HPC Containerisation - HPC Expert (Principal Consultant)
Location: Hybrid working
* Onsite location: Derby, DE24 8PU
Duration: Monday 19th January 2026 - Friday 13th February 2026 Inside IR35
Security Requirements (Mandatory):
* SC Cleared
* UK Nationals only
Role Overview
We are seeking an HPC Containerisation Expert to provide specialist consultancy around high-performance computing (HPC) environments, with a strong focus on containerisation for HPC and ML workloads.
The consultant will assess existing HPC infrastructure, advise on best-practice container strategies, and engage with technical teams to shape future containerisation approaches for HPC use cases.
This role is urgent and requires immediate availability.
Key Responsibilities
* Provide expert consultancy on HPC containerisation strategies
* Review and assess current HPC infrastructure and workloads
* Advise on best practices for MPI-optimised container images
* Support and guide container tooling and runtime decisions for HPC environments
* Conduct workshops and structured discussions with technical teams covering:
o HPC infrastructure and use cases
o Containerisation capabilities for HPC and ML workloads
o Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) considerations
* Contribute to written outputs and findings for stakeholder review
Essential Skills & Experience (Must Have)
* Active SC Clearance
* UK National only (no dual nationality/no OCI)
* Proven HPC background
* Experience using Beowulf clusters
* Strong knowledge of Slurm Job Scheduling
o Excellent knowledge preferred
o Good working knowledge acceptable
o No Slurm knowledge = not HPC trained
* Experience with MPI-optimised container images, including:
o OpenMPI with Apptainer (SIF)
o Podman/Buildah tooling
o Comparable container build and runtime technologies
* Candidates with strong CFD or scientific computing backgrounds (eg modelling) may compensate for less Slurm depth
Desirable Experience
* Ability to conduct technical interviews with engineering or research staff
* Leading or contributing to containerisation capability workshops
* Experience supporting typical HPC and ML workloads
* Familiarity with:
o MPI-based workflows
o Jupyter ecosystem (JupyterHub, JupyterLab, Notebooks) for data science workflows
Nice to Have
* Experience producing written reports and technical findings, including:
o Market view of container technologies for HPC use cases
* Knowledge of:
o Singularity
o SIF format
o HPC workflows
o CFD software such as OpenFOAM
o Docker
o Kubernetes as an HPC runtime environment
o Run:AI and GPU slicing