Computer Systems Engineer - Computational Systems

NERSC is the flagship computing center for the Department of Energy. The Computational Systems Group (CSG) at NERSC oversees the installation, testing and operation of some of the world's most powerful supercomputing systems which consist of tens of thousands of nodes, and petabytes of storage in a 24x7 operating environment. Our computational systems are a crucial tool for scientific research conducted at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and throughout the world and NERSC is a world leader in accelerating scientific discovery through computation. We want an addition to our team who will thrive in a challenging environment driven by problems of scale and complexity, with a strong user oriented outlook. You should have the strong technical and soft skills to work in a team of people who solve problems which include finding creative solutions to the configuration, tuning and management of very large distributed and tightly coupled systems. We also routinely configure and manage critical system functionality such as clustered and parallel file-systems and batch schedulers on live systems that thousands of users from all over the world work on 24x7. The work will be performed at the NERSC computer center at the Oakland Scientific Facility in Oakland, CA.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES: Computer Systems Engineer 2 (CSE 2)
- Help install, test, maintain and manage the NERSC computational systems.
- Assist with developing tools to manage task automation on computational systems.
- Assist with systems programming to maintain and enhance system functionality, especially in the areas of large systems management, batch and file systems.
- Assist with developing tools to detect and diagnose systems problems, help analyse system problems and implement work around or patches for software bugs.
- This position will be part of a team that provides 24x7 systems support.

Computer Systems Engineer 3 (CSE 3)
In addition to above-listed responsibilities of a CSE 2, the CSE 3 will provide technical guidance to group members, members of other groups at NERSC. This position will also make recommendations for and implement system improvements to reliability, stability, usability, performance and security.KEY SUCCESS FACTORS: Computer Systems Engineer 2
- Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science, Computational Science or equivalent experience and a minimum of 4 years of UNIX or Linux experience and 2 years of experience with management of large-scale UNIX based systems in a high-performance computing environment.
- Demonstrated C and/or shell/PERL/Python systems programming skills.
- Familiarity with UNIX/Linux internals.
- Experience with installation, configuration and tuning of batch systems such as Torque, PBS, LSF, or LoadLeveller.
- Good problem solving skills.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently, work collaboratively, and contribute to an active intellectual environment.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills Understand user needs and show initiative, tact and good judgement in developing solutions to problems.

Computer Systems Engineer 3
In addition to the above requirements for a CSE 2, the CSE 3 must have a minimum of 8 years UNIX or Linux experience with a minimum of 5 years experience with the management of large-scale UNIX based systems in a high-performance computing environment. The CSE 3 must have demonstrated excellent systems programming skills and good familiarity with UNIX/Linux internals and demonstrated the ability to successfully lead projects.

Additional desired qualifications:

Computer Systems Engineer 2
- Knowledge of large-scale clustered or parallel filesystems.
- Knowledge of secure authentication and authorization methods
- Experience using Grid software.

Computer Systems Engineer 3
In addition to the above desired qualifications for a CSE 2, it is desired that the CSE 3 have kernel development experience and an advanced degree in computer science or related area.NOTES: This is a one year term appointment, renewable for each year, with the possibility of conversion to an indefinite (career) appointment based on satisfactory job performance, availability of funds and ongoing operational needs.

Classification as a CSE2 or CSE3 will depend upon the applicant's level of skills, knowledge, and abilities.
This position requires completion of a background check.

Berkeley Lab is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer committed to the development of a diverse workforce.

Effective January 1, 2011, all National Laboratory employees will be subject to a two year pay freeze. This position falls under this provision for Lawrence Berkeley National Labs fiscal years: 2012-2013 (October 1, 2011 - September 30, 2013).