Senior Director of Scientific Computing and Research Infrastructure

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Job Category:

Limited

Employment Type:

Regular

Job Profile:

Research Services Director

Job Summary:

The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) is looking for a Senior Director of Scientific Computing and Research Infrastructure to provide strategic leadership, operational oversight, and technical direction for the SMPH’s scientific computing ecosystem, including high-performance computing, on-premises and cloud computing platforms, research data storage, scientific software environments, and advanced cyberinfrastructure services for research.

This position leads the design, deployment, governance, security, and continuous improvement of computing resources that support biomedical, clinical, translational, population health, and data-intensive research.

The Director partners closely with research faculty, data science and informatics programs, core facilities, compliance offices, Information Technology, Cybersecurity and external technology partners to ensure that computing capabilities accelerate scientific discovery while maintaining regulatory compliance, security, reliability, and cost-effectiveness.

This position is responsible for developing a sustainable strategy that balances on-premises infrastructure with cloud services to support current and emerging computational research needs across the enterprise.

Essential Responsibilities

Develop and execute a multi-year strategy and roadmap for scientific computing, research data infrastructure, cloud services, and emerging technologies aligned with institutional research priorities and growth.

Advise institutional and research leadership on advanced and emerging technologies, including machine learning and AI for research, omics, computational biology and large-scale data science.

Direct the architecture, operation, capacity planning, and lifecycle management of high-performance computing infrastructure, including clusters, CPU/GPU resources, virtualization, containerization, and scientific software environments.

Lead enterprise research cloud strategy and hybrid computing architectures across on-premises and cloud platforms, establishing standards for provisioning, governance, security, performance, and cost optimization.

Direct research data infrastructure and lifecycle management, including high-performance storage, archival, backup, disaster recovery, data sharing, and long-term stewardship consistent with FAIR principles and funding agency requirements.

Establish governance and investment frameworks for research cyberinfrastructure, ensuring computing, cloud, storage, and data investments are scalable, sustainable, and aligned with institutional priorities and research needs.

In working with cybersecurity, ensure security, privacy, compliance, and risk management for research computing environments, partnering with institutional stakeholders to address HIPAA, NIH, FDA, NIST, FISMA and other applicable requirements.

Build strategic partnerships with investigators, research centers, departments, and core facilities, providing consultation and enabling advanced computational approaches for federally funded, industry-sponsored, and other complex research initiatives.

Ensure high-quality, responsive research computing services, including reliable resource delivery, technical consultation, training, user support, adoption of advanced computational methods, and measurement of utilization and return on investment.

Recruit, develop, and lead a high-performing scientific computing team, establishing performance and professional development goals while fostering an innovative, collaborative and service-oriented culture.

This position may require some work to be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location. Some work may be performed remotely, at an offsite, non-campus work location.

Key Job Responsibilities:

• Supervises research operations and personnel to ensure compliance and efficiencies
• Formulates and implements program strategies, plans, and goals for a research unit
• Develops effective policies and institutional agreements in alignment with university goals
• Serves as the principal liaison between the program, university leadership, and outside entities
• Develops and executes budgets and costing strategies for products/services in compliance with university and state policies
• Builds a sustained constituency of internal and external stakeholders

Exercises supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees

Department:

School of Medicine and Public Health, Office of Informatics, Informatics Leadership.

Required Qualifications:

Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in scientific computing, research infrastructure, or enterprise computing environments for research.

Minimum of 5 years of leadership and personnel management experience.

Experience supporting biomedical, academic, healthcare, or research-intensive environments through cloud platforms and services, Linux system administration, and container technologies for research.

Demonstrated success managing enterprise-scale scientific computing and storage infrastructure.

Experience leading cloud computing initiatives and hybrid infrastructure environments.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience within an academic medical center, health sciences campus, or research university.
• Experience in or population health/clinical/omics/imaging research utilizing HPC and cloud environments for big data analytics including AI/ML.
• Experience in writing and security grants.
• Experience with NIH data environments and federally regulated research.
• Knowledge of scientific workflow and scheduling platforms and research data repositories.
• Professional certifications in cloud/HPC architecture, cybersecurity, or project management.
• Education: PhD or terminal degree preferred; focus in scientific, computational, or a technical discipline preferred.
• How to Apply: For the best experience completing your application, we recommend using Chrome or Firefox as your web browser.
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• Cover letter (required)
• Resume required (required)
• Your cover letter should address how your training and experience aligns with the required and preferred qualifications listed above. Application reviewers will rely on these written materials to determine which applicants move forward in the process. References will be requested from final candidates. All applicants will be notified once the search concludes and a candidate is selected.
• University sponsorship is not available for this position, including transfers of sponsorship and TN visas. The selected applicant will be responsible for ensuring their continuous eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without the need of an employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment. This position is an ongoing position that will require continuous work eligibility. If you are selected for this position you must provide proof of work authorization and eligibility to work.
• The department will not be able to support a request for a J-1 waiver. If you choose to pursue a waiver and apply for our position, neither the UW nor UWMF will reimburse you for your legal or waiver fees.
• Contact Information: Cody Roekle, croekle@wisc.edu 608-263-7676
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