Assistant Vice President (AVP) of Research Computing Infrastructure

Reporting to the Chief Information Officer (VCU Technology Services) and maintaining a close collaborative relationship with the Vice President for Research and Innovation (OVPRI), the Assistant Vice President (AVP) of Research Computing Infrastructure serves as the senior executive and chief architect responsible for VCU’s advanced research computing ecosystem. This executive provides strategic vision, leadership, and direction for design, deployment, expansion, and operational excellence of the university's research technology infrastructure. Supporting VCU’s mission as a leading urban R1 public research university, the AVP guides the development and stewardship of high performance computing, large scale and archival research data storage, high speed research networking visualization technologies, research software platforms, and specialized support services. Through these efforts, the AVP enables transformative, interdisciplinary research and discovery across the VCU research enterprise.

The role oversees advanced high-performance computing (HPC) environments, including GPU-accelerated platforms supporting artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML), cloud-based research services, and enterprise research data storage solutions. The AVP collaborates closely with principal investigators, academic leadership, OVPRI, and VCU Technology Services to align technology investments and infrastructure roadmaps with institutional research priorities and competitive federal funding opportunities, including those sponsored by the NIH, NSF, and DoD.

The Assistant Vice President plays a critical role in development and execution of robust data governance frameworks that support evolving federal regulatory requirements and ensure VCU’s advanced research computing infrastructure remains secure, scalable, high-performing, accessible, and compliant. This role leads the High Performance Research Computing team within Technology Services. As a member of the Technology Services Senior Leadership Team, the AVP partners closely  with the CIO and other senior leaders to help shape the strategic direction of the division and advance institutional priorities. 

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  Ph.D. in a highly computational scientific or engineering discipline or equivalent academic experience.

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  A minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience and managing complex enterprise or research technology infrastructures and architectures.

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  Minimum of four (4) years of experience leading and developing technical teams responsible for research computing, cyberinfrastructure,networking, systems administration, or enterprise functions, preferably within a university setting, national laboratory, or advanced supercomputing center.

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  Demonstrated deep expertise in modern high-performance computing (HPC) environments, including CPU and GPU architectures, parallel file systems, InfiniBand and high-speed interconnect technology, and Linux cluster provisioning and configuration management platforms like Ansible, xCAT, and Warewulf).

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  Advanced knowledge in the design and stewardship of secure research computing and cyberinfrastructure environments that meet federal security and compliance requirements, including  NIST SP 800-171, CMMC, and HIPAA.

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  Established track record of cultivating trusted partnerships across executive leadership, academic and research units, external organizations, vendors, and community stakeholders.

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  Exceptional strategic thinking, analytical, and problem-solving capabilities, with the ability to assess complex issues, drive informed decision-making, and lead multiple initiatives in a dynamic environment.

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  Exceptional written, verbal, interpersonal, and presentation skills, with a demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with executive leadership, technical and non-technical audiences, and a wide array of internal and external stakeholders.

• →Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.

• Experience in a research‑intensive (R1) university environment.

• Proven experience contributing to the successful development and execution of federal research infrastructure grants (e.g., NSF, NIH, DoD), including technical leadership roles and service as a Co-Principal Investigator on cyberinfrastructure projects.

• Advanced Solutions Architect certifications in cloud ecosystems (e.g., AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional, Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect).

• Highly recognized cybersecurity credentials such as CISSP, CISM, or CISA.

• Active participation in regional and national cyberinfrastructure and research computing organizations, such as Internet2, PEARC, ACCESS, The Quilt, and related professional associations and consortia.

• Candidates should complete the personal and demographic application on the VCU job website with a preferred application deadline of December 31, 2026. Additionally, candidates should submit a resume, cover letter, and the names and contact information of three references. References will only be contacted with the candidates' prior knowledge and approval. All nominations and applications will remain confidential until finalists are selected. Please submit your application materials through the VCU Jobs portal at the link below:

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