HPC Support Specialist

Role Description

Directorate of Technology, Estates & Facilities - (IT Services - Research IT)

The Directorate of Technology, Estates and Facilities [DTEF] is responsible for ‘providing outstanding work, study, research facilities, and facilities to enhance the student experience, on campus and online’.

Our directorate consists of three sections which are:

Technology:  IT Infrastructure: Networks, Faculty IT, Research IT and Security, Systems, Desktop and Print.  

Digital: Software, Projects, BA/change management.

Estates: Estates Operations: Asset Management, Policy & Assurance, Operations & Maintenance.

Estates Development: Estates Programmes, Projects, and DTEF Engagement.

Facilities: Campus Services: Facilities, Admin. & Customers, Accommodation & Room Bookings, Commercial Services: Retail, Catering, Conferences, Nursery, Copy & Print, York Sport, York Science Park Ltd & Guildhall.

This role is part of the Research IT Team within IT Services. We are responsible for maintaining and offering user support for our £2.5 million Viking HPC facility and other research IT devices within the university. 

Role

The University has invested in a £2.5 million HPC system, Viking, and is working on consolidating high performance computing provision onto that system. This role will provide support to researchers using or wishing to use the system, including software and module installation, troubleshooting, writing appropriate batch job scripts, providing help on using the system and demonstrating on training courses. Training will be provided. We are looking for an enthusiastic individual with excellent customer service skills.

You will work closely with the Research IT  team, of which you will be a member, as well as the Head of Research IT to provide a high quality, responsive service to researchers.

Skills, Experience & Qualification needed

•      (Role holders will be required to undertake some or all of the duties below)

• Work on your own initiative to help solve problems which achieve the objectives within Research IT, raising any issues with more senior staff.
• Take responsibility for the research computing queue in our issue tracker
  • Provide “second line” support for HPC/research computing issues
  • Flag issues up with other staff where required
• Install software packages, modules and libraries for use on the HPC facility, using EasyBuild [https://easybuild.readthedocs.io/] wherever possible
• Maintain up-to-date versions of those software packages, modules and libraries. Contact users of outdated packages and help them to move to supported versions
• Provide Linux support for users
• Provide in-person support to researchers where that is the most effective way to move a problem forward
• Help researchers to move their code from other systems to Viking
• Take responsibility for the user facing documentation, ensuring it is of a high standard, accurate and accessible
• Take responsibility for the system documentation, ensuring full coverage, filling in gaps, and requesting additional documentation from the relevant individuals
• Act as a demonstrator on training courses such as “Introduction to Viking” and “Introduction to version control with git”
• System administration of Viking is outsourced, however a number of tasks need to be performed by University of York staff, you may be required to add new users, change quotas, or investigate errant jobs
• Occasionally you may be required to perform system administration tasks on other Research IT systems.
• Communicate and, if required, make presentations of own work activities to others in the team.
• Contribute to and support change in the work area.
• Actively demonstrate a commitment to professional development by continuing to advance knowledge, understanding and competencies.
• Evidence of behaviours that uphold our Our Values 

Interview date: 5th September 2022

For informal enquiries: please contact Dr Emma Barnes (emma.barnes@york.ac.uk)

The University strives to be diverse and inclusive  – a place where we can ALL be ourselves.

We particularly encourage applications from people who identify as Black, Asian or from a Minority Ethnic background, who are underrepresented at the University. 

We offer family friendly, flexible working arrangements, with forums and inclusive facilities to support our staff. #EqualityatYork