Location: Derby Job Type: Contract Industry: Cloud & Infrastructure Job reference: BBBH430087_1767349954 Posted: 13 minutes ago
HPC Container Platform Consultant (SC Cleared) - Principal Consultant (Contract)
An SC-cleared HPC specialist is required to support a high-profile engineering programme within a globally recognised UK manufacturer operating across aerospace, defence, and mission-critical power systems.
The focus is modernising how HPC and HPC/ML workloads are built, packaged, and run using MPI-optimised container approaches - with pragmatic, implementable outcomes.
What you'll deliver:
1. Rapid review of current HPC estate, workflows, and priority use cases (workshops + technical deep dives)
2. Containerisation capability sessions focused on real HPC and HPC/ML workloads (not generic platform advice)
3. Guidance on MPI-ready container images, build tooling, and repeatable operational patterns
4. Scheduler/runtime alignment and deployment approach (batch, interactive, data science workflows)
5. Clear recommendations and next steps; produce a short written report where required
6. Core technology focus
7. Slurm job scheduling
8. MPI and performance-aware containerisation (HPC-first constraints)
9. Apptainer / SIF images with OpenMPI (plus viable alternatives)
10. Podman / Buildah tooling and secure build practices
Essential criteria (must have)
11. Active SC Clearance
12. Must meet programme nationality/eligibility requirements (sole nationality required; no dual nationality; no OCI)
13. Hands-on experience operating in Beowulf-style cluster environments
14. Excellent practical knowledge of Slurm and job execution patterns
15. Strong understanding of best practices for MPI-optimised container images (build, run, troubleshoot, performance)
16. Desirable experience
17. Ability to run structured interviews/workshops with customer engineering teams
18. Awareness of SDLC considerations in research/HPC environments
19. Familiarity with Jupyter (Hub/Lab/Notebooks) supporting data science workflows on shared compute
20. Strong working knowledge of MPI patterns and real-world operational constraints
Contract Details:
21. £600 - £700 Per Day Inside IR35
22. Hybrid Working
23. Contract Initially 3-Months with Lengthy Extensions
Nice to have:
24. Singularity / SIF format and common HPC workflow patterns
25. CFD tooling exposure (e.g., OpenFOAM)
26. Docker and image lifecycle governance
27. Kubernetes used as an HPC runtime environment (where appropriate)
28. Run:AI and GPU slicing concepts