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Director, San Diego Supercomputer Center (Full Professor)

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Position overview

Position title: Director

Position description

The University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) invites applications and nominations for the position of Director of the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC). Since its founding 35 years ago as one of the original National Science Foundation (NSF) supercomputer centers, SDSC has been a leader in the development of high-performance computing infrastructure and the broader ecosystem around data intensive computing. A pathbreaker in advanced cyberinfrastructure design and development and research data management, SDSC collaborates extensively with University of California and UC San Diego academics, and with the research community nationally and internationally, bringing the power of advanced computing to accelerate discovery in every field of inquiry.

Reporting to the Senior Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs within the office of the Executive Vice Chancellor, the Director is responsible for the strategic direction and operational management of SDSC, the leadership of its 220+ employees, the management of its $40 million+ annual budget, and the development and maintenance of its state-of-the-art office and technology space on the UC San Diego campus.

The Director will play a key role in shaping the future of research computing nationally and will contribute to the next wave of computing innovations in a collaborative and competitive global arena. At the same time, SDSC’s new Director will strengthen its engagement and alignment with UC San Diego’s academic mission.

SDSC’s new Director will be a strategic, transformative leader with a compelling vision for the future of high-performance computing, cyberinfrastructure, and the applications and services that enable researchers to make full use of leading-edge, world-class resources to advance human knowledge and health. The successful candidate will be someone who combines this breadth of vision with a leadership style characterized by collaboration, transparency, and community engagement and a management practice that is inclusive, consultative, and empowering.

Key Responsibilities:
● In consultation with the SDSC Executive Committee and campus leadership, builds on the established success of SDSC by developing a vision and establishing priorities for its future that are mutually beneficial to SDSC, the UC San Diego campus, the UC System, and the broader international field of supercomputing.
● Consults and collaborates with campus academic leaders in areas of mutual interest and on major new undertakings and investments that will further enhance the University’s deployment of innovative computing infrastructure, resources, techniques, and services to advance its mission in research, education, and health.
● Provides leadership in defining, obtaining funding for, and implementing new research, educational, and community engagement activities consistent with SDSC's mission.
● Serves as a leading spokesperson for research cyberinfrastructure at UC San Diego, within the UC System, and nationally and internationally.
● Maintains an inclusive environment that supports the professional development of a diverse, talented, and ambitious technical staff.
● Weaves a measurable commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and access throughout the core mission, culture, and activities of SDSC.

The SDSC Director will hold an underlying appointment as a tenured full professor at UC San Diego. Candidates must demonstrate distinction as a researcher and/or practitioner in a field relevant to SDSC’s mission and must possess a record of innovations in and contributions to that field, including appropriate accomplishments in education or training that are suitable for a tenured appointment at a campus of the University of California.

To apply, please submit a letter of interest, CV, and a Statement of Contributions to Diversity via UC San Diego Recruit at: https://apol-recruit.ucsd.edu/apply/JPF02757 before the closing date. Applicants should apply by July 15, 2021 to receive maximum consideration. The Search Committee will review candidates and will continue until the position is filled. This search is being managed by Opus Partners; inquiries, nominations and referrals can directed to Craig Smith, Partner or Thomas Lapierre, Senior Associate via craig.smith@opuspartners.net or thomas.lapierre@opuspartners.net.

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)

• Distinction as a researcher and/or practitioner in a field relevant to SDSC’s mission, and a distinguished record of innovations in and contributions to that field.
• Accomplishments in education or in training that are suitable for a tenured appointment at a campus of the University of California.
• A widely recognized record of leadership in areas of scientific computing pertinent to a research, development, and service enterprise whose programs span or may in the future span high-performance computing, high-throughput computing, data-intensive computing, cloud computing, quantum computing, security policies and solutions, and applications across a broad range of research disciplines.

Preferred qualifications

• Demonstrated integrity, fairness, candor, selflessness, and the highest ethical standards.
• A commitment to and success in advancing organizational priorities related to equity, diversity, and inclusion that will be manifest in experience working with diverse communities, creating an inclusive culture, and integrating practices and programs that foster equity, diversity, inclusion, and access in the core priorities of a technically and scientifically focused enterprise.
• Broadly recognized national and/or international stature in a relevant field.
• Leadership skills for team building and for accomplishing successful collaborative programs and projects.
• Management skills to direct a large, complex, and swiftly evolving organization, including evidence-based decision-making and process-improvement experience.
• The ability to communicate and interact effectively with faculty, administrators, and staff at UC San Diego, across the UC System, and with other U.S. and international universities, government agencies, and industrial organizations.

Application Requirements

Document requirements
  • Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.

  • Cover Letter

  • Statement of Research (Optional)

  • Statement of Teaching (Optional)

  • Statement of Contributions to Diversity - Applicants should summarize their past or potential contributions to diversity. See our Faculty Equity site for more information.

  • Misc / Additional (Optional)

  • Authorization to Release Form - Applicants must complete, sign and upload this form. See Institutional Reference Check (https://aps.ucsd.edu/recruitment/background_check/) for more information.

Apply link: https://apol-recruit.ucsd.edu/JPF02757

Help contact: gchemingway@ucsd.edu

About UC San Diego

The University of California, San Diego is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer advancing inclusive excellence. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, covered veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC nondiscrimination policy.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

The University of California prohibits smoking and tobacco use at all University controlled properties.

The UC San Diego Annual Security & Fire Safety Report is available online at: https://www.police.ucsd.edu/docs/annualclery.pdf. This report provides crime and fire statistics, as well as institutional policy statement & procedures. Contact the UC San Diego Police Department at (858) 534-4361 if you want to obtain paper copies of this report.

Job location

La Jolla, CA