Presentation
Executive Director, High Performance & Research Computing
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Mississippi State University
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Starkville, MS
SessionJob Postings
Descriptionhe Executive Director of High Performance and Research Computing provides vision, leadership, and oversight for Mississippi State University’s high performance computing and research computing resources and services. This position directs strategic investments in HPC technologies, ensures compliance with federal and institutional requirements, and manages staff supporting HPC and enterprise research computing infrastructure for MSU. The Executive Director serves as the primary institutional liaison with federal agencies and partners for HPC-related grants, contracts, and collaborations, including NOAA, USDA, NSF, DoD, and other sponsoring organizations. The Executive Director also serves as the primary point of contact for MSU’s high performance computing data center, overseeing strategic and operational decisions for the facility. The role requires balancing long-term strategic planning with operational excellence to support MSU’s research mission and government partnerships.
RequirementsEssential Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Provides leadership and operational oversight for HPC and institutional research computing services and support.
2. Direct strategic decisions regarding the deployment, investment, and growth of high performance computing infrastructure and research computing activities in alignment with institutional priorities and federal research needs.
3. Serve as the primary liaison for high performance computing efforts with federal government partners and agencies, ensuring compliance with contracts, timely communication, and effective collaboration.
4. Assist in the development of budgets for proposals supporting high performance computing infrastructure and operations, provide strategic input on spending decisions, and collaborate with the Research Business and Operations Center on federally sponsored projects.
5. Lead the preparation and submission of proposals for extramural funding, including federal, state, and industry opportunities, to expand and sustain high performance computing resources and capabilities.
6. Establish technical strategies for computing, networking, storage, backup, disaster recovery, and cybersecurity to ensure reliable and secure operations.
7. Serve as the primary point of contact for MSU’s high performance computing data center, providing leadership for strategic planning, operations (maintenance, monitoring, power, cooling, and systems integrity), and decision-making related to the facility.
8. Lead compliance efforts with government regulations, audits, and reporting requirements to maintain eligibility for federal contracts.
9. Build and sustain partnerships with federal agencies, industry collaborators, and academic institutions to advance MSU’s high performance computing mission.
10. Direct the recruitment, development, and supervision of high performance computing staff, setting expectations and fostering a high-performance culture, while representing MSU’s HPC enterprise nationally through conferences, advisory boards, and sponsor engagements.
Minimum Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a closely related field.
• Ten or more years of experience directly related to HPC or enterprise IT operations.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical teams and manage complex computing environments.
• Experience working with or on federally sponsored research contracts or cooperative agreements.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident; eligibility to obtain federal security clearance required.
Preferred Qualifications:
• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a closely related field.
• Proven success in securing and managing federal contracts in HPC or advanced computing.
• Broad technical expertise across computing, networking, storage, and cybersecurity.
• Strong skills in leadership, negotiation, and communication with government sponsors.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical teams and manage complex computing environments.
• Experience working with or on federally sponsored research contracts or cooperative agreements.
Company DescriptionMississippi State University is a doctoral degree-granting, land-grant university offering a wide range of educational experiences for learning and growth to a student body of more than 23,000 students. Among the National Science Foundation’s Top 100 research universities, MSU provides access and opportunity to students from all 50 states and 92 countries. MSU is committed to its comprehensive research university mission, addressing complex local and global challenges with innovative ideas and solutions.
The MSU High Performance Computing Collaboratory (HPC²), an evolution of the MSU NSF Engineering Research Center (ERC) for Computational Field Simulation, at Mississippi State University is a coalition of member institutes and centers that share a common core objective of advancing the state-of-the-art in computational science and engineering using high performance computing; a common approach to research that embraces a multi-disciplinary, team-oriented concept; and a commitment to a full partnership between education, research, and service. The mission of the HPC² is to serve the University, State, and Nation through excellence in computational science and engineering.
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2025-10-30
Event Type
Job Posting
TimeMonday, 17 November 20254:11pm - 4:11pm CST
LocationHall 6
United States of America
Mississippi State University
In-person
Full Time
Permanent