Stanford Research Computing is looking for a talented system administrator to join our team of collaborative and innovative professionals helping Stanford’s faculty and students use advanced computing and data tools to explore new frontiers in knowledge and solve some of humanity’s most urgent problems. Our staff work directly with some of the world's top researchers in a broad range of disciplines, across all of Stanford’s seven schools — while also supporting and learning from each other in cross-project endeavors. We maintain and steadily improve an advanced research computing facility, and we support a variety of environments for Stanford research. In Stanford Research Computing, you’ll have a rare opportunity to contribute to discoveries and inventions that have global reach and positive impact, and to share in the curiosity and commitment of the scholars and scientists who lead these projects.
This position focuses on system administration, architecture and support for computing environments for secure data. This role is both systems-facing and researcher-facing. In it, you will put to use your in-depth knowledge of Linux, your system administration experience, your passion for supporting ground-breaking research, and your expertise in automation, containerization and cloud-native tools on a daily basis.
As a subject matter expert, you will plan, install, configure, optimize, secure, monitor and maintain research platforms for analyzing regulated or otherwise high-risk data. You will develop long-term strategic and capacity utilization plans and serve as a key advisory resource regarding such systems in the university’s information technology ecosystem. The scope of this role includes both local and cloud-hosted computing and storage environments, though the primary emphasis for your work will be the on-prem linux-based compute and storage environment.
Specifically, you will:
- Manage the day-to-day system administration of Linux-based computing and storage environments in alignment with necessary university, regulatory, and/or contractual security and privacy requirements.
- Work with team members to architect the next generation of protected research computing environments; help lead requirements gathering, cost analyses, planning and business case development.
- Script and enhance automated provisioning and configuration management of the environment, ensuring consistency and compatibility across both on-prem and cloud platforms.
- Meet routinely with stakeholders to understand existing challenges, anticipated needs, and opportunities for closer collaboration.
- Acquire, install, deploy and configure new systems in the environment, securing to the required specifications and documenting system management processes and workflows.
- Monitor systems and respond to incidents.
- Troubleshoot, perform root cause analyses and resolve system and software problems with users, peers, vendors and other IT organizations.
- Triage researchers’ requests and resolve problems.
Essential Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Linux system administration
- Software installation and testing
- Job scheduler/workload management experience (i.e. Slurm)
- Networking experience (ex: switch/port configuration, VLAN tagging, bonding, firewall, VPN)
- Storage experience and expertise (i.e. distributed file systems, NFS, quotas, backups)
- Scripting automation (i.e. Ansible, Python, Bash)
- Container technologies (i.e. Docker, Singularity)
- Version control
- Server hardening, patching and vulnerability mitigation
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- Problem solving and technical troubleshooting
- Stay current with applicable data protection regulations
- Incident response and resolution
Physical Requirements:
- Routinely perform server installation, troubleshooting and repairs at data center
- Frequently perform desk-based computer tasks
- Occasionally lift/carry/push/pull objects weighing up to 50 pounds
- Ability to meet in-person with researchers and colleagues at Stanford research sites or on the Stanford campus
Minimum Requirements:
Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree and ten years of relevant experience, or a combination of education and relevant experience.
Preferred Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or related field.
- Familiarity with current security trends, requirements and commonly adopted frameworks (i.e. HIPAA, NIST, CMMC).
- 5 years of experience as a Linux system administrator.
- Ability to self-motivate and learn new skills/technologies quickly.
Why Stanford is for You:
Imagine a world without search engines. Consider lives saved through first-ever organ transplants and research to cure illnesses. Stanford University has revolutionized the way we live and enriched the world. Supporting this mission is our diverse and dedicated 17,000 staff. We seek talent driven to impact the future of our legacy. Our culture and unique perks empower you with:
- Freedom to grow. We offer career development programs, tuition reimbursement, and course auditing. Join a TedTalk, watch a film screening, or listen to renowned authors or global leaders speak.
- A caring culture. We provide superb retirement plans, generous time-off, and family care resources.
- A healthier you. Choose from hundreds of health or fitness classes at our world-class exercise facilities. We provide excellent health care benefits.
- Discovery and fun. Stroll through historic sculptures, trails, and museums.
- Enviable resources. Enjoy free commuter programs, ridesharing incentives, discounts and more.
