DevOps Engineer / DevOps Engineeress

DevOps Engineer

Location: 80%-100%, Lugano (Initial preference for Lugano, but Zürich is also an option)

The Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS) develops and operates a high-performance computing and data research infrastructure that supports world-class science in Switzerland. Its user laboratory is available to domestic and international researchers in academia, industry, and the business sector. The centre is operated by ETH Zurich, with offices at its data centre in Lugano and in Zurich.

Project Background

We are seeking a versatile and driven DevOps Engineer to help design, build, and operate the software-defined infrastructure and services powering advanced scientific computing and AI/ML workloads at scale.

You will work at the intersection of systems engineering, software engineering, cloud-native infrastructure, and high-performance computing (HPC), contributing to platforms and services used by researchers and engineers tackling complex scientific and AI challenges.

We value strong engineering fundamentals, curiosity, adaptability, and a willingness to learn more than a flawless match of technical requirements. We welcome engineers from diverse backgrounds who are eager to contribute and grow. If you are motivated by challenging technical environments and enjoy understanding systems deeply, we encourage you to apply online using the form below.

This position is offered as a contract initially limited to two years, providing an exciting opportunity to contribute to a fast-evolving AI landscape where CSCS plays a pivotal role, supporting high-impact initiatives both nationally and internationally, including the Swiss AI Initiative. The initial contract may potentially be extended or become permanent.

Job Description

• Design, deploy, automate, and operate scalable infrastructure and cloud-native platform services.
• Contribute to Kubernetes-based AI/ML and HPC platforms, including CI/CD, GitOps, observability, security, and operational tooling.
• Collaborate with researchers and engineers to support complex workflows, troubleshoot production environments, and improve reliability and performance.
• Contribute to platform engineering, automation, and developer productivity initiatives across evolving systems and services.

Profile

The following technical environment and areas of interest illustrate the breadth of our needs. Experience in only some of these areas is expected.

Technical Environment and Areas of Interest:

• Linux systems engineering, scripting, troubleshooting, and software development (e.g., Python, Bash).
• Containers, Kubernetes, CI/CD, GitOps, and Infrastructure as Code (e.g., Terraform, Helm, Ansible, ArgoCD).
• Distributed systems concepts, APIs, scalability, observability, identity and access management, and security.
• AI/ML platforms and supporting infrastructure services.
• HPC systems, GPU clusters, and large-scale infrastructure environments.
• Platform engineering and developer productivity tooling.
• Secure or confidentiality-sensitive operational environments.

Personal Qualities:

• Curious, hands-on, and eager to understand systems inside out.
• Strong engineering mindset and problem-solving attitude.
• Comfortable learning new technologies and working across disciplines.
• Effective communicator and collaborative team player.

Ways to Stand Out from the Crowd:

• Experience supporting research or scientific computing environments.
• Familiarity with HPC systems and services.
• Exposure to GPU clusters and accelerated computing.
• Experience with SRE practices or on-call operations.
• Advanced Linux security knowledge.
• Ability to leverage AI-assisted software development for increased productivity.

Our Core Values as Guiding Principles

• Curiosity: Enjoy learning and understanding systems deeply.
• Openness: Collaborate effectively and value different perspectives.
• Courage: Willing to tackle difficult or unfamiliar problems.
• Supportive: Help colleagues and users succeed.
• Integrity: Act responsibly, reliably, and transparently.

Workplace

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive engineering team and particularly encourage applications from groups underrepresented in tech. If you are technically adept, curious, and eager to grow, we want to hear from you.

What We Offer

• Your work will have a significant impact: Become a part of ETH Zurich, which supports your professional development while contributing to positive societal change.
• Enjoy numerous benefits, including public transport season tickets, car sharing, a variety of sports offered by the ASVZ, childcare, and attractive pension benefits.
• Experience an exciting working environment, cultural diversity, and a range of benefits.
• We value the diversity of our team and encourage women to apply to enhance our workforce's representation.

We Value Diversity and Sustainability

In line with our values, ETH Zurich encourages an inclusive culture. We promote equality of opportunity, value diversity, and cultivate a working and learning environment that respects the rights and dignity of all staff and students. Visit our Equal Opportunities and Diversity website to learn about how we ensure a fair and open environment that allows everyone to thrive. Sustainability is a core value for us as we work towards a climate-neutral future.

Curious? So Are We.

We look forward to receiving your online application. Please apply online using the form below. Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.

About ETH Zurich: ETH Zurich is one of the world's leading universities specializing in science and technology. Renowned for excellence in education, fundamental research, and the direct transfer of new knowledge into society, over 30,000 individuals from more than 120 countries find our university promotes independent thinking and excellence. Located in the heart of Europe, we forge connections worldwide, working together to develop solutions for today's and tomorrow's global challenges.