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Computational Scientist- HPC/AI Generalist

University of Chicago · Chicago, IL · $85,000–$102,500 a year · Full time

Posted Sep 8, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

This role partners with faculty as a domain expert to build computational solutions on the Research Computing Center's systems. Tell me about a researcher you helped and what you actually built.

What they are checking: Whether they have truly collaborated with researchers to build solutions, rather than only answering tickets, since this role is a scientific partnership.

How do you write documentation that a researcher will actually read?

What they are checking: Whether they write short, practical documentation with examples, because researchers skip long manuals and then repeat the same support requests.

What would you do

You'd contribute to grant proposals by scoping the computing, storage and artificial intelligence resources committed to a project. How do you size that when the science is still unsettled?

What they are checking: Whether they can estimate computing needs sensibly under uncertainty, since grant commitments that are too small or large cause later problems.

A faculty member asks for something that would work for them and cause problems for everyone else on the system. How do you handle that?

What they are checking: Whether they can protect a shared system fairly while still helping a senior faculty member, balancing respect with responsibility to everyone.

This is hybrid with three days onsite. What would you want to know about the current systems and the researchers you would serve before you took it?

What they are checking: Whether the hybrid schedule works and they would ask about systems and users first, showing they plan before committing to the job.

About the work

You'd troubleshoot, profile, optimize and port scientific applications across processor, graphics processor, memory, storage and input-output. Walk me through how you find where a slow job is actually spending its time.

What they are checking: Whether they profile systematically to find real bottlenecks before optimizing, because guessing wastes time and expensive computing resources.

The posting names supporting researchers' use of artificial intelligence coding assistants, model application programming interfaces and open models. How have you used those, and where do you see researchers get into trouble with them?

What they are checking: Honest experience with the named tools plus judgment about their limits

How do you advise a research group choosing between the center's own systems and a cloud platform?

What they are checking: Whether they compare local and cloud options on cost, data movement and needs, giving researchers honest advice rather than a preference.

A researcher's code works on their laptop and fails on the cluster. Walk me through your first hour.

What they are checking: Whether they troubleshoot environment, modules and scheduler differences methodically, which is the most common problem researchers bring to this team.

The posting asks for two to five years of related experience and prefers a doctorate, proficiency in a compiled language such as C++, C, Julia or Fortran, plus Python, Linux and high performance computing job schedulers. Where are you strongest and where thinnest?

What they are checking: Whether they assess their skills honestly against the requirements, which helps both sides see where support or growth will be needed.

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The full job description

As published by University of Chicago.

Department Provost Research Computing Center About the Department The University of Chicago Research Computing Center (RCC), a unit within the Office of Research, provides advanced research computing resources and expertise to support computational and data-intensive research across the University. RCC enables research through centrally managed high-performance computing (HPC), storage, visualization, and AI infrastructure, along with scientific consulting, user support, education, and training. RCC also helps researchers leverage local, national, and cloud-based computational resources. The Office of Research oversees sponsored research administration, research development, and contract management across the University. Job Summary The job develops software to support the data acquisition, ingestion, and integration for research projects. Assists in the development of user interfaces and scalable back-end services to automate and accelerate the scientific output of multi-institutional research projects. The Research Computing Center (RCC) is seeking a highly motivated Computational Scientist to work closely with faculty and researchers at The University of Chicago. The person in this position will serve as a multi-disciplinary technical expert in supporting and advising faculty on using High-Performance Computing (HPC), AI, and related technologies for their research. The successful candidate will join a team of Computational Scientists who are playing a key role in scientific computing support at the University of Chicago. This is a hybrid position requiring 3 days onsite. Responsibilities • Partner with faculty and research groups as a domain expert to develop and implement computational solutions that advance their research. • Advise on the effective use of RCC resources, HPC systems, AI technologies, and cloud platforms. • Support researchers’ use of AI and machine learning tools, including AI coding assistants and agents (e.g., Claude Code), model APIs (e.g., Anthropic, OpenAI), and open-weight models hosted on RCC systems. • Develop, maintain, optimize, and support scientific software, computational workflows, and research computing environments on RCC systems. • Troubleshoot, profile, optimize, and port scientific applications to maximize performance across CPU, GPU, memory, storage, and I/O. • Contribute technical expertise to faculty projects through the RCC Consultant Partnership Program and other collaborative initiatives. • Contribute computational expertise to grant proposals, including scoping the AI, HPC, cloud, and storage resources committed to the project. • Develop and maintain technical documentation and knowledge base resources. • Contribute to the continuous improvement of RCC systems, services, operational practices, and user support processes. • Solves user problems promptly and professionally. Proactively recommend appropriate RCC technologies and services. • Stay current with advances in AI, HPC, GPU computing, and cloud technologies, and evaluate emerging tools for adoption at the RCC. • Develops and presents technical training materials and web-based documentation. Ensures timely systems support and updates. Assists in conducting information security assessments and risk analysis of computing environment. • Evaluates past and present technologies to help develop new tools. Ensures all the new tools have been through quality control reviews. • Performs other related work as needed. Minimum Qualifications Education: Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field. Work Experience: Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline. Certifications: --- Preferred Qualifications Education: • PhD in a relevant field. Technical Skills or Knowledge: • Proficiency in one or more compiled programming languages (e.g., C++, C, Julia, or Fortran). • Proficiency in Python or another scientific scripting language. • Experience working in Linux/UNIX environments and with high-performance computing (HPC) systems. • Experience with HPC job schedulers (e.g., Slurm). • Experience installing, optimizing, profiling, and supporting scientific software and workloads on HPC systems. • Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with faculty and multidisciplinary teams. • Familiarity with scientific computing libraries such as NumPy, SciPy, pandas, xarray, and scikit-learn. • Experience with containers and development tools such as Docker, Apptainer/Singularity, and Git. • Experience with AI/ML frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow. • Experience with LLM APIs and tooling (e.g., Anthropic, OpenAI, Hugging Face), AI coding assistants. • Experience serving or benchmarking models on GPU clusters. Preferred Competencies • Ability to translate researchers’ scientific goals into computational requirements. • Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team. • Demonstrated ability to evaluate and apply emerging technologies in research computing. Application Documents • C/V or resume (required) • Cover letter (preferred) The University of Chicago uses AI-assisted tools to streamline and augment some recruitment processes; however, AI is not used to make hiring decisions. When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application. Job Family Research Role Impact Individual Contributor Scheduled Weekly Hours 37.5 Drug Test Required No Health Screen Required No Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required No Pay Rate Type Salary ​ FLSA Status Exempt ​ Pay Range $85,000.00 - $102,500.00 The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting. Benefits Eligible Yes The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook . Posting Statement The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination. Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form. All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position. The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu . Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.

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