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High-Performance Computing (HPC) Systems Engineer

Specialized Hardware & Embedded Systems professional focused on configuring multi-thousand-node supercomputing clusters running mpi, openmp, and cuda across infiniband fabrics and enterprise-grade execution.

HARDWARE_EMBEDDEDO*NET-SOC: 17-2072.00Seniority: entry · mid · seniorAliases: Supercomputing Specialist, Scientific Computing Engineer

Core Responsibilities

  • Execute and maintain production-grade solutions for High-Performance Computing (HPC) Systems Engineer
  • Collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams and uphold quality standards

Skills Weighting (Durable vs Perishable)

Embedded C & Bare-Metal Firmware Developmentcompetent proficiency
DURABLE
Real-Time Operating Systems (FreeRTOS / Zephyr)competent proficiency
DURABLE
Microcontroller Architecture (ARM Cortex-M / RISC-V)competent proficiency
DURABLE

Adjacent Career Transitions

Difficulty: 2/5~6-18 months

Quantum Software Engineer

Domain specialization bridge from High-Performance Computing (HPC) Systems Engineer to Quantum Software Engineer

View Target Role
Difficulty: 3/5~12-24 months

Robotics Controls Engineer

Deep technical transition from High-Performance Computing (HPC) Systems Engineer into Robotics Controls Engineer

View Target Role
Difficulty: 3/5~12-24 months

Engineering Manager

Transition from technical individual contribution in High-Performance Computing (HPC) Systems Engineer to engineering management

View Target Role
Difficulty: 3/5~18-36 months

Software Architect

Cross-system architectural boundaries beyond local High-Performance Computing (HPC) Systems Engineer scope

View Target Role

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the core technical competencies required for a High-Performance Computing (HPC) Systems Engineer?

A High-Performance Computing (HPC) Systems Engineer focuses on Configuring multi-thousand-node supercomputing clusters running MPI, OpenMP, and CUDA across InfiniBand fabrics; Tuning parallel clustered file systems (Lustre, IBM Spectrum Scale/GPFS) for multi-terabyte burst writes. Core responsibilities include: Execute and maintain production-grade solutions for High-Performance Computing (HPC) Systems Engineer, Collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams and uphold quality standards.

What distinguishes a High-Performance Computing (HPC) Systems Engineer from adjacent engineering roles?

Unlike adjacent roles, a High-Performance Computing (HPC) Systems Engineer is specifically NOT expected to handle: Unfocused generalist work without clear domain deliverables; Pure administrative coordination without technical ownership. Seniority tracks encompass entry, mid, senior levels.

What decision authority and hands-on technical ownership does a High-Performance Computing (HPC) Systems Engineer hold?

A High-Performance Computing (HPC) Systems Engineer holds primary decision authority over HPC cluster partition allocation, batch job scheduler fair-share parameters (Slurm), interconnect fabric topology.. This role typically maintains an estimated 80% hands-on technical focus with low customer exposure and moderate ambiguity tolerance.

What are the typical promotion ladders and career mobility pathways from High-Performance Computing (HPC) Systems Engineer?

Progression within High-Performance Computing (HPC) Systems Engineer spans entry → mid → senior seniority tiers. Common adjacent lateral and vertical mobility targets include: Embedded Software Engineer, Firmware Engineer, Software Engineer.

How are compensation benchmarks evaluated for a High-Performance Computing (HPC) Systems Engineer?

Salaries for High-Performance Computing (HPC) Systems Engineer are aggregated from verified statutory and market reports across 6 tech hubs, normalized with k ≥ 5 cohort suppression to preserve privacy, and evaluated across P10 to P90 percentiles.

Which international visa pathways apply to a High-Performance Computing (HPC) Systems Engineer?

Qualifying roles in this family align with statutory shortage criteria under frameworks such as the Germany EU Blue Card (§ 18g AufenthG) and Netherlands Highly Skilled Migrant regulations (Kennismigrant), using official O*NET-SOC (17-2072.00) and ESCO/ISCO-08 classifications.

AI Summary

High-Performance Computing (HPC) Systems Engineer: Core role responsible for configuring multi-thousand-node supercomputing clusters running mpi, openmp, and cuda across infiniband fabrics, decision authority over hpc cluster partition allocation, batch job scheduler fair-share parameters (slurm), interconnect fabric topology., and cross-team execution.