Research Computing Specialist
Amherst has taken a leadership role among highly selective liberal arts colleges and universities in successfully diversifying the racial, socio-economic, and geographic profile of its student body.
The College is similarly committed to enriching its educational experience and its culture through the diversity of its faculty, administration and staff.
Job Description:
Amherst College invites applications for the Research Computing Specialist (RCS) position.
The RCS is a full-time, year-round position, with a starting salary of $70,000 per year.
Given Amherst's distinction as one of the most diverse liberal arts colleges in the country, the successful candidate will bring value and actively contribute to a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming work environment while supporting a broadly diverse community.
This is an exciting opportunity to work at the cutting edge of new research technologies and help advance the vision for interdisciplinary research applications in a small liberal arts environment.
Additionally, the work carried out by this position will play a vital role in meeting the College's commitment to fully utilize our recent National Science Foundation (NSF) NSF MRI HPC equipment grant.
The primary role of the RCS is to enhance the current IT support for the curriculum and academic research.
Reporting to the Director of Technology for Curriculum and Research, the RCS will provide support in the application of high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, and other computing-intensive technologies such as extended reality and 3D modeling, for teaching, learning, research, decision making, and publications.
Working alongside a team of Academic Technology Services (ATS) specialists, the RCS will engage in faculty, staff, and student outreach and foster a sense of community around research computing initiatives.
They will serve as a vital liaison between IT and faculty, translating education and research objectives into actionable applications.
The work of the RCS will contribute to ongoing institutional initiatives like the Artificial Intelligence in the Liberal Arts (AILA) and Data Science programs.
They will also foster collaboration between faculty and students from STEM and Humanities disciplines, encouraging interdisciplinary thought and action.
They will consult with and support faculty on the design, development, launch, and ongoing use of intensive and customized computing projects.
Working within a connected learning network that includes IT partners (HPC Administrator, Senior Academic Technology Specialist), the Five Colleges consortium, and the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center (MGHPCC) colleagues, the RCS will contribute to academic and research success.
The RCS will work independently as well as collaboratively to evaluate, select, plan and implement research applications, track trends and new technologies in the field, and recommend solutions for meeting the institution's research objectives.
They will deepen existing connections with faculty and academic research stakeholders and facilitate the faculty outreach initiatives.
The RCS will coordinate year-long training and outreach programs in close collaboration with the IT staff.
They will develop and implement robust standards and practices for HPC applications, create documentation, and ensure their integration into curricular activities as well as independent research endeavors.
The RCS will be equally adept at facilitating comprehensive training sessions in various formats, including remote, in-person, and asynchronous settings.
In collaboration with ATS teammates, they will evaluate the effectiveness of the research support and identify opportunities for iterative improvement.
Summary of
Responsibilities:
Academic Technology Services - Overview The primary function of the Academic Technology Services unit within IT is to support faculty and students in their academic work through the effective integration of digital tools and methodologies.
The RCS serves as the critical human link to foster needs-based research.
For this, they work with faculty, research staff, students, and other team members both (a) to identify and resolve technical obstacles to the work of computing-intensive and data-intensive research and (b) to build a Community of Practice by designing process mechanisms for collaboration and community building.
The successful candidate will be given training as required to expand their knowledge and expertise.
Research Computing High-Performance Computing (HPC) - Primary area of academic tech support Support the teaching and research computing needs of Amherst College scholars who use the HPC system.
They determine the needs of users for computing within various courses, and advise on software and other architectural components that will be deployed in support of instruction and research.
The RCS advises on the architectural stack for instruction, and works closely with the HPC administrator to monitor use, test installations, and troubleshoot issues with the HPC systems and user applications.
Assist faculty research groups with research software installation, configuration and utilization on group owned servers and workstations.
Support the use of the College's High-Performance Computing systems (HPC) as well as remote and cloud facilities, for simulations and analysis of complex systems and big data sets.
Support an NSF grant project that is already underway, and shape the research computing work beyond the timeline and scope of the NSF project.
Ensure the stability and security of any research computing and emerging technology efforts in close collaboration with the CISO; provide subject matter expertise on the security posture of these systems; and ensure controls and awareness for use of this technology are aligned with College's data protection and privacy strategies.
In addition to the HPC expertise, this position seeks prior experience in at least TWO of the following areas:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Applications:
With the advent of artificial intelligence systems that rely on high-performance computing systems, their use in many areas of academic activity can require technology expertise.
The RCS supports the use and development of AI applications, such as machine learning, neural networks, evolutionary computing, and natural language processing.
Extended Reality and 3D Modeling (XR, 3D):
Extended reality and 3D modeling are areas of academic activity where bespoke applications are sometimes developed and depend on the use of technologies such as graphics processing units.
The RCS supports the use and development of virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality tools, 3D modeling objects and scenes.
Other Related and Emerging Technologies:
Reviews and adopts emerging relevant technologies for academic research.
Assists with implementation of STEM research platforms.
Has expertise and prior experience in at least two of the following:
Unix systems and shell scripting.
Computing languages such as Python, R, C++, Mathematica, and Matlab.
Database languages such as SQL.
Software development tools such as Spyder, RStudio, Eclipse, VSCode, etc.
Data visualization, such as the libraries matplotlib and ggplot, and applications such as GraphPad Prism.
Community Building, Training, and Outreach Primarily responsible for connecting faculty, instructional staff, and students in the academic research community by identifying converging interests, and cultivating relationships.
Work with faculty from STEM and other disciplines, adopt interdisciplinary and inclusive approaches in your practices and interactions Develop and maintain a consistent customer-focused orientation in support of teaching, learning and research computing services delivered by HPC infrastructure, with a focus on continuous improvement.
Routinely maintain high engagement with staff, faculty, and students and adopt a proactive approach in supporting computational needs.
In addition, outreach work will include frequent interaction and communication with academic department staff, as well software and hardware vendors and external service contractors negotiating contracts, licenses, and fees.
Serves as a critical bridge between the academic and technical aspects of HPC administration.
Collaboratively develop and deliver general as well as customized training materials, workshops, user documentation and consulting services for both current and new systems and services.
This will be based on extant and emerging researcher needs and user experiences, and require partnering proactively with faculty and students to develop/implement the research.
Sustain straightforward operational interactions/communications such as providing, obtaining, and receiving information and constant collaboration among project team members.
Regularly communicate and collaborate with colleagues at peer institutions.
Diligently maintain data metrics and prepare detailed reports that define programmatic outcomes.
Curate, present, and showcase the educational applications on the college website and other appropriate online platforms, and conferences.
Work LocationDue to the nature of the position, this is an on-campus position, and work outside normal hours of operation may be required.
There will be opportunities for a hybrid work schedule.
QualificationsRequired Masters in computer science, computational STEM disciplines, or related fields.
2 to 3 years demonstrated experience with research computing applications in an academic environment, including HPC systems and applications.
Prior experience supporting the technical needs of faculty and students.
Exceptional ability to communicate technical concepts clearly, including to less-technical audiences.
Excellent organizational as well as both written and verbal communication skills.
Extensive experience with at least one of these programming languages:
Python, R, C++, Java, Mathematica, Matlab, Clojure.
Demonstrated ability to build productive relationships and work cooperatively with others, across and/or within departments and divisions.
Demonstrated pursuit of formal and informal learning opportunities that support professional and personal growth.
Preferred Doctoral degree in computer science, computational STEM disciplines, or related fields.
Familiarity with one or more HPC scheduling or workload management solutions (e.
g.
, Slurm, Condor).
Experience with both traditional and GPU-based cluster environments.
Experience with Jupyter Notebooks, JupyterHub, and RStudio.
Experience with problem identification and resolution, particularly in a heterogeneous research environment.
Familiarity with migrating to and managing workloads on one or more cloud platforms (e.
g.
, AWS, Azure) Experience with popular artificial intelligence frameworks.
Experience with programming for machine learning and data processing.
Familiarity with selection, delivery, and use of cloud solutions for high performance computing workloads.
Amherst College offers many opportunities for professional growth and development, continued learning, and career advancement.
Amherst College is pleased to provide a comprehensive, highly competitive benefits package that meets the needs of staff and faculty and their families.
Benefits are an important part of our overall compensation, so it is critical that you review all of the options to ensure it meets your total compensation requirements.
Click here for Benefits Information.
Interested candidates are asked to submit a resume and cover letter online at https:
//amherst.
wd5.
myworkdayjobs.
com/Amherst_Jobs.
Please be sure to upload all requested documents prior to clicking Submit.
Applications cannot be revised once submitted.
(Current employees and students should apply by clicking on the Career icon from their Workday home screen) Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.
To find information about job group and level (JGL) follow this link.
Recommended Skills Administration Artificial Intelligence Artificial Neural Networks Big Data Business Process Improvement C+
(Programming Language) Estimated Salary: $20 to $28 per hour based on qualifications.
The College is similarly committed to enriching its educational experience and its culture through the diversity of its faculty, administration and staff.
Job Description:
Amherst College invites applications for the Research Computing Specialist (RCS) position.
The RCS is a full-time, year-round position, with a starting salary of $70,000 per year.
Given Amherst's distinction as one of the most diverse liberal arts colleges in the country, the successful candidate will bring value and actively contribute to a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming work environment while supporting a broadly diverse community.
This is an exciting opportunity to work at the cutting edge of new research technologies and help advance the vision for interdisciplinary research applications in a small liberal arts environment.
Additionally, the work carried out by this position will play a vital role in meeting the College's commitment to fully utilize our recent National Science Foundation (NSF) NSF MRI HPC equipment grant.
The primary role of the RCS is to enhance the current IT support for the curriculum and academic research.
Reporting to the Director of Technology for Curriculum and Research, the RCS will provide support in the application of high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, and other computing-intensive technologies such as extended reality and 3D modeling, for teaching, learning, research, decision making, and publications.
Working alongside a team of Academic Technology Services (ATS) specialists, the RCS will engage in faculty, staff, and student outreach and foster a sense of community around research computing initiatives.
They will serve as a vital liaison between IT and faculty, translating education and research objectives into actionable applications.
The work of the RCS will contribute to ongoing institutional initiatives like the Artificial Intelligence in the Liberal Arts (AILA) and Data Science programs.
They will also foster collaboration between faculty and students from STEM and Humanities disciplines, encouraging interdisciplinary thought and action.
They will consult with and support faculty on the design, development, launch, and ongoing use of intensive and customized computing projects.
Working within a connected learning network that includes IT partners (HPC Administrator, Senior Academic Technology Specialist), the Five Colleges consortium, and the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center (MGHPCC) colleagues, the RCS will contribute to academic and research success.
The RCS will work independently as well as collaboratively to evaluate, select, plan and implement research applications, track trends and new technologies in the field, and recommend solutions for meeting the institution's research objectives.
They will deepen existing connections with faculty and academic research stakeholders and facilitate the faculty outreach initiatives.
The RCS will coordinate year-long training and outreach programs in close collaboration with the IT staff.
They will develop and implement robust standards and practices for HPC applications, create documentation, and ensure their integration into curricular activities as well as independent research endeavors.
The RCS will be equally adept at facilitating comprehensive training sessions in various formats, including remote, in-person, and asynchronous settings.
In collaboration with ATS teammates, they will evaluate the effectiveness of the research support and identify opportunities for iterative improvement.
Summary of
Responsibilities:
Academic Technology Services - Overview The primary function of the Academic Technology Services unit within IT is to support faculty and students in their academic work through the effective integration of digital tools and methodologies.
The RCS serves as the critical human link to foster needs-based research.
For this, they work with faculty, research staff, students, and other team members both (a) to identify and resolve technical obstacles to the work of computing-intensive and data-intensive research and (b) to build a Community of Practice by designing process mechanisms for collaboration and community building.
The successful candidate will be given training as required to expand their knowledge and expertise.
Research Computing High-Performance Computing (HPC) - Primary area of academic tech support Support the teaching and research computing needs of Amherst College scholars who use the HPC system.
They determine the needs of users for computing within various courses, and advise on software and other architectural components that will be deployed in support of instruction and research.
The RCS advises on the architectural stack for instruction, and works closely with the HPC administrator to monitor use, test installations, and troubleshoot issues with the HPC systems and user applications.
Assist faculty research groups with research software installation, configuration and utilization on group owned servers and workstations.
Support the use of the College's High-Performance Computing systems (HPC) as well as remote and cloud facilities, for simulations and analysis of complex systems and big data sets.
Support an NSF grant project that is already underway, and shape the research computing work beyond the timeline and scope of the NSF project.
Ensure the stability and security of any research computing and emerging technology efforts in close collaboration with the CISO; provide subject matter expertise on the security posture of these systems; and ensure controls and awareness for use of this technology are aligned with College's data protection and privacy strategies.
In addition to the HPC expertise, this position seeks prior experience in at least TWO of the following areas:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Applications:
With the advent of artificial intelligence systems that rely on high-performance computing systems, their use in many areas of academic activity can require technology expertise.
The RCS supports the use and development of AI applications, such as machine learning, neural networks, evolutionary computing, and natural language processing.
Extended Reality and 3D Modeling (XR, 3D):
Extended reality and 3D modeling are areas of academic activity where bespoke applications are sometimes developed and depend on the use of technologies such as graphics processing units.
The RCS supports the use and development of virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality tools, 3D modeling objects and scenes.
Other Related and Emerging Technologies:
Reviews and adopts emerging relevant technologies for academic research.
Assists with implementation of STEM research platforms.
Has expertise and prior experience in at least two of the following:
Unix systems and shell scripting.
Computing languages such as Python, R, C++, Mathematica, and Matlab.
Database languages such as SQL.
Software development tools such as Spyder, RStudio, Eclipse, VSCode, etc.
Data visualization, such as the libraries matplotlib and ggplot, and applications such as GraphPad Prism.
Community Building, Training, and Outreach Primarily responsible for connecting faculty, instructional staff, and students in the academic research community by identifying converging interests, and cultivating relationships.
Work with faculty from STEM and other disciplines, adopt interdisciplinary and inclusive approaches in your practices and interactions Develop and maintain a consistent customer-focused orientation in support of teaching, learning and research computing services delivered by HPC infrastructure, with a focus on continuous improvement.
Routinely maintain high engagement with staff, faculty, and students and adopt a proactive approach in supporting computational needs.
In addition, outreach work will include frequent interaction and communication with academic department staff, as well software and hardware vendors and external service contractors negotiating contracts, licenses, and fees.
Serves as a critical bridge between the academic and technical aspects of HPC administration.
Collaboratively develop and deliver general as well as customized training materials, workshops, user documentation and consulting services for both current and new systems and services.
This will be based on extant and emerging researcher needs and user experiences, and require partnering proactively with faculty and students to develop/implement the research.
Sustain straightforward operational interactions/communications such as providing, obtaining, and receiving information and constant collaboration among project team members.
Regularly communicate and collaborate with colleagues at peer institutions.
Diligently maintain data metrics and prepare detailed reports that define programmatic outcomes.
Curate, present, and showcase the educational applications on the college website and other appropriate online platforms, and conferences.
Work LocationDue to the nature of the position, this is an on-campus position, and work outside normal hours of operation may be required.
There will be opportunities for a hybrid work schedule.
QualificationsRequired Masters in computer science, computational STEM disciplines, or related fields.
2 to 3 years demonstrated experience with research computing applications in an academic environment, including HPC systems and applications.
Prior experience supporting the technical needs of faculty and students.
Exceptional ability to communicate technical concepts clearly, including to less-technical audiences.
Excellent organizational as well as both written and verbal communication skills.
Extensive experience with at least one of these programming languages:
Python, R, C++, Java, Mathematica, Matlab, Clojure.
Demonstrated ability to build productive relationships and work cooperatively with others, across and/or within departments and divisions.
Demonstrated pursuit of formal and informal learning opportunities that support professional and personal growth.
Preferred Doctoral degree in computer science, computational STEM disciplines, or related fields.
Familiarity with one or more HPC scheduling or workload management solutions (e.
g.
, Slurm, Condor).
Experience with both traditional and GPU-based cluster environments.
Experience with Jupyter Notebooks, JupyterHub, and RStudio.
Experience with problem identification and resolution, particularly in a heterogeneous research environment.
Familiarity with migrating to and managing workloads on one or more cloud platforms (e.
g.
, AWS, Azure) Experience with popular artificial intelligence frameworks.
Experience with programming for machine learning and data processing.
Familiarity with selection, delivery, and use of cloud solutions for high performance computing workloads.
Amherst College offers many opportunities for professional growth and development, continued learning, and career advancement.
Amherst College is pleased to provide a comprehensive, highly competitive benefits package that meets the needs of staff and faculty and their families.
Benefits are an important part of our overall compensation, so it is critical that you review all of the options to ensure it meets your total compensation requirements.
Click here for Benefits Information.
Interested candidates are asked to submit a resume and cover letter online at https:
//amherst.
wd5.
myworkdayjobs.
com/Amherst_Jobs.
Please be sure to upload all requested documents prior to clicking Submit.
Applications cannot be revised once submitted.
(Current employees and students should apply by clicking on the Career icon from their Workday home screen) Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.
To find information about job group and level (JGL) follow this link.
Recommended Skills Administration Artificial Intelligence Artificial Neural Networks Big Data Business Process Improvement C+
(Programming Language) Estimated Salary: $20 to $28 per hour based on qualifications.
|
|
 | |
