HPC Security SME

Posted 2 hours 54 minutes ago by IO Associates

Contract
Not Specified
Other
England, United Kingdom
Job Description

High-Performance Computing (HPC) Security - Contract Opportunity

Job Title: DV-Cleared High-Performance Computing (HPC) SME - Cyber Security
Location: On-site, Secure Facility (UK, Defence)
Clearance: Active Developed Vetting (DV) required
Engagement: Contract/Interim
Start Date: ASAP/subject to DV transfer timelines

Overview

Our Defence client is seeking a DV-cleared High-Performance Computing (HPC) Subject Matter Expert with a strong Cyber Security background to join a classified programme supporting national security.

You will be the technical lead for secure HPC environments, advising on architecture, performance, resilience and security controls across complex, data-intensive workloads in a highly regulated, air-gapped setting.

Key Responsibilities

  • HPC Design & Architecture

    • Lead the design, optimisation and operation of HPC clusters (compute, storage, interconnects, scheduling).
    • Define and maintain reference architectures and patterns for secure HPC workloads within classified environments.
    • Work closely with infrastructure, network and platform teams to ensure performance, scalability and resilience.

  • Cyber Security & Assurance

    • Embed security-by-design principles into HPC architectures, in line with NCSC and Defence standards.
    • Work with Security Architects and Accreditor to ensure solutions meet accreditation requirements for DV-level systems.
    • Define and validate hardening baselines, access control models, logging/monitoring and incident response approaches for HPC platforms.
    • Support risk assessment, threat modelling and vulnerability remediation for HPC services.

  • Platform Engineering & Operations

    • Oversee build, configuration and tuning of HPC operating systems, schedulers and Middleware (eg Slurm, PBS Pro, LSF, Kubernetes-based HPC, etc.).
    • Optimise performance for parallel and high-throughput workloads, including benchmarking and capacity planning.
    • Guide automation of deployment and configuration using modern tooling (eg Ansible, Terraform, CI/CD where permitted).

  • Stakeholder & Technical Leadership

    • Act as the go-to SME for HPC and Security on the programme, advising technical and non-technical stakeholders.
    • Produce high-quality documentation (HLD/LLD, security artefacts, operational runbooks, test reports).
    • Mentor engineering teams and champion best practice in HPC engineering and cyber security.

Essential Skills & Experience

  • Active DV clearance with recent experience working on classified/highly sensitive government or Defence programmes.
  • Proven track record as an HPC Engineer/Architect/SME in complex, mission-critical environments.
  • Stronghands-on experience with:
    • HPC clusters (on-prem, air-gapped or secure environments).
    • Linux (eg RHEL, Rocky, CentOS, Ubuntu) in large-scale compute estates.
    • Schedulers/workload managers (eg Slurm, PBS Pro, LSF, Grid Engine or similar).
    • High-performance networking (eg InfiniBand, high-speed Ethernet, RDMA).
    • High-performance storage (eg Lustre, GPFS/Spectrum Scale, BeeGFS or similar).
    • Solid Cyber Security background, including:
    • Familiarity with NCSC, MOD, or equivalent standards and security controls.
    • Experience contributing to security accreditation activities for secure platforms.
    • Understanding of identity and access management, logging/monitoring, hardening and vulnerability management in secure environments.
  • Experience working within Defence, National Security, or UK Government secure environments (preferably DV-only).

Desirable Skills

  • Experience with:
    • Secure DevOps/DevSecOps practices in constrained environments.
    • Containerisation and orchestration (eg Docker, Kubernetes/OpenShift) adapted for HPC workloads.
    • Cloud-adjacent HPC (AWS, Azure, GCP) and hybrid secure architectures (where policy permits).
  • Familiarity with:
    • NIST, ISO 27001, JSP, DEFCONs, or HMG Security Policy Framework.
    • Cryptography, data-at-rest/data-in-transit protection in HPC environments.
  • Background in:
    • Scientific computing, modelling & simulation, or data-intensive analytics in Defence/national security.
    • Working closely with researchers, scientists or mission teams to translate requirements into robust technical solutions.

Personal Attributes

  • Comfortable working in highly sensitive, regulated environments with strict security processes.
  • Strong communicator, able to translate complex technical concepts for senior stakeholders and non-technical teams.
  • Collaborative mindset with the confidence to challenge, advise and set direction where necessary.
  • Proactive, delivery-focused and able to operate with limited external connectivity and tooling.

What's on Offer

  • Opportunity to work on a high-impact, classified Defence programme central to UK national security.
  • Long-term engagement potential for the right individual.
  • Competitive day rate/salary commensurate with experience and clearance level.

How to Apply

  • If interested, please send me your most recent CV with your contact information so that we can speak in more detail.