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- CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
- If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click “Apply” and complete the application process for external applicants.
Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.
POSITION SPECIFICS
We are searching for a High-Performance Computing (HPC) system administrator to join the Structural Mechanics Division at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State. You will work with our team of scientists and engineers to develop and advance our nation’s defense capabilities. This position offers broad opportunities for professional growth, including exposure to a range of existing HPC implementations—both in-house and at leading institutions—as well as hands-on involvement in all aspects of HPC administration, from system design to working directly with end-users to resolve computational performance issues.
ARL is an authorized DoD SkillBridge partner and welcomes all transitioning military members to apply.
You Will:
Maintain existing HPC systems by ensuring compute node and storage availability to end-users
Develop and deploy various scripts to monitor system health and assess system usage
Maintain system firmware and software revisions, including operating system upgrades, updates, and patches
Perform component and system diagnostics to resolve hardware failures
Work with users and hardware vendors to identify and procure components for both existing and new systems
Monitor system performance and usage levels and work with team members to resolve immediate and anticipated future issues
Required Skills/Experience areas include:
Extensive experience with Linux operating systems (especially RHEL), networking, parallel file systems, and security
Experience collaborating in multi-disciplinary, team-oriented cultures
A demonstrated track record of setting and meeting goals
Effective diagnostic and problem solving skills
Expertise with scripting languages (e.g., bash, python, perl), batch schedulers (e.g., Slurm, Torque, PBS), and configuration management tools (e.g., Puppet, Chef, Ansible, Salt)
Current eligibility for access to classified information at the [Secret/Top Secret] level or higher and may be subject to a government background investigation to upgrade clearance eligibility, if required
The position’s working location will be fully on-site located in State College, PA. Questions related to flexible work should be directed to the hiring manager during the interview process. This role requires periodic travel to remote locations.
MINIMUM EDUCATION, WORK EXPERIENCE & REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS
Bachelor's Degree 3+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted Required Certifications: None
ARL’s purpose is to research and develop innovative solutions to challenging scientific, engineering, and technology problems in support of the Navy, the Department of Defense (DoD), and the Intel Community (IC). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION on ARL, visit our website at www.arl.psu.edu.
BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES
Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.Notice regarding employment at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL): Employees must be eligible to obtain a government security clearance, participate in the ARL drug testing program, and comply with electronic and physical monitoring requirements applicable to federal contractors. ARL operates in a secure information environment involving Unclassified, Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), and Classified information. Personal electronic devices brought onsite must be registered and may be restricted from certain areas. You must be a U.S. citizen to apply.
SALARY & BENEFITS
The salary range for this position, including all possible grades, is $92,100.00 - $152,004.00.
Salary Structure - Information on Penn State's salary structure
Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being. In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans and substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time. One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children. For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page.
CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS
Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here.
EEO IS THE LAW
Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814-865-1473.
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Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience with 3+ years relevant experience
- Extensive experience with Linux operating systems (especially RHEL)
- Experience with networking and parallel file systems
- Experience and knowledge of security requirements for handling CUI/Classified environments
- Expertise with scripting languages (bash, Python, Perl)
- Experience with batch schedulers (Slurm, Torque, PBS)
- Experience with configuration management tools (Puppet, Chef, Ansible, Salt)
- Demonstrated diagnostic and problem-solving skills
- Ability to collaborate in multi-disciplinary, team-oriented environments
- Current eligibility for access to classified information at Secret/Top Secret level or higher; U.S. citizenship required
- Willingness to work fully on-site in State College, PA and periodic travel to remote locations
- Successful completion of background checks and participation in drug testing and monitoring programs applicable to federal contractors
Penn State University Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Penn State University and has not been reviewed or approved by Penn State University.
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Retirement Support — Employer contributions to SERS and the TIAA Alternate Plan are described as significant, with supplemental retirement options available. Feedback suggests these choices and contributions create strong long‑term value.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Full‑time employees accrue over 24 sick and vacation days annually, with additional university holidays and a winter break. Feedback suggests this depth of leave supports work–life balance.
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Inclusive Benefits Coverage — A 75% tuition discount extends to employees, spouses, and dependent children up to age 26 across resident instruction, World Campus, and Penn College courses. Feedback suggests this broad eligibility meaningfully enhances total rewards, especially for families.
Penn State University Insights
What We Do
There’s a reason Penn State consistently ranks among the top one percent of the world’s universities. Across 24 campuses, our nearly 88,000 students and 17,000 faculty and staff know the real measure of success goes beyond the classroom—it’s the positive impact made on communities across the world. From access to state-of-the-art resources to interdisciplinary pursuits in collaborative atmospheres, a Penn State degree is more than an education. The experiences and knowledge gained here will form the foundation for the lives our students build. Their contributions to the world begin with a Penn State degree. We Are Penn State.
