IT Specialist for Linux System Administration and HPC (m/f/d)

The Max Planck Society is Germany's leading research organization. Its 84 institutes conduct world-class research in the natural sciences, life sciences, social sciences, and humanities, contributing to society through scientific excellence.

The Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter in Hamburg is an internationally renowned research institute dedicated to exploring the structure and dynamics of matter at the atomic scale. Bringing together scientists from more than 30 countries, MPSD combines experimental and theoretical research across five scientific departments in a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary environment.

To strengthen our IT and Scientific Computing Services, we are seeking an

IT Specialist for Linux System Administration and HPC (m/f/d)

Your position

The position is embedded within the IT Services team and works in close collaboration with the SSU Computational Science team. Serving as a key interface between enterprise IT and research computing, you will contribute to the operation, development, and long-term sustainability of the institute's Linux-based infrastructure, High-Performance Computing (HPC) environment, and scientific computing services.

**Starting date:** as soon as possible

Responsibilities:

• Install, commission, maintain, and decommission server hardware in our data center.
• Design, deploy and operate Linux-based compute, storage, virtualization, and container infrastructure.
• Monitor infrastructure, operating systems and services to ensure reliability, security and safety.
• Maintain and operate the HPC cluster.
• Provide Linux and HPC user support, documentation, and service hosting support.
• Data center planning and inventory management.
• Contribute to the long-term development and sustainability of the institute’s computing infrastructure.
• Use and develop further automation solutions for system deployment, configuration management, and operations.
• Develop, maintain, and support scientific software toolchains (including compilers, numerical libraries, parallel programming frameworks)
• Operate software testing infrastructure (continuous integration services)
• Support the adoption of good software engineering practices across the institute, including version control, testing, documentation, and continuous integration.
• Collaborate with researchers and SSU Computational Science to deliver effective computing solutions.

Essential Qualifications:

• Experience in Linux system administration and HPC system administration.
• Experience with parallel computing technologies and accelerator (GPU) computing.
• Familiarity with scientific software toolchains, including compilers, numerical libraries, parallel programming frameworks, and scientific software package management.
• Familiarity with modern software engineering practices, including version control, testing, continuous integration, documentation, and code review.
• Programming skills in a high-level language, preferably Python.
• Experience developing software in at least one compiled language such as C, C++, Fortran, or Rust.
• Willingness to work in an interdisciplinary environment and acquire new skills as required.
• Very good written and oral communication skills in English.

Desirable Qualifications: Experience in one or more of the following areas is advantageous but not required:

• Enterprise storage technologies (e.g. SAN, Ceph, ZFS, NFS).
• Virtualization and container platforms (e.g. Proxmox, Docker, Podman, Harbor).
• Network administration and troubleshooting (including Infiniband)
• Monitoring and logging systems (e.g. Zabbix).
• Automated installation and configuration management (e.g. Debian, FAI).
• HPC schedulers and cluster-management systems (e.g. Slurm).
• Scientific software packaging and build systems (e.g. Spack).
• Experience as a user of High-Performance Computing systems.
• GitLab, GitLab Runners, CI/CD infrastructure.
• Performance engineering.
• Design and delivery of training courses, workshops, or user-support programs
• German language skills.

Our offer

• A responsible and varied position with excellent opportunities for professional growth in a dynamic, interdisciplinary, and international research environment.
• The opportunity to work in a collaborative team of IT specialists and computational scientists, supporting world-class research at the interface of IT and scientific computing.
• A modern workplace on the Science City Hamburg Bahrenfeld campus within the Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, with close collaboration with the Max Planck Computing and Data Facility and national and international research computing communities.
• Comprehensive training and a wide range of professional development opportunities to support your continuous learning and career development.
• We are committed to supporting a healthy work-life balance through family-friendly policies and a supportive working environment.
• An initial two-year appointment with the possibility of a permanent position.
• Remuneration up to TVöD Bund E12, depending on your qualifications and professional experience, including the benefits of the German public sector, such as the Versorgungsanstalt des Bundes und der Länder occupational pension scheme.
• A subsidized Deutschland-Ticket for public transportation.

The Max Planck Society is committed to equal opportunities, diversity, and inclusion. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.

The Max Planck Society is committed to increasing the representation of individuals with disabilities in its workforce and therefore particularly welcomes applications from qualified candidates with disabilities.

Your application

To apply, please complete the online application form

Applications should include a letter of motivation and a curriculum vitae. Please submit your application in English only. The call for this position will close on August 19th, 2026.

Please get in touch informally with questions you may have before applying: Peter Johanssen, Head of IT (peter.johanssen@mpsd.mpg.de), and Hans Fangohr, Head of SSU Computational Science (hans.fangohr@mpsd.mpg.de).

We look forward to your application.