configurations, procedures, and troubleshooting guidelines
• Work closely with research teams to understand their computing needs and recommend system enhancements or upgrades
• Collaborate with IT departments and external vendors to integrate new technologies and optimize existing systems
• Evaluate and incorporate emerging technologies and best practices to continuously improve research computing capabilities
• Lead and participate in research computing projects, including system upgrades, migrations, and new system deployments
• Develop project plans, timelines, and resource requirements, ensuring successful and timely project execution
• Provide regular updates and reports on project status, system performance, and resource utilization
• May supervise staff members, including hiring, development, and performance management

Level:

– Principal Professional

Base Description:

– Completes activities, tasks, and/or projects of a functional nature.

Level Summary:

– Displays mastery of defined skill areas/applications, principles, theories and practices. Evaluates and enhances existing practices. Recognizes emerging trends in area of expertise. Works independently on complex or strategic assignments. Directs and delegates appropriate tasks to others. Implements strategies to ensure achievement of initiatives. Prepares written and/or verbal presentations or proposals on complex issues and deliver to broad audiences. Identifies and implements innovative solutions to important, highly complex strategic and/or operational issues.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

– Indirect supervisor for other full–time employees
– May serve as direct supervisor for part–time, student, and/or temporary workers, volunteers, or a full–time employee

Fiscal Responsibilities:

– Validates and pays invoices
– Monitors and tracks budgets and funding
– May plan and forecast budgets

Problem Solving:

– Encounters complex and novel problems
– Applies policies, practices, specialized knowledge, and skills to resolve problems
– Understands benefits, limitations, and impact of potential solutions
– Anticipates potential problems and recommends possible solutions within general guidelines

Independence of Action:

– Works independently on complex or strategic assignments
– Uses existing practices as guidelines as well as working knowledge to determine specific work methods
– Carries out work activities independently, with supervisor available to resolve problems
– Reviews work of others to verify technical soundness

Communication and Collaboration:

– Communicates with both internal and external audiences
– Collaborates closely with team members and area leads across the University
– Prepares written and/or verbal presentations or proposals on complex issues and delivers to a broad variety of audiences
– Establishes and maintains networks to facilitate successful communication among units

• Comp Grade – 15
• Minimum – $109,300.00
• MidPoint – $136,600.00
• Maximum – $164,000.00