Computational Scientist

Job Description

Virginia Tech’s Advanced Research Computing (ARC) organization is seeking applications to fill multiple Computational Scientist positions. The computational scientists are primarily researcher-facing but also act in various technical and administrative roles.

The computational scientist will:
- Facilitate basic and advanced computational aspects of research at Virginia Tech through collaborations and interactions with a wide range of researchers and projects
- Regularly engage with researchers, with ARC systems, and with the systems engineering team
promote and generally work to advance the mission of ARC through outreach activities
- Teach, develop, and contribute to ARC training sessions and workshops
- Provide support and assistance to the ARC Helpdesk team

There is a broad spectrum of domain areas with computational needs at Virginia Tech which ARC enables by providing centralized high-performance computing (HPC) systems and other advanced research computing services. ARC systems currently host over 50,000 CPU cores, 250+ advanced GPUs, and petabytes of storage. We stay abreast of novel and developing trends in research computing and attempt to deliver high-value systems suited to the needs exhibited by the VT research community.

ARC serves a large and diverse research community and we seek applications from people of all backgrounds, especially from those belonging to groups that are often underrepresented in STEM fields and HPC. For one of the openings, we are particularly interested in someone with a demonstrated background and interest in visualization and data-analytics fields within research computing.

Required Qualifications

- Master's degree or equivalent in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related computational science discipline
- Have a service mindset
- Ability to communicate technical details to audiences with varying levels of technical experience
- Familiarity with some elements of basic Linux system usage (eg., building software, run-time environment configuration, performance monitoring, shell tools, or scripting)
- Able to build and use computational software
- Familiarity with programming paradigms commonly used in computational research
- Able to organize and optimize computational workflows in a research setting
- Exposure to computational or data-rich/big-data research workflows
- Exposure to skills and methodologies associated with software design, modification, compilation, and use
- Working on projects as a member of a team

Preferred Qualifications

- Advanced degree with an emphasis on computational research
- Visualization of scientific data or other large, complex datasets
- Experience conducting computational research in a relevant field (eg. artificial intelligence/machine learning, bioinformatics, materials engineering, computational fluid dynamics, etc.)
- Advanced knowledge of related areas of IT, particularly issues around the use of high-performance computing, high-performance networking, tools to support collaborative research, cloud storage, computing, and other technology used in the computational research arena.
- Awareness of compliance issues surrounding research data, including federal requirements, and granting agency norms.

Appointment Type

Regular

Salary Information

Commensurate on experience

Review Date

5/6/2022

Additional Information

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

About Virginia Tech

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges , a school of medicine , a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School , and Honors College . The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including the Innovation Campus in Northern Virginia; the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke; sites in Newport News and Richmond; and numerous Extension offices and research centers . A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $500 million in research annually.

Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Amber Pifer at amber@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.

Advertised: April 8, 2022
Applications close: