Solutions Architect

By working at Harvard University, you join a vibrant community that advances Harvard's world-changing mission in meaningful ways, inspires innovation and collaboration, and builds skills and expertise. We are dedicated to creating a diverse and welcoming environment where everyone can thrive.

Harvard Business School (HBS) IT is a nimble, innovative, strategic partner who crafts, delivers and supports pioneering technology solutions that connect, enable and inspire the HBS community to educate leaders who make a difference in the world. Visit our website for more information: http://www.hbs.edu/information-technology/about-us.  

Job Summary:

Are you a technical visionary who thrives at the intersection of high-performance computing, cloud innovation, and world-class academic research? HBS IT is seeking a Solutions Architect to serve as the technical anchor for our next-generation research computing platforms. This is a unique opportunity to join a "class-defining" environment where you will not just manage systems, but architect the future of how social science research is conducted at one of the world’s leading institutions. 

Reporting to the Manager, Research Technology Platforms, the Solutions Architect is a senior technical leader who collaborates closely with product and service leadership to drive the technical solutions for HBS research. In this role, you will lead the planning, building, and configuration of research computing systems at scale, serving as the primary technical authority for our platforms’ sustained growth. You will bridge the gap between complex faculty research needs and enterprise-grade infrastructure, ensuring the research computing solutions are secure, scalable, and performant as we make a shift from legacy environments to the cloud.

The ideal candidate is a collaborative, systems-level thinker who balances high-level architectural design with a drive for hands-on execution. You bring deep expertise in AWS and research computing ecosystems, with the understanding of research required to translate complex academic questions into effective solutions. You are comfortable mentoring vendors and setting global platform standards as you are diving into the code to solve the most challenging technical problems facing our researchers. 

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

• Lead the design, architecture, and implementation of scalable AWS-based research computing systems, ensuring alignment with security and regulated data requirements to sustain and scale a rapidly expanding research community 
• Define and uphold technical standards for monitoring, health, and integrity of cloud-based research computing environments, including strategic oversight of system upgrades and patching 
• Translate complex research needs and product priorities into sound technical approaches and delivery plans, balancing high-level architecture with hands-on systems engineering to deliver creative institutional or custom solutions 
• Perform hands-on software engineering and develop custom tools to address complex researcher use cases beyond standard platform capabilities 
• Influence the strategic direction of HBS IT research technology platforms by balancing the mitigation of technical debt with the adoption of next-generation tools 
• Build and maintain relationships with external vendors and provide technical oversight and mentorship to strengthen team capability and solution quality  
• Collaborate with key HBS IT partners and university-wide Harvard University IT peers to ensure research solutions align with enterprise infrastructure and security standards 
• Build trust and collaboration by being present on-site and engaging directly with colleagues and various constituents 
• Complete other responsibilities as assigned  

Working Conditions:

• Additional support outside of regularly scheduled hours, including early mornings, nights, weekends, and holiday breaks, may occasionally be required 
• Must be available by personal cell phone during business hours, and occasionally off-hours (stipend will be provided) 
• Must participate in a shared 24x7x365 on call rotation with other IT staff 

Basic Qualifications:

• Minimum of nine years’ post-secondary education or relevant work experience

Additional Qualifications and Skills:

The following are preferred: 

• Broad knowledge of research computing systems, including storage, cluster computing, network, database, and virtualized systems  
• Experience in the design, development, and deployment of cloud-based applications, within the AWS ecosystem (e.g., IAM, EC2, ECS, Lambda, Security Hub) 
• Proficiency with Infrastructure-as-Code (e.g., CloudFormation or Terraform) and configuration management tools 
• Demonstrated experience in Linux systems administration and automating workflows through scripting languages (e.g., Bash or Python) 
• Advanced proficiency in coding with Python, R, or other research-relevant languages for developing custom tools and solutions 
• Proven ability to architect secure, scalable solutions for diverse and evolving research use cases 
• Experience with version control systems (Git) and implementing Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines to ensure reproducible research environments 
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to act as a trusted advisor and translate research needs into technical solutions. 
• Demonstrated leadership through mentoring technical staff and coordination of vendor effectiveness 
• Familiarity with High-Performance Computing (HPC) environments and cluster management 

Certificates and Licenses: 

The following is preferred: 

• AWS Certified Solutions Architect or similar cloud certifications 

• Appointment End Date: This role is approved as a term appointment with an end date of 5/13/2027. There is a possibility of renewal/extension. 
• Standard Hours/Schedule: 40 hours per week
• Compensation Range/Rate (including Shift Differential if applicable): $140,000 - $145,000, salary commensurate with experience
• Visa Sponsorship Information: Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position
• Pre-Employment Screening: Identity, Education, Criminal
• Other Information:
  • This role is a hybrid position which we consider to be a combination of remote and onsite work at our Boston, MA-based campus. HBS expects all staff to be onsite at least three days per week and for departments to provide onsite coverage Monday - Friday. Specific hours and days onsite will be determined by business needs and are subject to change with appropriate advanced notice. 
  • We may conduct candidate interviews virtually (phone and/or via Zoom) and/or in-person for this role. 

Work Format Details

This position has been determined by school or unit leaders that some of the duties and responsibilities can be effectively performed at a non-Harvard location. The work schedule and location will be set by the department at its discretion and based upon operational needs. When not working at a Harvard or Harvard-designated location, employees in hybrid positions must work in a Harvard registered state in compliance with the University’s Policy on Employment Outside of Massachusetts. Additional details will be discussed during the interview process. Certain visa types and funding sources may limit work location. Individuals must meet work location sponsorship requirements prior to employment.

Salary Grade and Ranges

This position is salary grade level 059. Please visit  Harvard's Salary Ranges  to view the corresponding salary range and related information. 

Benefits

Harvard offers a comprehensive benefits package that is designed to support a healthy work-life balance and your physical, mental and financial wellbeing. Because here, you are what matters. Our benefits include, but are not limited to: 

• Generous paid time off including parental leave 
• Medical, dental, and vision health insurance coverage starting on day one 
• Retirement plans with university contributions 
• Wellbeing and mental health resources 
• Support for families and caregivers 
• Professional development opportunities including tuition assistance and reimbursement 
• Commuter benefits, discounts and campus perks 

Learn more about these and additional benefits on our Benefits & Wellbeing Page. 

EEO/Non-Discrimination Commitment Statement

Harvard University is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination. We seek talent from all parts of society and the world, and we strive to ensure everyone at Harvard thrives. Our differences help our community advance Harvard's academic purposes.

Harvard has an equal employment opportunity policy that outlines our commitment to prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, religion, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or identified in the university's non-discrimination policy. Harvard's equal employment opportunity policy and non-discrimination policy help all community members participate fully in work and campus life free from harassment and discrimination.