CARC Research Computing Facilitator at University of New Mexico – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Requisition ID: req35449

Working Title:
CARC Research Computing Facilitator

Position Grade:
13

Position Summary:
The Research Computing Facilitation Specialist is a vital member of the CARC Research Facilitation Team at the University of New Mexico's Center for Advanced Research Computing (CARC). This role supports faculty, researchers, and students across various academic fields, including chemistry, biology, physics, and mathematics, by assisting them in effectively utilizing computing systems for research and education.

The Specialist works closely with Principal Investigators (PIs), lab managers, and IT teams to design, build, and maintain Linux-based servers, workstations, and virtual machines that meet the unique needs of research projects. This includes installing and maintaining scientific and analytical software, troubleshooting issues, and helping research groups transition to CARC's high-performance computing or cloud environments when needed.

This role requires a strong foundation in Linux system administration, effective communication with non-technical users, and excellent documentation and collaboration skills.

Key Responsibilities

1. Uses discretionary judgement to consult with users, including research PIs, staff, and their students, and/or other university departments to collect information/gather requirements for existing or proposed research computing projects including network, security and computing devices, server systems, multiuser applications, and/or databases including capacity planning, security, data safety and integrity, disaster recovery, and upgrade planning. Provides input regarding design and cost, coordinates tasks for the installation/maintenance of networks or systems.

2. Participates in the development of and provides individual and/or group instruction and/or training on research computing operating systems and other applications; assists users in maximizing use of networks and computing systems; may supervise or provide functional direction to assigned staff and/or student employees.

3. Recommends solutions for multiple medium-scale network, hardware, software or system security projects in support of the unit's strategic goals; uses judgment in selecting among authorized procedures or alternatives and seeks assistance when guidelines are inadequate, significant deviations are proposed, or when unanticipated problems arise.

4. Records and maintains hardware and software inventories, site and/or server licensing, and user access and security; researches and recommends hardware and software development, purchase, implementation and use. Installs, troubleshoots, and configures academic software as necessary for research groups (e.g., Python, R, MATLAB, C/C++ libraries).

5. Prepares detailed diagrams and documentation outlining systems, applications, configurations, procedures, troubleshooting workflows, or network capabilities and processes; documents projects and may write user instructions to promote reproducibility.

6. Participates in the investigation, planning, implementation, testing, and debugging of Linux based network or systems hardware components and applications including research servers, workstations, and virtual machines (on-premise or cloud-based).

7. Plans and implements defense in-depth system security, including modifying and working with firewalls, applying cryptography to network applications, managing host security, file permissions, and file system integrity, managing and implementing roles, and adding and deleting users according to business rules. Works with UNM Information Security and CARC IT staff in providing recommendations on security best practices to PIs.

8. Troubleshoots and resolves technical issues of moderately advanced complexity and provides regular support for network, hardware, software and/or system security services including user access and computer configuration via CARC ticketing systems, email, and in-person consultation.

9. Evaluates and tests new or modified software programs and software development procedures used to verify that programs function according to user requirements and conform to established guidelines and best practices.

10. Maintains currency of knowledge with respect to relevant state-of-the-art technology, equipment, and/or systems.

11. Assist research groups with migrating or scaling workloads to CARC's HPC systems or cloud platforms when local resources are insufficient.

12. May be responsible for administration and oversight of small to medium scale technology projects.

13. Performs miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned.

See the Position Description for additional information.

Conditions of Employment:

• Specialty licensure/certification may be required, as specified by the department.
• Successful candidate may be subject to a criminal background check prior to starting work.

Campus:
Main - Albuquerque, NM

Benefits Eligble:
This is a benefits eligible position. The University of New Mexico provides a comprehensive package of benefits including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance. In addition, UNM offers educational benefits through the tuition remission and dependent education programs. See the Benefits home page for a more information.

Department:
Ctr for Adv. Research Computing (663A)

Employment Type:
Staff

Staff Type:
Regular - Full-Time
Status:
Exempt

Pay:
Monthly: $4,236.27 - $5,950.53

Benefits Eligible:
This is a benefits eligible position. The University of New Mexico provides a comprehensive package of benefits including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance. In addition, UNM offers educational benefits through the tuition remission and dependent education programs. See the Benefits home page for a more information.

ERB Statement:
As a condition of employment, eligible employees working greater than .25 FTE as determined by the New Mexico Education Retirement Act must make mandatory retirement contributions. For more information, review the Benefits Eligibility at a Glance grid.

Background Check Required:
Yes
For Best Consideration Date:
1/9/2026

Application Instructions:
Only applications submitted throughthe official UNMJobs site will be accepted. If you are viewing this jobadvertisement on a 3rd party site, pleasevisit UNMJobs to submit an application.
Applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and three professional references. The cover letter should describe relevant technical experience, communication skills, and interest in supporting academic research computing.Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor's degree; at least 1 year of progressively responsible experience directly related to the duties and responsibilities specified.

Completed degree(s) from an accredited institution and/or experience that is directly related to the duties and responsibilities specified may be interchangeable on a year-for-year basis.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Solid understanding of Linux system administration (Rocky, RHEL, Ubuntu, or similar).
• Experience with HPC research computing resource management, application installation, and troubleshooting, supporting, and developing computational workflows.
• Understanding of data management and cybersecurity practices for sensitive research data (CUI, HIPAA, FERPA). Knowledge of research compliance and data-sharing best practices.
• Knowledge of public and private cloud administration, provisioning, virtualization, and automation.
• Strong interpersonal skills with experience assisting researchers and other stakeholders, ensuring their computing needs are understood, prioritized, and effectively supported.
• Experience installing, configuring, maintaining, and troubleshooting research or technical software applications.
• Hands-on experience building and configuring server-class hardware, including BIOS setup, RAID array configuration, and hardware-level troubleshooting.
• Working knowledge of scripting or automation tools (e.g., Bash, Python, or PowerShell).
• Experience with networking fundamentals, including physical networking (cabling, termination, or fiber splicing), IP addressing, routing, and related troubleshooting.
• Experience implementing network and operating system security controls, including firewalls (e.g., iptables) and other security-hardening practices.