Senior Director, Advanced Data and Storage Management
Princeton University
Application
Details
Posted: 18-May-23
Salary: Open
Internal Number: 216856960
Senior Director, Advanced Data and Storage Management
US-NJ-Princeton
Job ID: 2023-16874 Type: Full-Time # of Openings: 1 Category: Information Technology
Princeton University
Overview
The Senior Director of Advanced Data and Storage Management reports to the Associate CIO in Research Computing (RC) and manages the group responsible for the vision, design and support of data storage and management for advancing innovative research at Princeton University. This role will provide leadership to the implementation and support of the TigerData service, a comprehensive set of data storage and management tools and services that provides storage capacity, reliability, functionality, and performance to campus. To successfully implement TigerData, this role will closely partner with the Director of Research Data and Open Scholarship in the Princeton University Library and collaborate with research faculty, colleagues from the library, vendors and IT staff.
In this role, you will be responsible for setting the strategic vision for TigerData and providing technical leadership to the project. This includes leading the design, installation, and administration of heterogeneous research data storage systems and related management software to meet researcherâ™s data intensive specifications. The Director of Advanced Data and Storage Management will create and maintain strong partnerships with colleagues in the Office of Information Technology, the Princeton University Library, and academic departments to ensure that the continued growth of TigerData aligns with the rapidly changing business needs at the University.
Responsibilities
Leadership
Provide leadership and direct support for research computing in academic departments across the university, including faculty, professional research staff, postdocs, graduate students, and undergraduate students. Sit with the TigerData steering committees and lead the advisory groups to formulate the vision and direction of the service.
Hold a seat on the Research Computing Advisory Group (RCAG) providing guidance and insight for directions in research computing support.
Provides technical guidance and expertise in the area of data storage and management support across the university
Develop short and long term strategies promoting the growth and support ofdata storage and managementin concert with the planning and development of TigerData services managed through the library
Leverage existing expertise and research trends and directions in data storage and management support by reading literature and white papers, following relevant periodicals, and participating in related online forums
Maintain positive vendor relations to keep abreast of technical and corporate developments and to maintain negotiating positions
Attend major conferences to network, share Princeton's model and learn other institution's approaches
Build strong partnerships with peers in the University Library, faculty, researchers, IT staff and vendors to determine storage and data movement requirements to continue the evolution of the TigerData service
Engage in collaborative consultation services with Princeton University Library, to advise faculty and researchers on data intensive research and big data considerations
Work collaboratively with the Research Computing leadership team to develop, evolve, and execute a coordinated strategic direction for supporting the use of computational and data resources in research at the University
Strategic Vision
Create the vision for TigerData to provide secured, flexible, and performant access to multiple storage systems across different locations and technology types to provide storage capacity for datasets of all sizes in partnership with the Director of Research Data and Open Scholarship in the Princeton University Library and TigerData advisory groups,
Lead the technical design of TigerData, consulting with faculty to meet their needs, vendors to match capabilities, and leading the technical team and campus partners to find the best balance of price and performance
Help to design the overall suite of data storage and management systems to meet the broad needs of our research community, assuring that the systems complement each other and best use the universityâ™s resources including staff, capital investment, and storage capacity. The design and selection of these systems is highly visible both within and outside the university, and it must take into account the risks of vendor stability, changing technology, and system maintainability as they pertain to these large investments
Management
Sets the direction for the Advanced Data and Storage Management group, guiding the leadership and providing mentorship for staff by setting performance goals, monitoring partnerships and campus need, as well as providing staff and faculty support and guidance
Build and develop a diverse and effective group of data and storage management staff, currently four people, with the expectation that additional employees will join the group as the service continues to expand
Promote a diverse, inclusive and supportive work environment based upon a shared vision
Participate in recruiting, hiring, and training employees for the group
Create an inclusive environment that fosters a feeling of belonging for a diverse group of technical staff
Strategic Implementation of TigerData
Lead the implementation and system administration for TigerData and other centrally managed data storage systems in the Universityâ™s research computing and data environment.
Managethe installation, system administration, security, user support and stability of these systems in collaboration with academic departments. The successful operation of these systems has a significant positive impact on the research productivity of the university. These systems have high visibility both within and outside the university, and serve as a model of best practices in research computing support nationally.
Qualifications
Essential Qualifications
Minimum of 10 years of strong experience leading and/or participating in the design, implementation and support of varied data and storage management services including technologies like Isilon, ESS, cloud object storage, and others
Proven track record leading large initiatives with success; developing and articulating the overall vision, building cross-functional buy in, and leading the successful implementation with a team of cross-departmental resources
Strong knowledge of current storage hardware and software in the research computing industry, and the ability to stay abreast of trends and future HPC systems and hardware.
Demonstrated ability to work well with a diverse group of people at many different levels, including faculty, research staff, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, undergraduate students, senior administration, IT staff (both at Princeton and at peer institutions)
Experience implementing and operating middleware tiers
Experience working in a Linux environment
Strong experience in an academic research computing environment
Experience developing and implementing strategic visions
Ability to develop and maintain positive relationships with vendors
The ability to manage and lead IT staff both through direct supervisory relationships and indirectly.
Strong communication skills, including written, oral and presentation skills: effective in a varietyof formal presentation settings: one-on-one, small and large groups
Education: Bachelorâ™s degree in a related field.
Preferred Qualifications
Strong experience in a Linux environment
Proficiency in one or more programming languages relevant to research computing: C/C++, FORTRAN, Python
Experience with ArcitectaMediaFlux
A Master's degree in Computer Science or a related field is preferred
Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
Princeton University is a vibrant community of scholarship and learning that stands in the nation's service and in the service of all nations. Chartered in 1746, Princeton is the fourth-oldest college in the United States. Princeton is an independent, coeducational, nondenominational institution that provides undergraduate and graduate instruction in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and engineering.As a world-renowned research university, Princeton seeks to achieve the highest levels of distinction in the discovery and transmission of knowledge and understanding. At the same time, Princeton is distinctive among research universities in its commitment to undergraduate teaching.Today, more than 1,100 faculty members instruct approximately 5,200 undergraduate students and 2,600 graduate students. The University's generous financial aid program ensures that talented students from all economic backgrounds can afford a Princeton education.