Director of Research Computing & Cyberinfrastructure

Department: Office Rsrch Innov and Econ Impact

Classification: Administrative Faculty

Job Category: Administrative or Professional Faculty

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: On Site Required

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

The Office of Research Computing supports the research cyberinfrastructure needs of the university’s research and education community. Reporting to both the Vice President for Information Technology and the Vice President for Research, the office provides support for cutting-edge research technology infrastructure and activities, serving as a primary contact for research customers, coordinating the activities of research technologists and the adoption of research technologies (including software), fostering self-help communities, and maintaining a sustainable research lab support model.

About the Position:

We are seeking a visionary and experienced Director of Research Computing & Cyberinfrastructure to lead the strategic development and operational management of our university's research computing resources. This is a pivotal leadership role, reporting to the Associate Vice President of Research for Defense & Security Initiatives, where you will drive the mission, vision, and strategy for our cyberinfrastructure (CI) services, ensuring alignment with the university's strategic research and IT objectives. 

Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and implement a comprehensive CI strategic plan, collaborating with university leadership to prioritize initiatives that advance research capabilities;
• Drive operational excellence and sustainability for CI services across the institution;
• Identify and evaluate emerging technologies in research computing and data, recommending and implementing solutions to enhance research productivity;
• Contribute to grant proposals to secure funding for CI enhancements; and 
• Represent George Mason University in regional and national research computing consortia. 

Technical Management & Team Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of CI professionals, fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement;
• Oversee the design, implementation, and maintenance of our research CI, including high-performance computing (HPC) clusters, private and public cloud environments, and data storage/transfer systems;
• Ensure the security, reliability, and scalability of our research computing infrastructure, adhering to relevant compliance standards (CUI, FAR, DFARS, HIPAA);
• Develop and implement policies and procedures for the effective use of research computing resources; and
• Create and manage infrastructure roadmaps and budget projections for CI investments. Provides budget projections for the CI investments. Writes proposals to NSF and other federal sponsors for funding CI hardware and personnel. 

Stakeholder Engagement & Collaboration

• Build and maintain strong relationships with faculty, researchers, staff, and external partners;
• Collaborate with academic units, IT Services, the library, and research leadership to align CI services with evolving research needs;
• Establish and maintain effective user support mechanisms; and
• Provide clear and concise reports on CI service usage, growth, and return on investment. 

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in a related field (e.g., Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering) or equivalent experience;
• Demonstrated experience in managing and supporting secure computing environments with sensitive data (e.g., CUI);
• Proven experience with cloud computing platforms (e.g., Microsoft Azure or AWS), including implementation and management;
• Strong working knowledge of High-Performance Computing (HPC) systems, including:
  • Experience with deploying and managing HPC clusters, including CPU and GPU architectures;
  • Proficiency with job schedulers (e.g., Slurm); 
  • Knowledge of parallel and distributed computing principles;
• Understanding of data security and compliance standards;
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and customer service skills, with the ability to interact effectively with diverse stakeholders; and
• Must be eligible to receive unclassified technical data pursuant to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Doctoral degree in a related field;
• Experience managing an HPC program within a university or research setting;
• Project management experience; and
• Familiarity with virtualization and container orchestration technologies (e.g., Docker, Singularity/Apptainer).

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Director of Research Computing & Cyberinfrastructure at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a Cover Letter/Letter of Intent with Resume for review.

Posting Open Date: April 9, 2025

Posting Close Date: May 7, 2025

Open Until Filled:  No