Scientific Computing Officer (HPC System Administrator)

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23 Jan 2025
23 Jan 2025
Teddington, United Kingdom
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Scientific Computing Officer (HPC System Administrator)

About the Role
NPL is looking for a Linux system administrator for its small, HPC cluster,Minerva.

Minerva is a HPC cluster running Rocky 8 with 8 CPU nodes (2x28 coreseach, Intel Icelake chipset) and 2 GPU nodes (4x NVIDIA A100-80 GB cards and1TB RAM each) with Infiniband interconnection. It was recently updated by our external partners, Cambridge Research Computing Ltd, who are also helping with the system administration as remote, 2nd line experts.
As the NPL side of system administration attached to the HPC cluster, your duties will be the following:

Install scientific software as updates come through and are validated by CIO: MATLAB, COMSOL and other software of NPL-wide interest as modules.

Work with the NPL user community to regularly evaluate their needs in terms of resources and evolution of the cluster as well as software installation requests and updates.

Answer NPL user community questions about the HPC cluster, and more generally keep the user base informed through dedicated internal communication channels (Yammer/Teams/Mail_Minerva). Decide whether to maintain Mail_Minerva or not, knowing that neither Yammer nor Teams can guarantee that people will be aware/ have read your post.

Keep a regular eye on the cluster and troubleshoot any unresponsive node.

Work closely with Cambridge Research Computing Ltd (JIRA ticketing system) for unsolved problems affecting the cluster, run tests and schedule regular maintenances. Report back to user community about any downtime or event affecting the cluster (scheduled or not).

Work with CIO to purchase any equipment to upgrade or extend the cluster.

Work with other members of the Scientific Computing Team to organise internal communication and training, as well as maintaining the synergy with other NPL computing resources (archiving system).

Interact with the greater HPC UK community: join HPC SIG as main NPL contact and ask to enrol to their sysadmin mentorship scheme.

Update the cluster documentation: the current documentation was written before the upgrade and was valid for the previous operating system (Centos 7) and its associated software stack. The user documentation will need to be rewritten for the new software stack, including the new access application Open OnDemand.
About You
This position is ideal for a system administrator or someone with a good knowledge of Linux and Linux administration looking to develop an HPC specialisation.

Needs good communication skills and ability to work with others (own team, external and internal stakeholders with various level of HPC knowledge), developing the NPL user base and its usage of the HPC facility as it becomes more central to the work undertaken by NPL Science teams.
Mandatory:

Linux skills as system administrator or superuser experience, preferably working with/for scientists.

Teamwork and communication skills

Knowledge of shell scripting (bash)

Recommended:

Good knowledge of MATLAB/COMSOL/Python/C++ (at least one of them)

Ability to specify and contribute to hardware and upgrade planning.

Desirable:

Knowledge of containers (docker, singularity/apptainer) and how to use them.

We actively recruit citizens of all backgrounds, but the nature of our work in specific departments means that nationality, residency and security requirements can be more tightly defined than others. You will be asked about this throughout the recruitment process. To work at NPL, you will need to obtain BPSS security clearance.

Please note: Applications will be reviewed, and interviews conducted throughout the duration of this advert therefore we may at any time bring the closing date forward. We encourage all interested applicants to apply as soon as practical.
About Us
- The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is a world-leading centre of excellence that provides cutting-edge measurement science, engineering and technology to underpin prosperity and quality of life in the UK. Find out more about what it is like working here - The measure of us - Overview
  
  NPL and DSIT have strong commitments to diversity and equality of opportunity, and welcome applications from candidates irrespective of their background, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, or age, providing they meet the required criteria. Applications from women, disabled and black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates in particular are encouraged. All disabled candidates (as defined by the Equality Act 2010) who satisfy the minimum criteria for the role will be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme.
  
  At NPL, we believe our success is a result of the diversity and talent of our people. We strive to nurture and respect individuals to ensure everyone feels valued by treating everyone on the basis of their own individual merits and abilities regardless of their own or perceived identity, as part of our commitment to diversity & inclusion, we ensure we’re creating an environment where all our colleagues feel supported and welcome. More about this on our Diversity & Inclusion page.
  
  We are committed to the health and well-being of our employees. Flexible working and social activities are embedded in our culture to create a positive work-life balance, along with a broad range of rewards, benefits and recognition. Our values are at the heart of what we do, and they shape the way we interact, develop our people and celebrate success. To ensure everyone has an equal chance, we’re always willing to make reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss, please contact us.