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:

– Senior Supervisor

Base Description:

– Supervises direct reports, but primarily completes activities, tasks, and/or projects of a functional nature.

Level Summary:

– Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge to perform own work; spends majority of time on tasks related to own job responsibilities. May demonstrate subject matter expertise. Demonstrates intermediate to advanced planning, organizing, directing, and facilitating skills. Demonstrates the ability to coach assigned employees. Assigns and reviews completed work to verify accuracy, quality, and adherence to professional standards. Trains, coaches, mentors, and motivates staff. Anticipates potential problems, issues, and opportunities; researches and recommends solutions within defined policies. May develop creative recommendations for solving problems.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

– Typically oversees at least 2 full–time direct reports or equivalent team of part–time and/or student workers (for Professional track, performs work at the Senior Professional level or higher)

Fiscal Responsibilities:

– May validate and pay invoices
– Monitors and tracks budgets for specific area and/or grant(s)
– May assist in planning and forecasting budgets

Problem Solving:

– Encounters moderately complex problems
– Applies general precedents and practices and 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 moderately complex work assignments, reviews progress, and evaluates results
– Organizes work of direct reports and sets team priorities
– Reviews the work of others to verify accuracy, quality, and adherence to professional standards

Communication and Collaboration:

– Communicates internally within working unit and the University
– Communicates with external audiences for scheduling/coordination
– May communicate with external audiences for business purposes
– Collaborates closely with team members; may interact with other staff outside of area
– Utilizes a communication style that is appropriate for a given situation
– Interprets and communicates information, ideas and instructions clearly, accurately and persuasively both verbally and in written materials intended for distribution

• Comp Grade – 14
• Minimum – $97,100.00
• MidPoint – $121,400.00
• Maximum – $145,700.00