Overview:
As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, ORNL has an extraordinary 80-year history of solving the nation’s biggest problems. We have a dedicated and creative staff of over 6,000 people! Our vision for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) is to cultivate an environment and practices that develop diversity in ideas and in the people across the organization, as well as to ensure ORNL is recognized as a workplace of choice. These elements are essential for enabling the execution of ORNL’s broader mission to create scientific discoveries and their translation into energy, environment, and security solutions for the nation.
The Organization:
The National Center for Computational Sciences (NCCS) provides groundbreaking computational and data science infrastructure for technical and scientific professionals to accelerate scientific discovery and engineering advances across a broad range of subject areas. As an important part of the broader High-Performance Computing (HPC) infrastructure, the division also hosts the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF), a Department of Energy Office of Science User Facility. NCCS serves multiple agencies including DOE, NOAA, and the Air Force. The NCCS also supports the Quantum Computing User Program (QCUP) which provides access to pioneering quantum computing resources.
The Team:
The NCCS User Assistance (UA) Group provides technical support on sophisticated computing resources including high-performance computing (HPC) and Quantum, generates documentation about NCCS systems, and develops and delivers training to users of the center’s resources. NCCS staff members are also responsible for developing tools and technical solutions. NCCS User Assistant specialists also serve as ambassadors for users and the rest of the organization.
Major Duties and Responsibilities:
The role comprises the following primary functions:
Take technical ownership of user reported problems and provide hands-on support for scientific applications and libraries and users of high-performance computing, clusters, quantum, and other sophisticated computing resources.
Compile and debug large science and engineering applications.
Identify and resolve system-level bugs in conjunction with other technical staff.
Work with vendors to resolve issues and implement changes as necessary.
Install third-party software applications and tools and provide documentation for usage.
Develop and implement system tests to ensure newly deployed systems can support user workloads.
Proactively ensure that users have up-to-date information about the system, including any changes and their impact on the users. User Support staff are very involved in researching and developing documentation and reference material during system early-use and upgrade phases, as well as maintaining them throughout system operation.
Participate in the development, maintenance, and delivery of training and outreach materials to users.
Respond to general administrative questions (e.g., system status, requests for accessor special accommodation, etc)
Implement special projects as requested (e.g., metrics, cyber security, policy discussions).
Actively participate and advocate for users during planning of system configuration, policy creation, outages, and other user impacting events.
Basic Qualifications:
A Bachelor’s degree in computer science or related field and 2+ years of relevant experience or an MS degree and 1+ year of relevant experience
Requires practical experience with multiple programming languages and technologies including several of the following:
Fortran
C
C++
Perl
Python
Shell scripting (e.g., bash, ksh, etc.) in a Linux or Unix environment
Preferred Qualifications:
Prior experience providing user support
Experience building and installing scientific software and other 3rd party software applications on HPC systems
Experience with HPC schedulers and resource managers
Experience developing scientific software on HPC systems
Experience writing user documentation
Experience developing and delivering training for users
Deep technical and analytical skills
Strong verbal and written communication skills
Maintains the highest level of professionalism at all times when interacting with internal and external customers
Demonstrates a high-energy, positive attitude and commitment to quality customer service
Contributes to a positive team environment within the center by demonstrating a strong work ethic, effectively communicating, and proactively anticipating center and user needs
Experience coordinating and running support teams
Understanding of the requirements of a DOE, DoD, and/or NSF HPC center
ORNL Benefits:
ORNL offers competitive pay and benefits programs to attract and retain hardworking people. The laboratory offers many employee benefits, including medical and retirement plans and flexible work hours, to help you and your family live happy and healthy. Employee amenities such as on-site fitness, banking, and cafeteria facilities are also provided for convenience.
In addition, we offer a flexible work environment that supports both the organization and the employee. A hybrid/onsite working arrangement may be available with this position.
Other benefits include: Prescription Drug Plan, Dental Plan, Vision Plan, 401(k) Retirement Plan, Contributory Pension Plan, Life Insurance, Disability Benefits, Generous Vacation and Holidays, Parental Leave, Legal Insurance with Identity Theft Protection, Employee Assistance Plan, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Accounts, Wellness Programs, Educational Assistance, Relocation Assistance, and Employee Discounts.