Systems Administrator (Open Rank) (4729)

Company: National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Location: Charlottesville
Posted on: August 6, 2022

Job Description:

National Radio Astronomy ObservatoryPosition Description: Position SummaryThe National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is seeking a full time Linux Systems Administrator (Open Rank) to join our Computing and Information Services (CIS) Team at the Observatorys headquarters in Charlottesville, Virginia. The Observatory supports several world class instruments, including the Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico, the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), and with European and Asian partners, the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile.The successful candidate will join a small but dynamic team of system administrators who support the North American ALMA Science Center (NAASC), located in Charlottesville, on the grounds of the University of Virginia. The successful candidate will, under general supervision, support access to and updates of production Scientific Information Services for the Linux platform in a heterogeneous environment. The position will also contribute to the NRAO/GBO Common Computing Environment (CCE) to ensure good alignment and communications between sites.We are particularly interested in individuals capable of a wide systems view, with solid scripting skills in perl and bash, and a strong focus on automation with configuration management systems such as Ansible. The position will support a variety of subsystems and services, including but not limited to: High Performance Lustre filesystems, moderate sized compute clusters, Unix based directory services (NIS, RedHat IdM), and certain web services such as JIRA, Confluence, Bitbucket and Bamboo. Experience with virtualization (KVM) and containers (Docker) would be beneficial. In addition, the position will support the normal set of information services such as sendmail, DNS, DHCP, Database support, etc. Experience with RedHat Linux is highly desired.This position will be at the Charlottesville headquarters of the Observatory, situated on the University of Virginia grounds. While some level of telecommuting is negotiable, a minimum of 2 full working days per week physically present in the office is required. Note that full COVID vaccination status, as defined by the CDC, is currently required to enter all NRAO buildings.Some travel, possibly international, is expected at the 5-10% level, dependent on pandemic conditions. Interaction with the CIS Unix teams at multiple sites, and with our ALMA partners in Chile, Japan, and Germany via digital teleconferencing (including audio and/or video) is essential in this role.In addition to competitive pay, NRAO provides excellent paid time off benefits (vacation and sick leave). Medical, dental and vision plans are effective first day of employment. NRAOs retirement benefit contributes an amount equal to 10 percent of a qualified participants base pay. No contribution is required of the employee; we also offer an optional supplemental, tax deferred plan for employee retirement contributions.Candidates who promote and enhance diversity are strongly encouraged to apply.Job Duties SummaryResponsibilities will include, but are not limited to:Supporting multi-petabyte file systems leveraging Lustre and NGAS technologies;Supporting a 64-node Linux based high performance cluster managed by Torque and Moab;Operations support for NAASC services involving Apache, Tomcat, and Docker;Working collaboratively with systems administrators at several geographically dispersed locations, as well as the developing DevOps teams at the NAASC and partner institutions;Performing as an integral part of the CIS team including helpdesk ticket triage; andResponding to incidents reported by the NAASC staff in a timely manner.Work EnvironmentWork is typically performed in an office setting within a research or development environment; the systems administrator works both independently and as part of a diverse team. May occasionally work at high altitudes.Position Requirements: Minimum EducationTwo year associates degree or equivalent experience in computer science, engineering or related fields.Minimum ExperienceTwo years in a technical, Linux oriented role in information systems.Preferred ExperienceExpertise with Red Hat Enterprise Linux or similar distributions (CentOS, Fedora) preferred. HPC/HTC exposure would be a plus but is not required. Experience working in a technical, scientific, or higher education research environment would be beneficial.Competency SummaryTechnical background in a heterogeneous environment, including Linux Servers/Workstations;Optional: Exposure to and some proficiency in virtualization, using KVM;Fluency and comfort with extensive use of the command line for system interaction and management; andExposure to high performance and/or high throughput computing (HPC/HTC) as well as knowledge of high performance filesystems such as Lustre would be distinct advantages.Physical Working ConditionsWork is typically performed in a research environment supporting systems for external observers. While performing the duties of this job, the employee frequently sits at a desk, uses a personal computer, telephone, and other standard office equipment; the ability to climb stairs is required. The employee is required to bend, reach, and must have finger dexterity. The employee is required to lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus. Must be able to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing. Full COVID vaccination status is currently required for entry to all NRAO buildings.Application Instructions: Click the Apply button below. Please be prepared to upload your current resume and a cover letter describing interest and suitability for the position. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.Equal Opportunity Employer Statement: AUI is an equal opportunity employer. Women, Minorities, Vietnam-Era Veterans, Disabled Veterans, Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities are encouraged to apply. To view our complete statement, please visit http://jobs.jobvite.com/nrao/jobs. If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process due to a disability, you may submit your request by sending an email to resumes@nrao.edu.The NRAO is an equal opportunity employer (M/F/D/V)The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.PM20PI187626490

Keywords: National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Charlottesville , Systems Administrator (Open Rank) (4729), IT / Software / Systems , Charlottesville, Virginia