High Performance Computing Engineer

Van Andel Institute

About The Position

Van Andel Institute (VAI) is seeking a collaborative and technically skilled High Performance Computing (HPC) Engineer to support and advance the Institute’s research computing environment. This role is ideal for a systems-minded professional who enjoys partnering with scientists, solving complex computational challenges, and building scalable infrastructure that accelerates discovery. Position Summary The HPC Engineer supports the operational and strategic needs of the Institute’s high-performance computing systems and research applications. This position works closely with faculty, research staff, and students to design, implement, and optimize computational infrastructure that enables large-scale data processing and advanced scientific analysis. The successful candidate will combine deep technical expertise with a strong customer-service mindset, helping researchers leverage HPC resources efficiently and effectively to drive impactful research outcomes.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computational Science, Mathematics, or a closely related field
Strong experience with: High-performance computing environments
Linux systems administration
Python and/or R
Scientific workflows
Slurm workload manager
Demonstrated customer-facing technical support experience
Experience writing system documentation and training end users
Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills
Proven ability to collaborate across multidisciplinary teams

Nice To Haves

Experience working in an academic or scientific research environment
Background or familiarity with life sciences, biomedical research, or data-intensive research domains

Responsibilities

Research & Faculty Support Partner with faculty, scientists, technicians, and students to assess computational needs within the HPC environment
Provide expert technical support for HPC usage, scientific workflows, and large-scale data processing
Troubleshoot complex computational and performance issues in collaboration with research teams
Infrastructure & Systems Strategy Design and implement infrastructure solutions aligned with research and business requirements
Support the deployment of new system technologies and improve performance of data collection and analysis systems
Optimize HPC systems to enable faster, deeper, and more reproducible research insights
Data Management & Best Practices Assist researchers in developing effective data management plans
Promote best practices in data organization, documentation, and scientific computing workflows
Support parallel computing, job scheduling, and resource management
Training & Knowledge Sharing Conduct training sessions and workshops on HPC best practices and research computing
Develop system documentation and user-facing guidance materials
Coach and mentor less experienced team members
Professional Development & External Engagement Stay current with emerging HPC technologies and trends
Participate in conferences and maintain professional connections with peer institutions