Systems Engineer - Cloud and Platform Services
80%-100%, Lugano, fixed-term
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 accessible to both domestic and international researchers from academia, industry, and the business sector. The centre operates under ETH Zurich and has offices in its data centre in Lugano and in Zurich.
Project Background
As high-performance computing, AI, and cloud technologies continue to converge, CSCS is redefining the design and delivery of advanced computational services. Modern scientific and engineering workloads are complex, data-intensive, and highly diverse, pushing existing infrastructure to its limits.
This position is funded through the Helvetic AI Resources, Technologies, and Services (HEARTS) project and is based on a two-year contract, which can be extended or potentially become permanent.
Our Core Values
We seek candidates who resonate with our guiding principles:
- Curiosity: You revel in learning, exploring new ideas, and gaining a deep understanding of problems.
- Openness: You actively listen, collaborate, and are receptive to various perspectives.
- Courage: You embrace responsibility and tackle challenging or ambiguous problems, initiating difficult conversations that propel teams forward.
- Supportive: You assist colleagues and users in achieving success and contribute positively to team culture.
- Integrity: You operate honestly, ethically, and reliably while taking ownership of your responsibilities.
Job Description
- The primary goal of this position is to design, implement, and operate scalable inference services within a multi-tenant HPC infrastructure.
- As a systems engineer, you will play a key role in the architecture, deployment, operation, and documentation of production-grade inference platforms that support a diverse range of AI-driven workloads.
Your work will have a direct impact on the evolution of CSCS's AI and HPC capabilities, enhancing the performance, reliability, and efficiency of our inference services and empowering researchers and engineers to deploy and run advanced models at scale.
Profile
You should possess a bachelor’s degree or higher in computer engineering, computer science, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
You should have a solid understanding of:
- Linux administration skills
- Deploying services on Kubernetes
- Infrastructure-as-code tools (e.g., Terraform/OpenTofu)
- Automation tools and frameworks, including CI/CD processes (e.g., GitLab CI, HashiCorp Vault)
Familiarity with the following is desirable; however, opportunities to learn and gain experience will be available:
- Versioning systems and CI/CD workflows, such as ArgoCD
- Automated installation systems for physical servers, such as MAAS or Foreman
- Developing Ansible configurations
- Creating services on Kubernetes
Personal Qualities:
- Self-motivated and proactive team player
- Strong communication skills or desire to develop them
- Creative problem-solving skills with a tolerance for uncertainty and change
- Ability to understand user needs and work collaboratively to address them
- Adaptive and eager to learn new technologies
- Comfortable tackling complex or ambiguous challenges
- Willingness to seek expertise when needed
Project Management and Methodology:
- Experience working in self-organized teams
- Familiarity with Agile methodology
- Experience in test-driven development is a plus
Workplace
The CSCS offers an environment that values diversity, inclusivity, and sustainability. We foster a culture where everyone can grow and thrive, promoting equality of opportunity and nurturing a respectful environment for all staff and students.
We Offer
- Your job with impact: Join ETH Zurich, where your professional development is supported, and you can contribute to meaningful societal change.
- Comprehensive benefits: Enjoy perks such as public transport season tickets, car sharing, extensive sports offerings, childcare services, and attractive pension benefits.
- We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive engineering team and encourage applications from women and other underrepresented groups in technology. If you are technically proficient, curious, and eager to grow, we want to hear from you.
- Anticipate an exciting work environment with cultural diversity and appealing offers and benefits.
Curious? So Are We.
Apply online using the form below. Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.
About ETH Zürich
ETH Zurich is one of the world’s leading universities specializing in science and technology. We are renowned for providing exceptional education, conducting cutting-edge research, and facilitating the transfer of new knowledge into society. Over 30,000 people from more than 120 countries find our university to be a place that fosters independent thinking and inspires excellence. Located in the heart of Europe, we forge global connections as we collaboratively develop solutions to today’s and tomorrow’s challenges.