Materials science and technology are our passion. With our cutting-edge research, Empa's around 1,100 employees make essential contributions to the well-being of society for a future worth living. Empa is a research institution of the ETH Domain.
The Scientific IT Team supports cutting-edge research in materials science, health, environment and technology by providing expertise in research data management, research software engineering, high‑performance computing (HPC), data science and AI.
To strengthen our HPC and computational support capabilities, we are looking for an HPC Expert / Research Software Engineer who will serve as the primary link between Empa researchers and supercomputing resources.
Your tasks
As our HPC Expert / RSE, you will be the main point of contact for all HPC-related activities, particularly for the CSCS (Swiss National Supercomputing Centre) systems. You will support researchers in making efficient and effective use of large-scale computational resources, optimize scientific software and help shape Empa’s growing HPC and research software engineering land-scape.
Your Main Responsibilities
- Serve as the central liaison between Empa scientists and internal/external HPC resources
- Onboard new users to supercomputing platforms and support them with best practices
- Assist researchers in running and optimizing scientific applications on HPC systems. For example: port and improve software (MPI, OpenMP, containerization) for large-scale computation; troubleshoot issues across the full workflow, from compilation errors to running jobs
- Manage computing allocations, prepare usage reports, and ensure transparent, fair and efficient usage of shared compute resources
- Contribute to scientific IT trainings (Python, Git, HPC workflows, etc.)
- Stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the field by participating to conferences and community events
Your profile
- Master's degree in computer science or an equivalent technical or scientific background required. A PhD is a plus
- Strong HPC experience is mandatory. Parallel programming (MPI, OpenMP) and GPU computing (e.g., CUDA, OpenACC) are great added values
- Solid programming skills especially in Python and C/C++
- CI/CD workflows with GitHub/Gitlab
- Solid working knowledge of Linux (terminal workflows, basic sysadmin tasks)
- A background in software development and engineering is preferred (e.g., testing, de-ployment, containerization)
- Knowledge of German or willingness to learn is considered an advantage
Our offer
- A dynamic scientific environment at the intersection of research and digital science
- Close collaboration with researchers working on impactful and interdisciplinary projects
- Opportunities for professional development in HPC, RSE, and scientific computing
- A supportive, friendly, and highly skilled Scientific IT team
- Flexibility, autonomy and the chance to shape the future of Empa’s HPC and research software engineering services
We live a culture of inclusion and respect. We welcome all people who are interested in innovative, sustainable and meaningful activities - that's what counts.
Nadja
Nenzi,
Bereichspersonalleiterin / Berufsbildungskoordinatorin