Research Technology Specialist (Systems Administrator III)

The University of Southern California (USC), founded in 1880, is located in the heart of downtown L.A. and is the largest private employer in the City of Los Angeles. As an employee of USC, you will be a part of a world-class research university and a member of the “Trojan Family,” which is comprised of the faculty, students and staff that make the university a great place to work.  

As a community of Dornsife College “we are committed to the creation, preservation, and communication of fundamental knowledge in all its forms…as well as a lifelong passion for learning and a commitment to the betterment of society.”  The academic mission of Dornsife College can only be realized to its fullest potential when we build and protect a representative, equitable, inclusive culture of scholarship for students, faculty, and staff.  This is not done through initiatives but by embedding these values into the everyday interactions, relationships, policies, and practices of the College.  What is required is a seamless integration of the tenets of equity and inclusivity into every facet of academic life.  If we want our scholars, staff, and students to be able to give their very best, we must create an academic environment that portends success.  

Success is possible when every member of the Dornsife community owns their role as a steward of the culture in which we learn, research, and work; when we believe that it is because of who we are that we are able to do what we do: achieve excellence, together. 

Achieving a robust and inclusive academic culture requires more than just the completion of a task, but includes that person’s capacity to contribute positively to the relationships and culture of their office or department.  Therefore, any applicant seeking to advance the mission of Dornsife College should also be assessed on their capacities beyond the technical elements of their work, and demonstrate an understanding of their impact on others, and to articulate how they contribute positively to those around them.

This newly created Research Technology Specialist position will report to the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Systems Administrator IV.  This position will create a critically needed research IT support service area in the Dornsife Technology Services (DTS) department. This full-time position serves as a technical point of contact, consultant, and project manager for Dornsife research groups in the area of specialized research computing. Under the guidance of the systems administration team, the position will provide analytical and technical expertise on systems integration, installations, troubleshooting, replacement and upgrades of servers and operating systems.  They will assist in the design, programming, and/or installation of advanced tools to help manage systems and application environment. They will guide researchers in the areas of IT security, data protection, and asset management, as well as assist with security patching and ensuring researchers are maintaining compliance with USC security policies and procedures.

Responsibilities:

• Work directly with researchers to assess their instrument, software, hardware and networking needs. Recommends changes to improve systems and network configurations and determines hardware or software requirements related to such changes.
• Connect researchers with existing Dornsife and/or USC IT resources.
• Expand research groups utilization of the university’s high performance computing facility.
• Assist researchers through troubleshooting hardware, software, instrument & network issues. Replaces defective components and researches resources to identify solutions.  Refers more complex problems to appropriate staff for resolution.
• Guide researchers in the areas of IT security, data protection and asset management.
• Performs data backups and disaster recovery operations. Repairs and/or recovers systems.

Qualifications:

• Three years' experience in systems administration.
• Advanced understanding of and experience with systems administration, backups, operating systems programming languages and associated hardware platforms.
• Experience working directly with researchers in highly technical and complex environments.
• Experience with server migrations
• Proficient in: Linux, Mac OS, Windows, Cloud Storage, High Performance Computing, VMWare - EsXI

Hourly range: The hourly rate range for this position is $48.41 - $61.58. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal records in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for employers and the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and with due consideration for patient and student safety. Please refer to the Background Screening Policy Appendix D for specific employment screen implications for the position for which you are applying.  

Required Documents and Additional Information:

• Resume and cover letter required (may be uploaded as one file).
• Job openings are posted for a minimum of (5) five business days. This job may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended, so please apply on the same business day if interested.
• USC has excellent benefits, including health benefits for staff and their family with access to the renowned university medical network; eligibility for retirement plans with employer contributions after six months of employment; tuition benefits for staff and their family; free Professional Development classes; central Los Angeles location with easy access to commuter trains, buses and free tram pick up services; discounts to sporting and other campus events.

Performs other related duties as assigned or requested. The university reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

The University of Southern California is an Equal Opportunity Employer that Values Diversity.

Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree, Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education Minimum Experience: 3 years Minimum Field of Expertise: Advanced understanding of and experience with systems administration, backups, operating systems programming languages and associated hardware platforms. Previous systems administration experience required.