Director of Research Computing Services - 525166

The University of Alabama - Tuscaloosa, AL

Full-time - Senior

Tuscaloosa, AL

1,001-5,000 employees

Educational Services

About the position

The University of Alabama Libraries is seeking a proactive and innovative Director of Research Computing Services to lead and develop a vision for research computing within the library system. This role involves engaging with the campus vision for high-performance computing and supporting various computational research initiatives across disciplines. The Director will oversee a team that provides introductory support for research computing, including workshops, consultations, and the development of instructional materials. Additionally, the position serves as a subject liaison for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, promoting collaboration and outreach within these departments.

Responsibilities

• Lead Research Computing Services in the University Libraries and develop strategic partnerships within the library and with other academic units.
• Serve as the subject liaison to the departments of Chemistry & Biochemistry and Chemical & Biological Engineering.
• Promote computational workflows across campus using technologies such as computational notebooks and high-performance computing.
• Advocate for the use of open and library subscription information for computational research.
• Supervise research computing students, staff, and faculty librarians.
• Develop a robust program to support research computing, including workshops and tutorials.
• Support and collaborate with faculty and students on research computing projects.
• Assess ongoing computational research and teaching at UA and ensure library technology meets user needs.
• Collaborate with library liaisons to integrate research computing into instruction and reference.
• Maintain knowledge of new technologies and trends in research computing and chemical information.
• Engage in research, scholarship, or creative activity through publication and presentation.

Requirements

• Master's degree in Library & Information Sciences from an ALA-accredited institution, or terminal degree in a STEM field.
• 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in an academic research library.
• Proven experience developing and providing library services related to chemical information and computational research.
• Experience leading and mentoring student assistants.
• Strong understanding of automated information retrieval methods via scholarly APIs.
• Experience with Linux, Bash, Python, and High-Performance Computing.
• Knowledge of academic computational workflows with Git, Jupyter Notebooks, and scripting.
• Ability to initiate, track, and manage projects effectively.
• Record of contributing to and publishing open-source software.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a complex and changing environment.

Nice-to-haves

• Ph.D. in a STEM field.
• Experience with quantum computing.
• Knowledge of parallel computing and GPU programming.
• Familiarity with data curation workflows.
• Experience with cloud computing such as Microsoft Azure or Google Colab.
• Experience with GIS (Geographic Information Systems).
• Experience with large language models or AI/ML technologies.
• Experience submitting grant proposals.
• Experience developing LibGuides and digital learning objects.
• Experience with Blackboard or another Learning Management System.

Benefits

• Professional development support
• Tuition fee waiver
• Matching retirement contributions