ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF COMPUTING - University of Washington

Req #: 238735 Department: COE: ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES Appointing Department Web Address: https://atmos.uw.edu/ Job Location Detail: This is a fully in-person job that occasionally requires evening, weekend, and holiday availability. Posting Date: 09/10/2024 Closing Info: Open Until Filled Salary: $7,198 - $9,500 per month Shift: First Shift Notes: As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs. For a complete description of our benefits for this position, please visit our website, click here. (https://hr.uw.edu/benefits/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/02/benefits-professional-staff-librarians-academic-staff-20230701\_a11y.pdf) As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world. UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty. The Assistant Director of Computing will provide advice for decisions on purchasing and acquisition of customized research-grade computing systems costing often more than >$10,000, having to balance time between 60+ research personnel utilizing computing systems that each can have different operating software and hardware; will need to know multiple coding languages and seamlessly work with new students, unfamiliar with various methods and components, to faculty having decades of experience. **DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES** **Research Computing Support (40% FTE)** Provide technical and administrative support to research groups composed of faculty, postdocs, students, and research scientists and engineers. This role involves advocating for and collaborating with researchers with support tasks and best practices for research computing. The research computing needs of ATMS are diverse and range from data storage needs assessments to choosing between on-premises high-performance computing, acquisition, and use of customized computer systems, and cloud resources. The needs can at times be resource-intensive and/or time-sensitive. You will serve as a main resource for students and faculty to design and acquire optimal computing resources as well as how to best utilize those computing resources for their research activities. This includes providing coding support for running and analyzing community-developed computer models of the Earth system and for the acquisition, analysis, and storage of large data sets from satellites, weather stations, and Earth system model simulations. You will be part of a larger tapestry of research computing support structure and knowing how to route requests will be essential. Requests for guidance and assistance may come from faculty, students, staff, and postdoctoral scholars, and a successful candidate will be able to communicate effectively across this spectrum of users. This research computing support is a key need for maintaining the department's history of innovation and discovery. **Technology Management and Systems Administration (30% FTE)** Collaborate with the Director in providing oversight for new computer and software purchases, recommendations to ensure the state-of-the-art computing capabilities necessary for the department's research activities, configuring and maintaining department computing hardware and services including research computing clusters, network connectivity, mail server, backups, and authentication servers. Maintain inventory of department computing and audio-visual equipment. Manage domains, maintain system documentation, and department technological equipment used in support of education such as audio-visual equipment. Help manage the scheduling of department technological resources that are available on loan to students, staff, and faculty. Work with the Director in maintaining accurate records of the department's network address space and keeping inventory of the department's software and support licenses and renewing them as necessary. Preparation of proposals to acquire needed and desired computing equipment and services. Manage remote computing solutions so students and faculty can access necessary software on their laptops. Maintained and provided technical support for various Windows, Macintosh, and UNIX-like operating system desktop computers primarily for the faculty and students as requested. Provide minor equipment repair, troubleshoot issues, and install, remove, and update software packages. Purchase, configure, and deploy computing equipment and supplies for department educational computer labs, staff, and faculty. Maintain department listserv, active directories, and critical generic accounts. Work with UW-IT to provide network and security services. **Training and Educational Support (25% FTE)** Collaborate with the Director in all training and user education needs as follows. Maintain and support the department's educational computing labs including the undergraduate computer lab, and computing and software needs for class activities. Provide systems administration to the equipment and computers in the labs leveraging UW Information Technology Services (UW-IT), and Classroom Technologies & Events (CTE), where appropriate. Provide technical support for the students and faculty through regularly scheduled and ad hoc events. Training to staff and faculty on systems, computing services, and applications available from the UW and the department. Training on available and/or new technologies/equipment and technical issues. This includes topics such as safe computing, imminent security threats, best practices, and department and UW computing policy, procedures, and regulations. Advising students, staff, and faculty on hardware and software purchases and finding proper computing tools to accomplish their tasks. **Technical Maintenance of Website (5% FTE)** Design and implement new web-based products (weather and satellite imagery, online forms, surveys, process efficiency tools, SharePoint, etc.) as requested. Work with the College of the Environment computing and communications team on the collaborative website. Provide technical feedback to content contributors. Serve as a resource and problem-solve to find solutions. Ensure web analytics are provided to the communications team. Evaluate existing websites and online technologies. Recommend improvements as technologies evolve. **MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS** Bachelor's Degree in physical science, mathematics, or engineering domain, with two years of related work experience. **Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.** **ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS** - Proficient with PC, Macintosh, and UNIX-like operating systems. - Proficiency with at least one of the following: C, C++, or FORTRAN coding languages. - Strong written and verbal communication skills, interpersonal skills, and technical documentation skills. - Demonstrated ability to communicate complex technical information effectively with users at all levels of expertise. - Proven ability to work successfully with faculty, students, and public groups of varying ages and from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. - Demonstrated commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment. - Ability to troubleshoot problems and quickly learn and apply new or unfamiliar technologies. - Demonstrated excellent customer service skills driven by a desire to empower customer success and strong problem ownership orientation. - Demonstrated success in maintaining confidentiality. - Ability to work independently with minimal supervision as well as effectively in a team setting. - Strong organizational, task management, and prioritization skills. **DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS** - Understanding of and competency in scripting languages (i.e., Perl, Bash, HTML, etc.) - Competency with and/or aptitude to learn Python or Matlab. - Understanding of and competency in web technology concepts (e.g., HTTP, DNS, SSL, JavaScript, PHP). - Familiarity with database design and maintenance. - Familiarity with network wiring. - Experience managing a Windows Domain environment. - Demonstrated success in maintaining confidentiality - Ability to work independently with minimal supervision as well as effectively in a team setting. - Strong organizational, task management, and prioritization skills. **WORKING CONDITIONS** The Senior Computing Specialist generally has regular business hours but must be able to work a flexible schedule on occasion, in most instances with sufficient advance notice to adjust the work schedule accordingly. Work to meet specific deadlines, and accommodate special events, or activities taking place outside of normal working hours may be needed on occasion. Rare unplanned incidents requiring quick response after hours may need immediate attention to maintain research computing hardware infrastructure or data security. **Application Process:** The application process may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select "Apply to this position". Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment, you will be prompted to do so the next time you log into your "My Jobs" page. If you choose to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed. University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, among other things, race, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.