110730-Director of Research Computing

ETSU

About The Position

The Director of Research Computing provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for the university's research computing portfolio, including high-performance computing resources, services, and support programs. This position partners closely with faculty and researchers to advance all aspects of research computing, such as computationally intensive research, generative AI, artificial intelligence and machine learning, cloud computing, data management planning, data analytics, and the selection and integration of local and cloud-based resources. The director also plays a key role in evaluating and adopting emerging technologies that drive innovation across disciplines. Responsibilities include managing staff, guiding resource allocation, and ensuring that research computing environments remain secure, scalable, and aligned with institutional priorities. The Director reports to the ETSU Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer and serves as the primary liaison between researchers and Information Technology Services to ensure technology investments effectively support evolving research needs.

Requirements

Master's degree in computer science, engineering, information systems, or related field with seven (7) years’ experience in computer science, engineering, high-performance computing, or advanced information technology infrastructure.
OR Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, information systems, or related field with ten (10) years’ experience in computer science, engineering, high-performance computing, or advanced information technology infrastructure.
Demonstrated leadership in managing technology environments and/or technical teams
High-Performance Computing: architectures, clusters, storage, networking, and job scheduling.
Cloud and hybrid computing: A WS, Azure, Google, and higher education focused solutions.
Research Technologies: AVML, data analytics, computational modeling, and scientific software environments.
Cyber infrastructure & Security: research data security, compliance, identity management, and secure collaboration.
Research Data Management: storage, curation, archival, sharing, and data principles.
Software and Tools: Scientific programming, workflow management tools, and containerization.
Grant Funding and Research Administration: knowledge of federal agencies and requirements for cyberinfrastructure components in proposals.
Higher Education: academic culture, shared governance, IT governance, and faculty research workflow.
Emerging Technologies: generative AI, advanced analytics, and new hardware trends.
Strategic Planning: ability to define and implement a long-term vision for research computing aligned with institutional goals.
Technical Leadership: leading HPC/cloud adoption, infrastructure design, and operational optimization.
Collaboration and Partnerships: building research collaborations and external partnerships.
Grant Support: assist faculty in writing cyberinfrastructure components for grant proposals.
Program Management: coordinating complex projects and deliverables.
Leadership: supervising, mentoring, and developing technical staff.
Visionary Thinking: align research services with current and future research needs.

Nice To Haves

Ph.D. degree in computer science, engineering, information systems, or related field.
Experience with compliance frameworks such as HIPAA or FERPA.

Responsibilities

Managing staff
Guiding resource allocation
Ensuring that research computing environments remain secure, scalable, and aligned with institutional priorities
Serving as the primary liaison between researchers and Information Technology Services
Evaluating and adopting emerging technologies
Building research collaborations and external partnerships
Coordinating complex projects and deliverables
Supervising, mentoring, and developing technical staff
Aligning research services with current and future research needs
Assisting faculty in writing cyberinfrastructure components for grant proposals