Systems Administrator

GeneTests (www.genetests.org) is the premier genetic testing information resource for healthcare providers in the world. It comprises an international directory of medical genetics laboratories, an international directory of medical genetics clinics, and GeneReviews, which are high-quality “chapters” about specific inherited disorders and the testing that is used to diagnose and manage patients with these disorders. GeneTests has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) since 1992; GeneTests is located at the University of Washington, where its founder, Roberta A. Pagon, MD, is Professor of Pediatrics. A staff of 12 maintains, updates, and enhances GeneTests.

The Department of Pediatrics has an outstanding opportunity for a full time, 100%FTE SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR/SENIOR COMPUTER SPECIALIST.  The individual in this position will be responsible, under general supervision from Dr. Pagon, for providing technical support to members of the organization as well as systems administration of twelve Linux servers, three Windows servers, fifteen Windows workstations and several laptops. The individual will ensure the stability and security of systems supporting the infrastructure, allowing internal and external staff to modify and access GeneTests data. The individual will establish/recommend policies on system use and services, identify new responsibilities, and help plan for the future of the site/network. Examples of future projects include: database migration, reconfiguration of systems according to NCBI (NIH) specifications regarding off site website hosting starting in Fall 2008 or Winter 2009. The person will also be responsible for developing and updating systems documentation.

Job Duties:
In conjunction with the other members of the GeneTests staff:

Provide system administration support to maintain the servers, workstations, and firewalls.
Administer Linux and Windows system updating, backup, recovery planning and implementation, software installation and maintenance, security planning and implementation.
Interact with Department IT personnel to ensure that devices and staff behaviors are compliant with security policies of the University.
Provide systems support as need to GeneReviews and Directories content team, including documentation for end users and authors.
Provide technical expertise to members of the GeneReviews and Directories staff when required, including but not limited to design consultation, training in use, troubleshooting, and correcting problems as they arise.

The person will demonstrate knowledge and understanding of/ maintain confidentiality of employee information, Department of Pediatrics strategic plans and initiatives, financial information or other sensitive materials and information in printed, electronic or verbal form which may jeopardize employee rights or organization’s operations. The person will access and use the minimum necessary employee and organization information to perform job responsibilities and duties and only for authorized purposes.

The University of Washington (UW) is proud to be one of the nation’s premier educational and research institutions. Our people are the most important asset in our pursuit of achieving excellence in education, research, and community service. Our staff not only enjoys outstanding benefits and professional growth opportunities, but also an environment noted for diversity, community involvement, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits, and natural beauty. As an employee you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs. For a complete description of our benefits for this position, please view this page.Requirements:Bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field and  three to five years' related experience.

Strong interpersonal and communication skills; capable of writing purchase justification, training users in complex topics, making presentations to an internal audience, and interacting positively with management.
Experience with Linux systems administration, including system updating, backup and recovery planning and implementation, software installation and maintenance, security planning and implementation.
Demonstrated experience with software implementation and maintenance, in a Linux environment, with clients running on various platforms.
High comfort level with most aspects if Linux systems administration including iptables, Apache/Tomcat, MySQL, Oracle, SAMBA, and NFS. Experience supporting Microsoft Windows 2000 and XP workstations.
Solid understanding of Web-based applications served by Apache/Tomcat, Javascripts, and CGI scripts written in Perl or Java.
Ability to interact with the GeneTests database administrator; ability to read and understand scripts in place.
Ability to write new and update existing SQL scripts.
Solid understanding of Linux-based operating systems, monitoring for systems failure, resource usage, file system maintenance/optimization, use of performance analysis to tune systems. Able to plan for scalability.
Familiarity with fundamental networking/distributed computing environment concepts, ability to configure NFS and SAMBA, use nslookup or dig to check information in the DNS, and understand basic routing concepts. Experience at a site that is connected to the Internet. Experience installing/configuring DNS.
Experience with network security (for example, building and maintaining iptable firewalls, deploying authentication systems, or applying cryptography to network applications, i.e. SSH tunnels).
Experience with host security (for example, passwords, uids/gids, file permissions, file system integrity, use of security packages, i.e., SSH, scp, sftp, ClamAV, and SpamAssassin.
Ability to identify tasks that require automation and automate them with scripts written in an administrative language (Tk, Perl, a shell).
Experience installing and maintaining the network cabling in use at the site, installing boards and memory into systems, SCSI device setup and installation. Experience with component-level diagnosis and repair of computer systems.
Comfort with all aspects of hardware repair, replacement, and installation.

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except where there are legal requirements such as license/certification/registration.Desired:Experience using relational databases e.g., Oracle ver. 8+
Experience using database query language.
Experience setting up and maintaining tape backup systems using Amanda.
Experience configuring and deploying high availability N-tier web infrastructure including database replication, file system synchronization, active fail-over, and load balancing.
A good understanding of JDBC.
Familiarity with the GeneTests systems including: servers, workstations, database applets and servlets.Condition of Employment:The GeneTests project office is located off site in an office building south of the Northgate Mall. Parking is provided.

To apply, please visit www.washington.edu/jobs and search for Req# 41778.

Part of the application process for this position includes completing an on-line assessment to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. The assessment will appear on your screen for you to complete as soon as you select "Apply to this Job" on this job announcement. You have the option to begin the assessment or postpone it BUT once you begin the assessment, it must be completed at that time. If you postpone the assessment, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready.The University of Washington is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer.To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206.543.6450 / 206.543.6452 (tty) or dso@u.washington.edu .