Linux Systems Administrator, Information Technology

The Information Technology department invites applications for a Linux Systems Administrator (Net/Comp Sys Administrator III) . Reporting to the Executive Director of Cyber-Infrastructure in Central IT, this position will provide engineering and administration support for Linux-based systems used by the research community at the University of Montana. Additionally, this position will be responsible for duties related to research computing operations ensuring a highly reliable, secure, efficient and effective system for researchers. This includes deploying new systems, automation, monitoring infrastructure, troubleshooting issues, bench marking and providing guidance on technology implementation for specific research computing needs. Strong working knowledge of research HPC clusters, high-speed storage, and batch scheduling is desired as one of the position’s core responsibility will be managing and maintaining the newly built Griz Shared Computing Cluster.

The Griz Shared Computing Cluster (GSCC) is an NSF-funded project that helped create a shared high-performance computing resource that is centrally managed and available for UM. The GSCC is comprised of 20 compute nodes, 12 GPU nodes, and several storage nodes. The cluster is built on open-source software and is integrated with the Open Science Grid. Overall, the GSCC has 1,056 computing cores, ~15 TB of memory, 48 GPUs capable of 644 teraflops, and 1 petabyte of storage.

Essential Functions:

• Provide technical leadership in design, development, installation, and maintenance of hardware and software for the Griz Shared Computing Cluster
• Responsible for the installation, configuration, and maintenance of Linux (CentOS and Ubuntu) and some Windows operating systems and server hardware for both physical and virtual servers
• Ensures all systems are properly configured and patched to meet security guidelines as needed for FERPA, HIPAA and PCI compliance
• Ensures optimal performance and availability of production systems
• Engage in a positive manner with clients to provide high-quality customer service
• Builds and maintains thorough documentation for system builds, configurations, etc.
• Administers security monitoring and other tools to ensure the integrity and availability of server resources, reviewing system and application logs

It is expected that this position will collaborate with other system engineers from research consortiums, such as the Rocky Mountain Academic Computing Consortium (RMACC) and attend one or two conferences/technical workshops per year.

Required Skills

• Experience supporting servers running one or more Linux operating systems such as: Red Hat/CentOS, Ubuntu, and Scientific Linux
• Solid foundation with Linux administration with experience or working knowledge of cluster management and provisioning (or willingness to learn)
• Understanding of container technologies such as Docker, Singularity, or OpenShift
• Demonstrates knowledge of local area network administration, Fibre, InfiniBand, and working knowledge of TCP/IP, DHCP, and DNS
• Experience with system monitoring and monitoring tools such as Ganglia, LibreNMS, and Open XDMoD
• Advanced knowledge of configuration management and change control systems such as Puppet/Salt, Ansible, and git
• Strong foundation in systems administration principles, including systems automation, change management, capacity planning, documentation, etc.
• Strong understanding of security fundamentals including network, systems, software tools, and encryption
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively with faculty, staff and students from a variety of diverse backgrounds
• Ability to effectively and credibly communicate with campus researchers, team members, collaborators, and student staff with sensitivity to the level of technical communication appropriate to the task and audience
• Experience leading technology implementation projects

Minimum Required Experience

• Bachelors degree in computer science, computer programming, or related field and work experience with Linux/Unix system administration; or an Associates degree in computer science and at least three (3) years of experience with Linux/Unix system administration

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated skill in cluster management, provisioning, grid computing, application software configuration, compilers, cluster queuing, and scheduling.
• Experience with distributed and parallel file systems such as BeeGFS, Lustre, or other high-performance file systems
• Experience with software management tools such as Conda and Bioconda
• Experience with high-speed interconnect technologies such as Mellanox Infiniband
• Experience working with collaborative computing communities such as XSEDE or Open Science Grid
• Experience defining, implementing, and supporting a complex mix of shared, high-performance computing resources for multiple researchers or groups
• Familiarity in a university research environment with knowledge of research regulations, protocols, and data use requirements affecting technology, such as HIPAA, FERPA, etc.

About the Information Technology department and UM

The Cyberinfrastructure Group within Central IT is responsible for IT facilities, enterprise systems, research computing, cloud services, classroom technology, central authentication, directory and email services, campus network infrastructure, telephone system and UM's network connectivity across Montana.

The University of Montana is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and has a strong institutional commitment to the principle of diversity in all areas. In that spirit, we are particularly interested in receiving applications from a broad spectrum of qualified people who would assist the University in demonstrating its five priorities for action : Place student success at the center of all we do; drive excellence and innovation in teaching, learning, and research; embody the principle of “mission first, people always"; partner with place; and proudly tell the UM story.

To learn more about the University of Montana, Missoula, and the State of Montana, please visit the links below.

• University of Montana
• Video: UM Lifestyles
• University Highlights
• The State of Montana
• Visit Montana

Position Details

Position Title: Linux Systems Administrator (Net/Comp Sys Administrator III)

Position Number: 479980

Department: Information Technology

Work Schedule: Full-time, 1.0 FTE (40 Hours a week), Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, 12 months/year.

Salary: $36.058/hr – Position is exempt from overtime. Current employee’s rate of pay for this position will be determined by the staff compensation plan and will minimally be this posted salary. For questions and details regarding the staff compensation plan, email the Compensation Department .

Union Affiliation: FOCUS - MFPE

Probationary Period: Six months minimum

Benefits Include : Insurance package, mandatory retirement plan, partial tuition waiver, and wellness program.

Criminal Background Investigation is required prior to the Offer of Employment In accordance with University regulations, finalists for this position will be subject to criminal background investigations. ADA/EOE/AA/Veteran's Preference Reasonable accommodations are provided in the hiring process for persons with disabilities. For example, this material is available in alternative format upon request. As an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, we encourage applications from minorities, veterans, and women. Qualified candidates may request veterans’ or disabilities preference in accordance with state law. References: References not listed on the application materials may be contacted; notice may be provided to the applicant. Testing: Individual hiring departments at UM may elect to administer pre-employment tests, which are relevant to essential job functions. Employment Eligibility: All New Employees must be eligible and show employment eligibility verification by the first date of employment at UM, as legally required (e.g., Form I-9).

How to Apply

Priority Application Date: Thursday , September 3, 2020 by 11:59 PM (Mountain Time)

Complete applications received by the ‘Priority Application Date’ will be guaranteed consideration. The position will remain open until filled. Candidates are required to submit the following materials online

A complete application Includes:

1. Letter of Interest – addressing your qualifications and experience related to the stated required skills for the position. A general letter salutation such as “Dear Search Committee” or “Dear Hiring Manager” is acceptable.
2. Detailed Resume – listing education and describing work experience
3. Professional References – names and contact information for three (3) professional references

Job Location Missoula, Montana, United States
Position Type Full-Time/Regular