Research Infrastructure Specialist

Special Instructions to Applicants: Applicants should attach a resume and cover letter in PDF format to the Supporting Documents section of the application.

About Rice

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in the heart of Houston Rice University is consistently ranked among the nations top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. We are more than a place of academic excellence and pioneering researchRice is a vibrant and welcoming community where every faculty staff and student is valued and empowered to grow.

Rice is committed to unparalleled excellence as we work to become the premier university in the world for teaching and research. We wont do it like any other institution. We will do it with humanity for the good of humankind. We will do it on a personalized scale as only Rice can.

The Rice Experience is our excellence and our culture of care the close interactions between faculty and students the interdisciplinary connectedness of our fields of study the commitment and ownership to Rice and our community. Learn more about Rice Universitys newly launched ten-year strategic plan Momentous.

At Rice we share a set of core valuesResponsibility Integrity Community and Excellencethat shape our culture and guide how we engage with one another and the world around us. These values define our commitment to fostering an inclusive community.

Technology Solutions & Services (TS&S)

TS&S provides excellent constituent service acting as a strategic partner to advance Rice Universitys priorities and mission of pathbreaking research unsurpassed teaching and contribution to the betterment of our world. We fuel innovation at speed across the university by building a culture of trust using an effective operating model driving seamless experiences and providing core TS&S capabilities.

TS&S is service-oriented and team-enabling. We seek applicants who will contribute to our mission.

Trust Building and Stakeholder Engagement Foster trust across the campus by being transparent reliable consistent and solution-oriented in communication and execution. Ensure clear consistent and timely communication with all constituents maintaining a service-oriented mindset and addressing challenges with integrity.

Collaboration and Cross-functional Commitment Work effectively with colleagues across teams departments and roles to support shared goals and a positive work environment. Communicate clearly and professionally with team members throughout TS&S and across the campus to ensure smooth coordination of tasks and projects. Build and maintain positive relationships with others by being approachable reliable and responsive. Proactively share relevant information and follow up to ensure alignment and efficiency in team efforts.

Agility and Responsiveness Adapt quickly to evolving needs technologies and priorities ensuring efficiency and relevance. Identify potential challenges in advance and take proactive steps to minimize disruption to end users. Approach unexpected changes with a problem-solving mindset balancing speed with thoughtful engagement. Prioritize user experience by delivering seamless timely and effective support and potential solutions. Maintain a culture of continuous learning and ask questions from a place of curiosity and possibility to enhance agility and service outcomes.

Operational Excellence and Continuous Improvement Maintain a culture of continuous improvement in all TS&S operations to ensure efficient and effective service delivery. Regularly assess and optimize processes systems and technologies to enhance performance scalability and user satisfaction.

Position Summary

The Center for Research Computing (CRC) at Rice University enables faculty and researchers to effectively use on- and off-premise (1) shared high-performance computing (2) VM and cloud computing (3) data storage infrastructure and (4) broader IT services to accelerate and advance world-class research and scholarship across the University. We are currently looking to expand our team of professionals with a Research Infrastructure Specialist who can help the CRC (1) support develop and manage existing Linux-based core infrastructure that supports centrally managed research environments and (2) evaluate deploy develop and operate new infrastructure to more effectively bridge Center services extend research cyberinfrastructure and provide best-in-class support to our research community. This is a fantastic opportunity for a self-motivated team member to engage in a positive and creative work environment that offers the candidate the opportunity to grow and contribute to accelerating the research mission of Rice University.

Reporting to the CRC Co-Director the ideal candidate has excellent judgment and communication skills brings adaptability and integrity to the Linux-based infrastructure team and utilizes best practices to improve system usability management and documentation.

This position is open only to individuals authorized to work in the U.S. without employer sponsorship now or in the future. Candidates who require sponsorship are not eligible for consideration.

Working Requirements

This is an on-campus position with the potential for a flexible work schedule in the future. Per Rice policy 440 work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range

This is a full-time benefits-eligible position and the salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications. *Exempt (salaried) positions underFLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelors Degree
  • In lieu of the education requirement additional related experience above and beyond what is required on an equivalent year-for-year basis may be substituted
• 2 years of experience in software projects and middleware management including experience gained while in school
  • In lieu of the experience requirement additional related education above and beyond what is required on an equivalent year-for-year basis may be substituted

Skills:

• Familiarity with the principles and practice of system configuration management and networked/distributed computing environments
• Substantive experience with Linux operating systems is required; other OS experience is welcome
• Technical skills including but not limited to Linux systems analysis VM administration containerization cloud infrastructure and storage technology administration
• Demonstrated ability with programming or scripting in SQL Bash Ansible Python and PHP
• Strong analytical problem-solving and troubleshooting skills
• Ability to work independently and in team settings set priorities and meet deadlines consistently
• Ability to explain applications and operating system fundamentals to others
• Excellent judgment verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to establish effective ongoing relationships with colleagues and management

Preferred Skills/Experience

• Masters degree in a related field
• 2 years of experience in managing and supporting research computing infrastructure operations
• 3 years of experience supporting Linux infrastructure related to middleware development

Essential Functions

• Develops information systems based on scope and objectives
• Monitors tunes and troubleshoots applications
• Participates in testing debugging configuring and documenting applications and software
• Tests and implements complex software services; provides technical support and resolves systems and application problems
• Ensures data/media recovery by implementing a schedule of system backups and database archive operations
• Provides routine consultation and research computing support within the Center
• Documents and assists other technical staff as needed on production support issues resolution and application/utility software development and maintenance
• Provides insight and recommendations to stakeholders around potential process changes or solutions
• Develops documentation of systems and use cases including use cases and workflow diagrams as needed
• Performs other duties as assigned

Rice University HR Benefits: Mission and Values:Mission and Values Rice University

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race color religion age sex sexual orientation gender identity national or ethnic origin genetic information disability or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process please contact Rice Universitys Human Resources Office via email at for support.

If you have any additional questions please email us at . Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.