HPC Systems Administration Specialist

Argonne is a multidisciplinary science and engineering research facility, where world-class researchers work alongside experts from industry, academia, and other government laboratories to address vital national challenges in technology and national security. As a member of the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility (ALCF) High Performance Computing (HPC) team, you will directly work with first-class supercomputers and emergent technologies alongside scientific staff and research colleagues within the division.

The selected individual will assist with the design, development, and advancement of the HPC environment of the ALCF. This position will focus on software integration with the larger software and operational ecosystem at the facility site. This position will be able to significantly contribute to the design and development of new HPC systems, tools, and software stacks.

Position Requirements

• Strong background in Linux systems administration, including cluster management, performance tuning, and resource allocation in HPC settings

• Experience with package managers like Spack for software deployment, including building from source, resolving dependencies, and maintaining multiple versions in a production HPC setting

• Experience creating and managing programming environments, such as environment modules (e.g., Lmod or Environment Modules) or containers (e.g. Singularity/Apptainer) to integrate libraries and SDKs like MPI, CUDA, BLAS, or FFTW

• Familiarity with version control systems for managing configurations and custom package definitions

• Knowledge of the installation, management, and the use of software such as compilers, scientific applications, and job resource managers

• Experience with CI pipelines

• Proficiency in scripting and programming languages such as Python (for Spack package definitions and automation)

• Strong knowledge of build systems (e.g., Make, CMake, Autotools) and compilers (e.g., GCC, Intel, LLVM) for handling dependencies in Spack-managed stacks

• Ability to configure and use YAML-based files for Spack environments

• Proficiency with podman or similar container-based build environments

• Problem-solving skills for debugging dependency conflicts

• Experience working in collaborative teams, including refining user requirements and supporting researchers in scientific computing settings

• Ability to model Argonne's core values of impact, safety, respect, integrity and teamwork

• To perform the essential functions of this position successful applicants must provide proof of U.S. citizenship, which is required to comply with federal regulations and contract.

This position can be hired at one of two levels; the selected candidate will be placed at the appropriate level (PT2 or PT3) dependent upon the depth and breadth of relevant knowledge and skills. The minimum requirements for the two levels are as follows:

• PT2: Bachelors and 2+ years of experience, or equivalent. The expected hiring range for this position is $69,750 - $108,810 annually.

• PT3: Bachelors and 4+ years of experience, Masters and 2+ years, or equivalent. The expected hiring range for this position is $86,299 - $134,626 annually.

Job Family

Professional Technical (PT)

Job Profile

Systems Integration Admin/Support 2

Worker Type

Regular

Time Type

Full time

The expected hiring range for this position is $69,750.00 - $108,810.00.

Please note that the pay range information is a general guideline only. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as, but not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, business considerations, internal equity, and external market pay for comparable jobs. Additionally, comprehensive benefits are part of the total rewards package.

Click here ( to view Argonne employee benefits!

As an equal employment opportunity employer, and in accordance with our core values of impact, safety, respect, integrity and teamwork, Argonne National Laboratory is committed to a safe and welcoming workplace that fosters collaborative scientific discovery and innovation. Argonne encourages everyone to apply for employment. Argonne is committed to nondiscrimination and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by law.

Argonne employees, and certain guest researchers and contractors, are subject to particular restrictions related to participation in Foreign Government Sponsored or Affiliated Activities, as defined and detailed in United States Department of Energy Order 486.1A. You will be asked to disclose any such participation in the application phase for review by Argonne's Legal Department.

All Argonne offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes an assessment of criminal conviction history conducted on an individualized and case-by-case basis. Please be advised that Argonne positions require upon hire (or may require in the future) for the individual be to obtain a government access authorization that involves additional background check requirements. Failure to obtain or maintain such government access authorization could result in the withdrawal of a job offer or future termination of employment.