HPC Linux Systems Engineer

Requisition Id 15558

Overview

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is seeking highly motivated HPC Linux Systems Engineers to join teams operating some of the most advanced computing environments in the world.

This evergreen posting represents multiple potential openings across ORNL's high-performance computing ecosystem.

Successful candidates will help architect, deploy, and maintain HPC systems that accelerate discovery across open science, laboratory research, and secure computing missions.
Applications are reviewed on a continual basis as new opportunities arise.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

• Install, integrate, and administer Linux-based HPC clusters, storage systems, and high-speed networks.
• Monitor and optimize system performance, reliability, and scalability for large-scale computational workloads.
• Diagnose complex hardware and software issues, coordinating with vendors and internal engineering teams to implement solutions.
• Participate in system design, deployment, acceptance testing, and upgrades for leadership-class and research computing systems.
• Develop and maintain automation, configuration management, and monitoring solutions using tools such as Ansible, Puppet, Bash, or Python.
• Collaborate with scientists, researchers, and technical staff to ensure HPC resources effectively support scientific and mission objectives.
• Support identity management, authentication, and access control frameworks to maintain secure and compliant environments.
• Document system architectures, processes, and best practices, and contribute to internal knowledge sharing.
• Participate in on-call rotations and off-hours maintenance windows as required to support 24x7 operations.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, or a related field.
• A minimum of 5 years of experience in Linux systems administration, or an equivalent combination of education and experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience administering HPC clusters or large-scale Linux computing environments.
• Familiarity with batch schedulers (e.g., SLURM, PBS, LSF) and parallel file systems (Lustre, GPFS/Spectrum Scale).
• Experience implementing and managing automation and configuration management frameworks (Ansible, Puppet, Salt).
• Proficiency in scripting or programming (Python, Bash, Go).
• Understanding of networking fundamentals and high-speed interconnects (InfiniBand, Ethernet).
• Experience deploying or supporting identity management and multi-factor authentication systems (PingFederate, RSA SecureID, Entra ID).
• Familiarity with virtualization or containerization technologies (VMware, KVM, Podman, Apptainer).
• Experience troubleshooting and tuning high-performance storage, networking, and compute systems.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead or contribute to complex technical projects with minimal supervision.

Special Requirement

This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain clearance from the Department of Energy. As such, this position is a Workplace Substance Abuse (WSAP) testing designated position. WSAP positions require passing a pre-placement drug test and participation in an ongoing random drug testing program.

About ORNL

As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, ORNL has an impressive 80-year legacy of addressing the nation's most pressing challenges. Our team is made up of over 7,000 dedicated and innovative individuals! Our goal is to create an environment where a variety of perspectives and backgrounds are valued, ensuring ORNL is known as a top choice for employment. These principles are essential for supporting our broader mission to drive scientific breakthroughs and translate them into solutions for energy, environmental, and security challenges facing the nation.

Why Join Us

• Work on the world's most powerful supercomputers, including Frontier, the first system to achieve exascale performance.
• Enable breakthrough science in fields like fusion energy, climate modeling, AI, and national security.
• Collaborate with diverse teams of scientists, engineers, and technologists from across the DOE complex and academia.
• Grow your career in a mission-driven, innovation-focused environment with access to professional development and leadership opportunities.
• Enjoy life in East Tennessee, with a thriving research community, scenic outdoor recreation, and a high quality of life.

This position will remain open for a minimum of 5 days after which it will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.

We accept Word (.doc, .docx), Adobe (unsecured .pdf), Rich Text Format (.rtf), and HTML (.htm, .html) up to 5MB in size. Resumes from third party vendors will not be accepted; these resumes will be deleted and the candidates submitted will not be considered for employment.

If you have trouble applying for a position, please email

ORNL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, are encouraged to apply. UT-Battelle is an E-Verify employer.