Open Position Storage Systems Administrator at PIC

About IFAE

The Institut de Física d’Altes Energies (IFAE) is a public consortium of the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Autonomous Government of Catalonia, and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB, a public university) whose main objective is to carry out research and to contribute to the development of high energy physics from a theoretical, experimental and technological point of view. IFAE has the status of a “University Institute" attached to the UAB and its premises are within the campus of the University.

About PIC (IFAE)

The Barcelona Institute for High Energy Physics (IFAE) announces the opening of a Storage system Administrator in the PIC Data Center. IFAE is a world-renowned center for its fundamental research in Particle Physics, Astroparticle Physics and Cosmology, and offers an international, dynamic and competitive environment for the training of young researchers.

Port d’Informació Científica (PIC) is a scientific-technological center specialized in developing advanced tools and methods for scientific data analysis. We participate in research projects across multiple disciplines with challenging data environments, including particle physics, astrophysics, biology, materials science, and others. Our main objective is to accelerate research by making data analysis more effective through the use of Machine Learning, High-Throughput Computing, and Big Data techniques, using distributed computing to support collaborative research.

PIC operates through a collaboration agreement between CIEMAT and IFAE research centers. PIC was initially established to participate at the highest level in the data system of CERN’s Large Hadron Collider in Geneva. It is one of the 14 Tier-1 centers worldwide. Moreover, PIC collaborates in research projects in optical galaxy surveys (DES, PAU, Euclid, DESI, DESC-LSST), gamma-ray astronomy (MAGIC, CTAO) and gravitational wave astronomy (LIGO, Virgo, Einstein Telescope). Multi-Messenger astronomy is based on the simultaneous recording and interpretation of various signals from space. Therefore, PIC is in a unique position to exploit synergies and accelerate multi-messenger astronomy analyses by developing tools and methods that combine the data coming from the different instruments.

We are currently seeking a Systems Administrator to join our team, with a primary focus on storage systems, particularly tape-based technologies. The role involves managing, maintaining, and optimizing large-scale storage infrastructures, ensuring data integrity, availability, and performance.

Required skills and evaluation criteria

The successful candidate is expected to have:

• Degree in computer science, telecommunications or a related technical discipline.
• Experience in Linux system administration.
• Experience with scripting languages such as Python or Bash.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to foster a positive working environment with team members, researchers, and supervisors.
• Proactive approach and ability to adapt and enhance IT services to meet user needs.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.

Experience in any of the following is a plus:

• Working with research users and international research projects.
• Knowledge of tape library systems.
• Knowledge and experience in networking, Linux administration, and scripting will be highly valued.

The evaluation criteria and their weighting for the submitted applications will be the following:

What will be your role?

• Systems Administrator position for managing a tape library, as well as the applications and software required to maintain the storage service and ensure its continuous operation.
• Administer Linux systems.
• Manage distributed storage platforms and networks, particularly tape-based technologies.
• Install and configure IT services using automation tools such as Puppet.
• Monitor IT services and perform capacity planning.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation for services.
• Create technical procedure documentation for operators and developers.

Offered contract

• Full-time contract (40 hours/week).
• Position offering teleworking opportunities and a flexible schedule.
• Temporal Contract until 31/08/2027. It features an “actividades científico-técnicas” contract (under Article 23-bis of the Spanish Act 14/2011, Ley de la ciencia, la tecnología y la innovación) linked to the project PID2022-142604OB-C22, funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Agencia Estatal de Investigación, FEDER and FSE.
• Six-month trial period.
• The position will correspond to “Engineer N2” within the professional categories of the IFAE.
• Salary will be proportional to experience and qualifications within the corresponding category range.
• Work with interesting experimental science. Travelling to scientific singular infrastructures. Opportunity to gain experience learning first-hand. Personal growth, innovation, and learning every day.

The selected candidate is expected to join the IFAE as soon as possible.

Application and Selection process

Applications should be submitted to pic.jobs@pic.es and rrhh@ifae.es stating the job reference (IFAE2026/23_PIC_Engineer) as the subject of the message. The mail should include an up-to-date CV, a motivation letter and a full list of university grades, and arrange to have two letters of reference sent to the above e-mail addresses.

You may contact Vanessa Acin vacin@pic.es for any questions related to this job opening.

Sending CVs to the above addresses implies consent to the IFAE’s legal warning on data privacy.

The application must contain a personal identification number (DNI, NIE or passport) in order to proceed to the verification of absence of conflict of interest required by Recovery and Resilience Mechanism of the Spanish Government.

IFAE is committed to equal opportunities, diversity and inclusion. With the aim of promoting a real gender balance in the institution, women will be especially encouraged to submit their candidacy in the calls. Likewise, IFAE reaffirms its commitment to the integration of people with disabilities and underrepresented groups in the scientific field and in accordance with article 59 of the EBEP to reserve seven percent of places so that at least two percent of the total staff are people with disabilities.

A Selection Committee will evaluate the received applications. If more than one candidate seems equally suitable for the position, the Selection Committee will arrange an on-line interview with each one of them as part of the Selection process. In compliance with article 121 of the Spanish Public Sector Legal Regime Act, staff with a pre-existing relationship with the Consortium administration (Generalitat de Catalunya and Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona) will have priority in the awarding of the position.

Funding Statement