Existing employer? Sign in
Columbia University
Research Computing Facilitator (HPC & Cloud)
Higher Ed
Edtech.com's Summary
Columbia University is hiring a Research Computing Facilitator (HPC & Cloud) to help researchers at the Mailman School of Public Health get the most from the school’s on-premises HPC clusters and cloud computing services. The facilitator addresses users’ computing requirements, troubleshoots technical problems, and builds a collaborative environment around research computing. Working alongside the Director of HPC resources, the role also keeps compute and storage allocations fair and efficient.
Highlights
- Track and review compute and storage allocations so the school’s budget is used fairly and efficiently
- Meet with researchers to understand their computing and data challenges and point them to suitable resources
- Orient researchers to on-premises HPC clusters and cloud services and recommend the best fit for their work
- Set up user accounts, configure access controls, and assist with software installations
- Troubleshoot account issues, scripting errors, and memory allocation errors
- Serve as the escalation point and vendor liaison when issues need outside intervention
- Help the Director of HPC resources run training sessions and workshops on HPC and cloud best practices
- Refer researchers with special data needs, such as HIPAA data or restrictive data use agreements, to the right resources
- Bring a bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology, or a related field, 4 years of related experience, and Unix, R, Bash, or Python scripting skills
- Salary range of $90,000 to $100,000 for a regular, full-time Officer of Administration role at 35 hours per week
Research Computing Facilitator (HPC & Cloud) Full Description
Mailman School of Public Health Administration
Columbia University Medical Center
Full Time
Opening on: Oct 6 2026
Grade 105
Job Type: Officer of Administration
Regular/Temporary: Regular
Hours Per Week: 35
Salary Range: $90,000 - $100,000
The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.
Position Summary
The successful candidate will be responsible for understanding and addressing users’ research computing requirements and providing essential technical support. The role requires a blend of technical expertise, strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to troubleshoot research computing issues. A key goal is to help foster a collaborative environment, allowing researchers to maximize the benefits of computing resources for groundbreaking research across diverse fields.
Responsibilities
- Work closely with the Director of HPC resources to ensure the school’s computing resources are used efficiently. This entails tracking and review of compute and storage allocation to ensure fair, efficient allocation of budget.
- Collaborate with researchers to understand their computing and research requirements, identify computing and data challenges, and share options/identify resources to address them whenever possible.
- Orient researchers on the computing resources supported by the school, both on-premises HPC clusters and cloud computing services; provide guidance on the best fit, based on their specific research demands.
- Manage access to School research computing resources -- set up user accounts, configure access controls, assist with software installations, and advise on resource allocation/utilization.
- Troubleshoot account issues, scripting errors, memory allocation errors, etc.
- Serve as an escalation point and liaison for researchers whose issues require vendor intervention.
- Assist the Director of HPC resources to develop and conduct training sessions and workshops on resource availability and best practices in HPC and cloud computing.
- Refer researchers with special data needs (ie HIPAA data, restrictive data use agreements, etc.) to appropriate resources.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, information technology, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
- 4 years related experience.
- Unix skills.
- Experience with scripting and automation (e.g., R, Bash, Python)
- Understanding of the principles of computer clusters – parallel computing, resource allocation, multiple threads, etc.
- Proficiency in configuring jobs for a parallel environment, specifically allocating adequate memory and nodes to meet specific time/budget.
- In-depth knowledge of virtual HPC environments, such as AWS, Google, Azure; AWS experience a strong plus
- Hands-on experience working with various software and tools: Command line, multiple R versions and packages, FTP clients, data transfer tools, such as Snowball and Globus
- Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting abilities.
- Excellent communication and teamwork skills.
- Eagerness to learn and adapt to new technologies.
Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran
Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.
Similar Jobs
Data Visualization Developer
Elgin Community College
🇺🇸 Elgin, Illinois
Systems Engineer, HPC/Storage
Columbia University
🇺🇸 New York, New York
Systems Administrator
San José State University
🇺🇸 San José, California
Technology Support Speclst III
San José State University
🇺🇸 San José, California
Systems Administrator
San José State University
🇺🇸 San Jose, California
