High Performance Computing Systems Administrator

Summary The Department of Commerce ranked top 5 in the 2024 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government amongst large agencies for the 12th year in a row! The ranking showcases the Department's continued commitment to increasing our employee engagement, employee satisfaction, and positive perceptions. Come join our team! Duties This notice is issued under direct-hire authority to recruit new talent to occupations for which NIST has a severe shortage of candidates. Working as a High Performance Computing Systems Administrator, you will: Collaborate with the Office of Information Systems Management/Research Services Office Scientific System team colleagues and with NIST research staff to achieve operational objectives for functionality, availability, usability, reliability, and performance of high-performance research computing resources. Assess research workflows to propose practices and deploy IT solutions facilitating research productivity objectives. Administer HPC, analysis system, high-performance network, and research data storage asset configurations to satisfy performance, functionality, security, and supportability requirements. Document asset configurations for team re-use. Follow OISM IT service management practices for incident, change, and problem management. Document usage instructions for NIST staff utilizing high-performance research computing Resources. Requirements Conditions of employment U.S. citizenship Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service Suitable for Federal employment Bargaining Unit Position: No Provides after-hours support as required to mitigate risk to mission-critical research systems. Please prepare a resume no longer than 2 pages; only the first 2 pages will be considered during the review process. Qualifications Basic Qualifications: For all positions individuals must have IT-related experience demonstrating each of the four competencies listed below. The employing agency is responsible for identifying the specific level of proficiency required for each competency at each grade level based on the requirements of the position being filled. 1. Attention to Detail - Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail. 2. Customer Service - Works with clients and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces, including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies, or organizations outside the Government) to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services. 3. Oral Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately. 4. Problem Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations. Specialized Experience: In addition to the basic requirements, applicants must have one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level (ZP-III at NIST). Specialized experience is defined as: Automating installation of Linux operating systems for High Performance Computing (HPC) environments; Managing high-performance and petabyte-scale data storage systems in HPC environments; Managing InfiniBand networking components and configurations for HPC environments; Developing software in an advanced scripting language for systems administration purposes (e.g., BASH, Perl, Python); Automating system monitors for health, performance, security, and compliance. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. The qualification requirements in this vacancy announcement are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook. If requesting reconsideration of your qualification determination, please refer to the following site: Applicant Reconsideration Education Qualifications are based upon meeting specialized experience only. Education cannot be used to qualify for this position. Additional information This position is covered under NIST's Alternative Personnel Management System (APMS), a pay-for-performance system with excellent HR flexibilities to help NIST recruit and retain top talent. Learn more about the APMS here! We may share your application package with other selecting officials. Additional selections may be made through this vacancy. Click all links in this vacancy announcement to view additional information or instructions. You MUST select at least ONE ELIGIBILITY to be considered for this position. All documents submitted for this announcement must be legible to make qualification or eligibility determinations. A probationary period may be required. NIST strives to build a flexible and encouraging work environment to bring out the best in our employees. To help our employees balance responsibilities at home and at work, NIST offers a variety of work-life flexibilities such as: Flexible work schedules Paid parental leave Paid vacation Sick leave Family-friendly leave Childcare subsidy program for qualifying families Back-up child care program Child and elder-care resources On-site childcare center Lactation spaces Wellness programs Fitness center Employee assistance programs Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.