Employer:   Malaghan Institute of Medical Research

Closing date: 16 June 2024

Brief position description:  E te kaikimi mahi, tēnā koe,

A rare greenfield opportunity with great autonomy and exciting challenges to overcome!

We are looking for a DevOps engineer who will set up computing facilities that support ground-breaking medical research right here in Wellington.

The Malaghan Institute is New Zealand’s leading independent biomedical research institute, with a focus on breakthrough discoveries in immunology and immunotherapy. We have over 130 staff committed to finding cures for diseases using the body’s own immune system. Part of the Hugh Green Cytometry Centre, the newly established Data Science team (core facility) is tasked with supporting our scientists by developing data pipelines, statistical models, and applications to integrate and analyse their diverse data sets. Together with three data scientists you will form the core of the institute’s data science capability.

Our on-premises high-performance computing is how we deliver this mission. The servers run on Ubuntu, we currently run a lot or R scripts, but we are refocusing our stack around Python. We are also looking into complementing our platform by pushing some services to Cloud.

This is a full-time position for an initial fixed term of 12 months, working 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday 8:30am – 5:00pm, with some flexibility to work from home.

Ngā Pūkenga | Experience and Skills

Required

– Sysadmin: Know how to manage a Linux system, from basics (package installation, backup, smooth updates and managed downtime, user management) to more advanced topics (troubleshooting libraries, installing research software with guidance from staff).

– Docker pro: Design containerisation architecture for a common-use facility that needs to perform with high up-time.

– DevOps: Set up dev/prod environments to allow our scientists, coders, and analysts to try new tools without risking the integrity and infosec setup of our production environment.

– Service mindset: Support the data science platform we will build with users who will come to rely on it for their day-to-day work. You'll need some experience with support.

Advantageous

– Experience with on-site HPC.
– Code optimisation, e.g., refactoring, pushing to GPU, porting to low-level languages.
– Experience with macOS and translating to Ubuntu.
– Experience with Kubernetes.
– Experience with Cloud Engineering (any platform or provider).
– Research background—very much optional!

Ngā kawenga | Key Responsibilities

– Set up a DevOps environment (dev-prod-sandbox) on our local HPC.
– In collaboration with the head of data science, orchestrate the use of HPC for a large group of scientists pushing the frontiers of medical research.
– Help scientists and analysts deploy cutting-edge research software and applications on HPC.
– Manage installations of Linux applications in medical instrument control computers.
– Other work streams include training HPC users in shell, docker, and other HPC tools, establishing information security protocols, and assisting the head of data science with tech partnerships (e.g., network and storage systems providers).
– Because we are a charitable trust, one key challenge will be to find ways to deliver systems that are robust but easy to maintain at the lowest possible cost, and without a large supporting staff.

Ngā painga | Benefits

– Contribute directly to ground-breaking, life-saving medical research!
– A unique research environment: work with highly driven scientists and highly technical support staff.
– Lifelong learning culture with an associated L&D budget.
– Employee Assistance Programme – confidential, professional services which can support and guide you through your personal or work challenges.
– Great location on campus, lots of quiet space, short walk to cafes and shops in Te Aro, Aro Valley, or Kelburn. Have lunch in a collegial environment, hang out in your favourite spot, or take a walk to the Botanic Garden!
– Access to University life (e.g., lectures and panels) and facilities.
– Base salary starting from $88,000 depending on experience.

Here are some examples of the great work our teams do and how we are setting up for the future:

– In Focus: Shooting for the stars, propelling our research in the information age: https://smex-ctp.trendmicro.com:443/wis/clicktime/v1/query?url=https%3a%2f%2fwww.malaghan.org.nz%2fnews%2dand%2dreports%2fnews%2fin%2dfocus%2dshooting%2dfor%2dthe%2dstars%2dpropelling%2dour%2dresearch%2din%2dthe%2dinformation%2dage%2f&umid=389c87dc-a9ef-4b31-b403-9773dbd32d1d&auth=6ee66d642a212b82964c9073f0dd934b55317413-173d7c11850679931e487a9b1bcd0922ba78cb24

– NZ invention to enhance safety of CAR T and other cell therapies: https://smex-ctp.trendmicro.com:443/wis/clicktime/v1/query?url=https%3a%2f%2fwww.malaghan.org.nz%2fnews%2dand%2dreports%2fnews%2fnz%2dinvention%2dto%2denhance%2dsafety%2dof%2dcar%2dt%2dand%2dother%2dcell%2dtherapies%2f&umid=389c87dc-a9ef-4b31-b403-9773dbd32d1d&auth=6ee66d642a212b82964c9073f0dd934b55317413-a0a8d80a3c13a45658844a8e995cabbe0c4ca13e

– Vaccine alliance formed as collaborators establish national COVID-19 vaccine screening and development programme: https://smex-ctp.trendmicro.com:443/wis/clicktime/v1/query?url=https%3a%2f%2fwww.malaghan.org.nz%2fnews%2dand%2dreports%2fnews%2fvaccine%2dalliance%2dformed%2das%2dcollaborators%2destablish%2dnational%2dcovid%2d19%2dvaccine%2dscreening%2dand%2ddevelopment%2dprogramme%2f&umid=389c87dc-a9ef-4b31-b403-9773dbd32d1d&auth=6ee66d642a212b82964c9073f0dd934b55317413-79b81e4a657607c11ab0524a8ccc59f1f8e6b925

The Malaghan Institute is also an equal opportunity employer, and values diversity alongside being committed to upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Vision Mātauranga. We support Māori health advancement in partnership with Te Urungi Māori, the Institute’s Māori advisory group, we therefore welcome Māori applicants for this role. 

Me Pēhea te tuku tono | How to apply

If you share our passion for building cures, and think you’d be a valuable addition to this project, apply now by sending both your Cover Letter and CV. Applications close on 16 June 2024 for a start date as soon as possible. Interviews may be held immediately should the right candidates apply, so don’t wait, tone inaianei!

Applicants must have the legal right to work in New Zealand.

Job website:   http://www.seek.co.nz/malaghan-jobs?jobId=75951010

Contact name: Hercules Konstantopoulos

Contact email:    herculesk@malaghan.org.nz