Senior Storage & Data Engineer

About Us

The Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS) is at the forefront of high-performance computing and data research infrastructure, dedicated to supporting world-class science across Switzerland. With a user laboratory available to both domestic and international researchers in academia, industry, and the business sector, CSCS plays a pivotal role in scientific advancement. Operated by ETH Zurich, our facilities are located in both Lugano and Zurich.

Position Overview

In this role, you will bridge the gap between data storage and usability. You will be integral in designing metadata and pipelines that transform ingested data into accessible, traceable, and reproducible formats. Your work will involve:

• Developing systems for data ingestion and usability to create findable catalogs and schemas.
• Establishing data lineage and provenance, ensuring each dataset can be traced back to its origin.
• Optimizing high-performance parallel filesystems and object storage for complex workloads.
• Managing multi-petabyte storage solutions while maintaining data integrity and availability.
• Implementing automation for storage and data services management.
• Creating observability for storage health and performance metrics.
• Translating access patterns into technical requirements, balancing user needs with system integrity.

Project Focus

This opportunity supports a project concentrated in the weather and climate domain, aimed at understanding and mitigating the impacts of climate change. The initial contract spans two years, with the potential for extension or permanent placement.

Qualifications

Ideal candidates will possess:

• A technical degree in computer science, engineering, or equivalent experience.
• Solid foundation in storage technologies, including performance tuning and redundancy.
• Proficiency in Python and familiarity with infrastructure automation tools.
• An understanding of how scientific workloads consume data and the reasoning behind various data layouts.
• Experience with data lineage, provenance, or reproducibility.

Additional Skills

Strengths in the following areas will be advantageous:

• Hands-on experience with parallel filesystems or distributed storage systems.
• Knowledge of scientific data formats and their applications.
• Familiarity with object storage and its integration with machine learning frameworks.
• Competence in orchestration and data-movement tools.
• Understanding of data versioning and cataloging, along with relevant principles.

Core Values

We are guided by our core values:

• Curiosity: We value deep understanding and continuous learning.
• Openness: Collaboration and diverse perspectives are essential.
• Courage: We embrace challenges and tackle unfamiliar problems.
• Supportiveness: We prioritize the success of our colleagues and users.
• Integrity: We operate with responsibility, reliability, and transparency.

Benefits

Joining our team at ETH Zurich comes with various benefits, including public transport season tickets, access to sports facilities, childcare support, and attractive pension plans. We foster an exciting and culturally diverse working environment.

Diversity Commitment

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team and encourage applications from underrepresented groups in technology, particularly women. We welcome individuals who are technically proficient, curious, and eager to grow.