Research Computing Program Manager

Description

The Research Computing Program Manager will lead the activities of the Foundations for Research Computing program. The aim of the program is to train Columbia researchers in computational skills and overall computational literacy. As part of the Columbia University Libraries’ Digital Scholarship unit, the Program Manager will advance the program and special events for researchers in close cooperation with other colleagues in the Libraries, Columbia University Information Technology, and the Office of the Executive Vice President for Research.

The Program Manager will administer a training program for graduate students and postdocs in research computing while continuing to identify training needs, and adapting and developing the program to meet those changing needs. The Program Manager will oversee and build the community of trained Software Carpentry instructors to plan and facilitate workshops, boot camps, and additional training opportunities at the novice and intermediate levels. The Program Manager will maintain an existing community-facing Python User Group and have the opportunity to develop other community-facing programming. Partnering with colleagues in the Libraries, the Program Manager will additionally develop and maintain continuous relationships and communications channels with academic departments across the University in order to survey administrators, faculty, and students about their ever-evolving needs for computational literacy, and methods for meeting these expressed needs. The Program Manager serves as Columbia’s representative on the membership council of The Carpentries, an organizational partner in training researchers in computational skills.

The Program Manager will work closely with the advisory committee comprised of faculty and administrator stakeholders that report to the faculty-led Shared Research Computing Policy Advisory Committee.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and oversee pre-semester boot camps in computational skills in research in partnership with The Carpentries and other external training organizations; organize registration, departmental participation, and assessment. Represent Columbia University on The Carpentries’ members council.
• Organize regular workshops and workshop series and/or promote such series happening elsewhere on campus in applied topics related to data science, high-performance computing, and computation.
• Manage community-facing programs, including recruiting guest lecturers and collaborating with campus partners to organize events. Facilitate Python User Group and other informal community-facing programming in which computational researchers on campus take a leading role.  
• Engage with an advisory committee of faculty and administrators providing insights and ideas for program development and participant outreach. 
• Maintain web content for the Foundations for Research Computing website.
• Keep up with evolving scholarly and professional trends and engage with relevant professional communities on campus and beyond.
• Perform special projects and other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree and/or equivalent related experience required. 3-5 years of related experience required.

Experience in planning events, training sessions, or other community engagements in an academic or related environment.

Prior experience in computation and/or a highly-quantitative discipline.

Excellent organizational, verbal/written communications and interpersonal skills.

Must be customer service-oriented, a team player, and self-starter.

Preferred Qualifications:

Graduate degree strongly preferred.

Familiarity with high-performance computing systems and the research tools commonly deployed.

Knowledge of programming languages such as Python, R, and Matlab, used in introductory computational literacy instruction.

Understanding of current issues, trends, and approaches to supporting computational literacy in higher education.

Strong project-management skills with demonstrated ability to work independently, to track and manage multiple projects simultaneously, and to meet deadlines.

For immediate consideration, please apply online at:  

https://opportunities.columbia.edu/en-us/job/519779/research-computing-program-manager

Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and strongly encourages individuals of all backgrounds and cultures to consider this position.