Associate Director - IT Infrastructure & Architecture
Job Summary
The Associate Director of IT Infrastructure supports the comprehensive computing needs of the ECE department through providing hands-on technical expertise and collaborating closely with departmental faculty and staff.
About the Role
The role includes understanding research and teaching needs of faculty and students, infrastructure architecture and design principles, infrastructure management, and serving as the primary liaison with the College Computer Center and university IT services and security offices.
Responsibilities
Teaching Lab Management & Support (25%): Work closely with the Assistant Director for Space and Lab Safety to manage and maintain undergraduate teaching laboratories and computing infrastructure.
Faculty Research Support & Procurement Training (20%): Train incoming faculty on hardware procurement processes and university policies. Conduct requirement gathering sessions to ensure hardware and software meet research needs. Assist in planning and dimensioning specialized HPC systems and research infrastructure. Provide technical consultation for grant proposals and equipment specifications. Support faculty in navigating university procurement and approval processes.
Administrative Workflows & Asset Management (15%): Create and implement administrative workflows for IT processes and procedures. Manage comprehensive IT asset inventory including hardware, software, and licensing. Oversee software licensing compliance and renewal processes. Coordinate hardware purchasing and vendor management activities. Develop and maintain documentation for all IT processes and systems.
Security & Compliance Liaison (15%): Serve as primary liaison with the ITS Office of Information Security. Coordinate security upgrades, patches, and compliance requirements. Ensure research computing environments meet federal security standards. Manage security protocols for DoD-funded and sensitive research projects. Implement and maintain departmental cybersecurity best practices.
AI Initiatives & Strategic Technology (25%): Support departmental AI initiatives and computing infrastructure development. Coordinate with AI University, college, and department faculty committees. Evaluate emerging technologies and their potential impact on departmental operations. Lead technology planning for compute-intensive research growth areas. Collaborate on interdisciplinary AI and ML computing requirements.
Requirements
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field
Minimum of 3 years of IT infrastructure experience in a research or academic environment
Experience with hardware and software support for Mac, PC, and Linux environments
Strong knowledge of research computing environments and HPC systems
Experience with specialized software including Cadence, TensorFlow, Keras, PyTorch, and Siemens EDA
Understanding of IT security principles and compliance requirements
Strong interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills
Demonstrated ability to work with diverse stakeholders and manage multiple projects
Qualifications
Proven problem-solving skills and a "can do" attitude
Ability to work effectively in challenging and dynamic situations
Initiative to research and learn new technologies independently
Strong customer service orientation for supporting faculty and student needs
Key Attributes
Flexible, enthusiastic, and energized by change
Proven problem-solving skills
Ability to work effectively in challenging and dynamic situations
Initiative to research and learn new technologies independently
Strong customer service orientation
Qualifications
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field
Minimum of 3 years of IT infrastructure experience in a research or academic environment
Experience with hardware and software support for Mac, PC, and Linux environments
Strong knowledge of research computing environments and HPC systems
Experience with specialized software including Cadence, TensorFlow, Keras, PyTorch, and Siemens EDA
Understanding of IT security principles and compliance requirements
Strong interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills
Demonstrated ability to work with diverse stakeholders and manage multiple projects
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with educational technology development and web programming
LAMP stack design and implementation experience
Knowledge of GPU and FPGA cluster management
Experience with federal research compliance and security requirements
Personal Attributes
Flexible, enthusiastic, and energized by change
Proven problem-solving skills
Ability to work effectively in challenging and dynamic situations
Initiative to research and learn new technologies independently
Strong customer service orientation
Benefits
Northwestern University offers a comprehensive benefits package for benefit eligible employees. This includes medical, vision, dental, paid time off, tuition assistance, wellness & life, retirement- as well as commuting & transportation. Visit https://hr.northeastern.edu/benefits/ for more information.
Equal Opportunity Employer
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Compensation Grade/Pay Type:112S Expected Hiring Range:$99,010.00 - $143,567.50 With the pay range(s) shown above, the starting salary will depend on several factors, which may include your education, experience, location, knowledge and expertise, and a pay comparison to similarly-situated employees already in the role. Salary ranges are reviewed regularly and are subject to change.