Freelance High Performance Computing Engineer Jobs in Boston, MA

By working at Harvard University, you join a vibrant community that advances Harvard's world-changing mission in meaningful ways, inspires innovation and collaboration, and builds skills and expertise. We are dedicated to creating a diverse and welcoming environment where everyone can thrive.

Why join Harvard Medical School?

Harvard Medical School's mission is to nurture a diverse, inclusive community dedicated to alleviating suffering and improving health and well-being for all through excellence in teaching and learning, discovery and scholarship, and service and leadership.

You'll be at the heart of biomedical discovery, education, and innovation, working alongside world-renowned faculty and a community dedicated to improving human health. This is more than a job - it's an opportunity to shape the future of medicine.

As a High-Performance Computing (HPC) Engineer, you will support the implementation, operation, and lifecycle management of secure and scalable HPC environments that enable computational research across HMS. Working as part of the Research Computing Infrastructure team, you will contribute to the provisioning and administration of compute clusters, workload scheduling systems such as Slurm, user-facing software environments, and secure platforms that meet institutional compliance needs. This role emphasizes hands-on technical execution, operational reliability, and collaboration with colleagues and researchers to support evolving HPC workflows and infrastructure. 

Core Duties:

• Perform provisioning, configuration, and decommissioning of HPC compute clusters.
• Support the administration and tuning of workload schedulers (e.g., Slurm) to ensure efficient job management and cluster utilization.
• Help maintain secure, regulated compute environments (e.g., NIST 800-171).
• Contribute to the integration of user accounts and identity management with institutional systems.
• Maintain and optimize user-facing software environments, including module systems and containerized applications.
• Support development and maintenance of scripts, automation, and tools used in cluster operations.
• Monitor system health, respond to alerts, and assist with compliance reporting and documentation.
• Collaborate with team members and researchers to troubleshoot and improve the computing environment.
• Contribute to operational documentation and support knowledge-sharing across the team.
• Participate in off-hours on-call rotation.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Basic Qualifications:

• Minimum of two years' post-secondary education or relevant work experience.

Additional Qualifications and Skills:

• Bachelor's degree preferred. 
• Experience managing Linux-based systems in a research or academic environment.
• Familiarity with workload schedulers (Slurm preferred), cluster provisioning, or performance tuning.
• Experience with infrastructure monitoring, configuration management (e.g., Ansible), and containerization (e.g., Apptainer/Singularity, Docker).
• Understanding of security and compliance frameworks relevant to research computing.
• Strong troubleshooting, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Ability to work in a team-oriented environment and adapt to evolving priorities.
• Demonstrated service orientation and commitment to operational reliability.
• Willingness to learn and grow technical depth in HPC tools and methodologies.
• Effective time management and documentation habits.

Certificates and Licenses:

• Completion of Harvard IT Academy specified foundational courses (or external equivalent) preferred.

• Standard Hours/Schedule: 35 hours per week
• Visa Sponsorship Information: Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position.
• Pre-Employment Screening: Identity, Criminal
• Staying Informed About Your Application: Due to the high volume of applications, we may not always be able to reach out right away, but you can track your status anytime through the Careers@Harvard portal.

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Work Format Details

This position has been determined by school or unit leaders that some of the duties and responsibilities can be effectively performed at a non-Harvard location. The work schedule and location will be set by the department at its discretion and based upon operational needs. When not working at a Harvard or Harvard-designated location, employees in hybrid positions must work in a Harvard registered state in compliance with the University's Policy on Employment Outside of Massachusetts. Additional details will be discussed during the interview process. Certain visa types and funding sources may limit work location. Individuals must meet work location sponsorship requirements prior to employment.

Salary Grade and Ranges

This position is salary grade level 057. Please visit Harvard's Salary Ranges to view the corresponding salary range and related information. 

Benefits

Harvard offers a comprehensive benefits package that is designed to support a healthy work-life balance and your physical, mental and financial wellbeing. Because here, you are what matters. Our benefits include, but are not limited to: 

• Generous paid time off including parental leave 
• Medical, dental, and vision health insurance coverage starting on day one 
• Retirement plans with university contributions 
• Wellbeing and mental health resources 
• Support for families and caregivers 
• Professional development opportunities including tuition assistance and reimbursement 
• Commuter benefits, discounts and campus perks 

Learn more about these and additional benefits on our Benefits & Wellbeing Page. 

EEO/Non-Discrimination Commitment Statement

Harvard University is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination. We seek talent from all parts of society and the world, and we strive to ensure everyone at Harvard thrives. Our differences help our community advance Harvard's academic purposes.

Harvard has an equal employment opportunity policy that outlines our commitment to prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, religion, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or identified in the university's non-discrimination policy. Harvard's equal employment opportunity policy and non-discrimination policy help all community members participate fully in work and campus life free from harassment and discrimination.