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Register for NCSA’s Virtual Research Network Engineering Open House

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NCSA will host a virtual open house to recruit candidates for entry-, mid-, and senior-level Research Network Engineer positions. Join us February 1 from 5–7 p.m. CT via Zoom to learn more about our center and how you can join our Integrated Cyberinfrastructure team. Register by January 30 to attend.

Major leaps in technology require integrated cyberinfrastructure that’s both accessible and secure. Over our 35-year history, we’ve provided integrated computing, data, networking, visualization, and storage resources essential to research – and the expertise to secure it. Make full use of your abilities, skills, and experiences to help benefit science and society by providing valuable networking support to interdisciplinary research projects and innovation worldwide.

Research Networking Engineers: Connecting Global Communities

NCSA Research Network Engineers provide scientific support and technical expertise to projects and research worldwide. This includes multi-site, multi-vendor elements and environments that leverage High-Performance Networking and dedicated processes and links that span the research computing community, keeping them connected securely. NCSA’s network evolves continually, incorporating innovative technologies that further research in various domains and support research into new networking technologies. Consequently, this position leverages knowledge of network architecture, measurement, analytics, and creative troubleshooting. Working as a team, NCSA RNEs apply their skills to diagnose and resolve complex problems between these components.

Key Responsibilities

Research Network Development:

  • Track research activity in relevant fields both programmatic and domain specific.
  • Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses between varieties of novel approaches to research and scientific software development problems.
  • Plan full lifecycle engagement of the networking hardware and software that comprise the NCSA high-performance research network: design, deployment, and monitoring.
  • Gather requirements and input to evaluate and integrate technical recommendations to address project specific needs and critical technological challenges.
  • Support and troubleshoot the fault-tolerant, high-performance research data network and related network services that interconnect all NCSA systems and research computing resources to end-users and researchers.

Research Communication:

  • Present research network documentation for use in end-user documentation, project colleagues,  research grant proposals, and other NCSA published works to NCSA groups and Principal Investigators (PIs).
  • Support publications, technical reports, and documentation.
  • Collaborate with external research and networking groups to further the strategic mission of NCSA
  • Maintain technical involvement in cutting-edge, multi-institution networking research projects and conferences; function as a representative of NCSA within the scientific computing community in that capacity.

Research Network Innovation:

  • Continually advance skills and knowledge regarding NCSA duties by researching on-line, with periodicals or by means of attending lectures or conferences.
  • Apply innovative research network understanding to technical networking opportunities.

Qualifications

Required Education and Experience: 

  • BA/BS degree in computer science, electrical engineering, or related field required. Alternative degree fields may be accepted if accompanied by an equivalent amount of experience (depending on nature and depth of experience as it relates to current NCSA business needs).
  • One year of experience in network engineering; this can be a combination of course level network engineering, internship experience, and/or professional network engineering experience.
  • At least 1 year of experience in relevant network engineer role.
  • Six months of experience researching, presenting, and/or publishing technical projects or papers in a professional or academic setting.

Preferred Experience:

  • Hands-on experience with Juniper, Arista, and Cisco
  • Familiarity with DNS and DHCP administration in a Unix environment
  • Familiarity with IPv4 and IPv6 deployment and/or operational experience
  • Knowledge of optical Ethernet concepts (e.g. single-mode and multi-mode fiber, transceiver types)
  • Familiarity with network automation
  • Familiarity with configuring and operating hardware and software (Linux/Unix) firewalls
  • Familiarity with Unix shell and Unix troubleshooting and network utilities
  • TCP performance tuning experience (including related Linux/Unix kernel tuning parameters)
  • Familiarity with server administration, both hardware and software, on various platforms
  • Experience with various programming and scripting languages (e.g. Python, Perl, etc)
  • Ability to clearly communicate results and their importance (verbally and in writing).
  • Ability to provide input for reports, presentations, and grant proposals.

Discover Why Research Network Engineering Is For You

Members of our ICI team will be present to talk and answer questions about their networking career paths, what they enjoy about it and how they got into the field. They’ll also dive into specifics on:

  • Job duties, responsibilities, and tasks
  • What hiring managers are looking for in potential candidates
  • Necessary skills that contribute to your success as a research networking professional
  • What it’s like working at a supercomputing center

Expand Your Network, Come Connect With Us

This open house is a great opportunity to network with hiring managers and future colleagues. NCSA is more than cutting-edge technology, we’re people who want to make a difference, and we need you to help us get there. So come and:

  • Learn more about why we do what we do
  • Connect with NCSA Research Networking professionals
  • Get professional advice in a pressure-free environment
  • Share your interests and passions
register for the open house

Open House Program

5–5:20 p.m. – Introductions
Meet and greet with NCSA’s Integrated Cyberinfrastructure team. Introductions will be ongoing until the Conclusion and Q&A portion at 6:30 p.m.

5:20–6:20 p.m. – Breakout Discussions
We will have several breakout sessions open so that attendees can connect directly with NCSA Research Network Engineers and hiring managers to ask questions about career paths, work responsibilities, skills or success, and more.

6:30–7 p.m. – Conclusion and Q&A
Final remarks and an open Q&A about NCSA.

Contact NCSA Human Resources Coordinator Devin Scheidemantel for more information.

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