Research User Computing Linux Specialist

About the role

The Research User Computing Linux Specialist designs, operates, and continuously improves KAUST’s Linux‑based research end‑user computing platforms, including Ubuntu and Rocky Linux endpoints, physical scientific workstations, and virtual workstation services. The role ensures secure, reliable, high‑performance access to scientific desktop environments for faculty, researchers, and students.

Key responsibilities

• Administer and enhance Ubuntu and Rocky Linux end‑user platforms to provide stable scientific workstation services.
• Develop, standardize, and maintain Linux workstation builds and images for both physical and virtual desktops.
• Manage remote scientific workstation platforms such as NICE DCV and Kasm Workspaces.
• Automate provisioning, configuration, patching, monitoring, and compliance using scripting, configuration‑management tools, IaC and GitOps practices.
• Troubleshoot complex issues across Linux endpoints, GPUs, drivers, identity, storage, and networking.
• Integrate Linux desktops with enterprise IAM, storage, network, monitoring, and security services.
• Collaborate with faculty, researchers, HPC, security, and advanced‑computing teams to translate workflow requirements into sustainable solutions.
• Support installation, validation, and maintenance of scientific software on Linux workstations.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, IT, Computer Engineering or a related field.
• Relevant Linux certification (e.g., RHCE, LFCE, LPIC) is preferred.
• Experience with automation, scripting, and configuration‑management tools in a research computing environment.

Required skills

• Linux system administration (Ubuntu, Rocky Linux).
• Scripting languages such as Bash and Python.
• Configuration‑management and IaC tools (Ansible, Terraform, GitOps).
• Remote desktop platforms (NICE DCV, Kasm Workspaces).
• GPU‑enabled workstations and NVIDIA/CUDA environments.
• Integration with IAM, storage, and network services.