Systems Engineer / Systems Engineeress

Systems Engineer - Platform Automation

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 available to domestic and international researchers in academia, industry, and the business sector. The centre is operated by ETH Zurich and has offices at its data centre in Lugano and in Zurich.

For this position, the work location is Lugano.

Project Background

As high-performance computing, AI, and cloud technologies converge, CSCS is redefining how advanced computational services are designed and delivered. Modern scientific and engineering workloads are not only large—they are complex, data-intensive, and highly diverse, pushing existing infrastructure to its limits.

We are offering a contract initially limited to two years, providing the opportunity to contribute to a fast-evolving AI landscape in which CSCS plays a key role and to support high-impact initiatives both nationally and internationally, including contributions to the Swiss AI Initiative and similar programs focused on the development and release of foundation models in the weather and climate domain.

The initial two-year contract has the potential to be extended or even become permanent.

Job Description

The primary goal of this position is to develop and manage HPC/AI services on top of a multi-tenant infrastructure. As a Platform Automation Engineer, you will directly contribute to the design, implementation, maintenance, and documentation of platform services that support HPC and AI. Your work will enhance overall system functionality and efficiency.

Main Duties:

• Investigating, troubleshooting, and debugging platform services and infrastructure resources.
• Developing, maintaining, and supporting tools and pipelines on a geographically redundant infrastructure.
• Creating automations to provision, test, deploy, and monitor resources that support the needs of HPC and AI platforms.
• Supporting, documenting, and sharing knowledge of tools and procedures.

Profile

We seek candidates with a bachelor’s degree or higher in computer engineering, computer science, a relevant technical field, or equivalent practical experience.

The ideal candidate will possess:

• Experience in deploying HPC, AI, or Cloud infrastructures.
• Management of HPC/AI services to maximize utilization of compute, storage, and high-speed network components.
• Working knowledge of automation tools and frameworks, including CI/CD processes and ecosystems.
• Linux administration skills.

While not mandatory, experience with the following is preferred, and there will be ample opportunities to learn and gain more experience:

• Versioning systems and CI/CD workflows such as ArgoCD.
• Debugging of microservices running on Kubernetes.
• Performance monitoring and diagnostic tools for HPC/AI hardware.
• Infrastructure as Code tools such as Terraform and Ansible.

Personal Qualities:

• Self-motivated and proactive team player.
• Strong communication skills or a desire to develop them further.
• Problem-solving mindset with tolerance for uncertainty and change.
• Ability to understand user needs and collaborate effectively to address them.
• Adaptability and willingness to learn new technologies from others.
• Capability to tackle complex or ambiguous problems.
• Comfort in acknowledging knowledge gaps and leveraging relevant expertise when needed.

Project Management and Methodology:

• Experience working in self-organized teams.
• Familiarity with Agile methodologies.
• Experience with test-driven development is a plus.

Workplace

Your job will have a significant impact. At ETH Zurich, we not only support your professional development but also contribute positively to society.

We Offer

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.

• Numerous benefits such as public transport season tickets and car sharing.
• A wide range of sports offered by ASVZ, childcare, and attractive pension benefits.
• An exciting working environment with cultural diversity and attractive offers and benefits.
• We value diversity and strongly encourage women to apply.

We Value Diversity and Sustainability

In alignment with our values, ETH Zurich fosters an inclusive culture. We promote equal opportunity, value diversity, and nurture a working and learning environment where the rights and dignity of all staff and students are respected. Visit our Equal Opportunities and Diversity website for more information.

Sustainability is also a core value for us; we consistently work towards a climate-neutral future.

Curious? So Are We.

Apply online using the form below. Please ensure that your application matches the job profile, as only applications that do will be considered.

Further information about CSCS can be found on our website. Questions about the position should be directed to Mark Klein at klein@cscs.ch (no applications).

About ETH Zurich

ETH Zurich is among the world's leading universities specializing in science and technology. We are renowned for our excellent education, cutting-edge fundamental research, and effective transfer of new knowledge into society. Over 30,000 individuals from more than 120 countries find our university to be a place that promotes independent thinking and inspires excellence. Situated in the heart of Europe, we connect globally to develop solutions for today's and tomorrow's challenges.