Senior Research Software Engineer (Nimbus Team)

Department

PSD Computer Science: Keahey Group

About the Department

The Nimbus team (www.nimbusproject.org) is an academic leader in research, development, and operations. We work closely with scientific communities to develop innovative solutions in edge to cloud computing that serve the needs of science. Among others, we operate Chameleon (www.chameleoncloud.org), an experimental platform for Computer Science research where new solutions in cloud computing, machine learning, software defined networking (SDN), and Internet of Things (IoT) are proposed every day by an international research community. The Nimbus team provides a friendly, challenge-oriented environment.

Job Summary

You will work on the intersection of research and development: creating new potential for discovery through working with scientific users -- and then taking these new ideas to build production quality solutions that transform the way science is done. In this role you will work as architect on research infrastructure projects, leading the design of new systems and overseeing their implementation and operation; write research papers to disseminate results to broader scientific community; and assist in formulating new research infrastructure thrusts and identifying new sources of funding.

Responsibilities

• Work with emergent technologies and user requirements in cloud and edge computing to build and evaluate innovative solutions changing the way we do science.

• Build and operate research infrastructure for projects such as Chameleon (www.chameleoncloud.org​) and FLOTO (floto.cs.uchicago.edu): specific tasks may range from designing and building new solutions based on state-of-the-art technologies such as disaggregated hardware or IoT/edge hardware, extending open source systems and tools such as OpenStack, and new feature development -- to managing system upgrades and maintenance or implementing security controls.

• Work directly with users to identify new requirements, solve problems, troubleshoot issues, and see how your work impacts science daily.

• Collaborate with science researchers nationwide, work as part of a large supercomputing center, and an outstanding academic institution.

• Share your experiences with wider community by contributing to papers as part of a research team that regularly publishes in various academic venues.

• Help define future areas of research and funding for the group.

• Mentor junior engineers and interns, where appropriate, fostering an environment of collaboration and promoting professional growth.

• Leads in the development of new systems, features, and tools. Solves complex problems and identifies opportunities for technical improvement and performance optimization. Reviews and tests code to ensure appropriate standards are met.

• Utilizes in-depth technical knowledge of existing and emerging technologies, including public cloud offerings from Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud. 

• Leads or coordinates teams or projects for activities relating to software support and/or development.

• Perform other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:         

• Bachelor's degree in computer science or another relevant computer-related field.

• PhD or another advanced degree in mathematics, computer science, electrical engineering, or a related field.

Experience:       

• At least four years of programming experience (development, debugging, and maintenance).

• Experience with IaaS cloud systems, such as OpenStack or Amazon Web Services, and relevant technologies.

• Programming experience with Python.

• Interest in research and working on challenges that don’t have obvious solutions.

• Demonstrated contributions to open source software.

• Experience with distributed systems, performance analysis, and resource and/or data management systems.

• Experience with virtualization technologies (e.g., Xen, KVM) and/or containers (Docker).

• Experience with system administration technologies (e.g., Ceph, MariaDB) and DevOps tools (e.g., Jenkins, Ansible).

Technical Knowledge or Skills:

• Knowledge of Unix/Linux.

• Familiarity with front-end technologies, portal development, and Jupyter.

Preferred Competencies

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

• Analytical and problem solving skills.

• Ability to prioritize and manage workload to meet critical project milestones and deadlines.

• Ability to work in a collaborative team environment required. Experience with remote working and associated practices.

• Ability to work on a flexible schedule which will include occasional late night and/or weekend hours.

• Ability to think independently and creatively to develop exceptional technical solutions.

• Ability to identify similar or complementary commercial or academic solutions and read scientific literature to fill in knowledge gaps as needed.

• Sense of humor.

Application Documents

• Resume (required)

• Cover Letter (required)

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Information Technology

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required
 

No

Health Screen Required
 

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
 

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

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FLSA Status

Exempt

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Pay Range

$113,000.00 - $140,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement
 

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

 

Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

 

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.

 

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.  A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.  Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

 

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