Application Guide

How to Apply for Systems Administrator & Compute Support

at Foresight Institute

🏢 About Foresight Institute

The Foresight Institute is a unique research nonprofit that focuses on supporting early-stage, interdisciplinary science and technology that traditional institutions overlook. Working here means contributing to cutting-edge research at the intersection of multiple fields, with a mission-driven team in San Francisco that values innovation and forward-thinking approaches.

About This Role

This contract role involves maintaining and troubleshooting UNIX-based GPU compute systems, managing NVIDIA/CUDA environments, and supporting Docker containerized research workloads for interdisciplinary projects. Your work directly enables researchers to run complex computational experiments that advance Foresight's mission of supporting transformative technologies.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day involves monitoring GPU compute cluster performance, troubleshooting researcher container issues, updating NVIDIA drivers and CUDA environments, and documenting solutions for recurring technical challenges. You'll collaborate with interdisciplinary research teams to optimize their computational workflows while maintaining physical server health and responding to urgent compute support requests.

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🎯 Who Foresight Institute Is Looking For

  • Has hands-on experience administering UNIX-based systems in research or high-performance computing environments
  • Can demonstrate practical knowledge of NVIDIA GPU management, CUDA optimization, and multi-user GPU access configurations
  • Has implemented and maintained Docker containers for scientific workloads with experience in resource allocation and security
  • Possesses both hardware troubleshooting skills for physical servers and documentation abilities to improve existing research project onboarding

📝 Tips for Applying to Foresight Institute

1

Highlight specific UNIX administration experience with GPU compute clusters, mentioning tools like SLURM, Kubernetes, or similar workload managers

2

Include concrete examples of Docker containerization for research workloads, specifying any scientific computing frameworks used

3

Demonstrate understanding of Foresight's interdisciplinary focus by mentioning experience supporting diverse research teams or projects

4

Showcase documentation improvements you've made in previous roles, especially for technical onboarding processes

5

Mention any experience with nonprofit or research institution environments, as this shows understanding of mission-driven technical support

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your hands-on experience with UNIX-based GPU systems and specific NVIDIA/CUDA environment management', 'Examples of supporting containerized research workloads and improving technical documentation processes', "Understanding of Foresight's mission to support interdisciplinary, early-stage research and how your skills enable that", 'Experience with both hardware maintenance and software optimization in research computing environments']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Explore Foresight's research publications and technical reports to understand the types of computational problems they tackle
  • → Investigate their current and past research projects to identify potential GPU computing needs
  • → Review their organizational structure and how technical support integrates with research teams
  • → Understand their funding model and how contract roles contribute to their nonprofit mission
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💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Walk me through your process for troubleshooting a multi-user GPU access issue on a UNIX system
2 How would you containerize a research workload with specific GPU requirements using Docker?
3 Describe your experience maintaining physical server hardware and preventing downtime in research environments
4 What documentation improvements have you implemented to help researchers onboard to compute systems?
5 How do you stay current with NVIDIA/CUDA updates and ensure compatibility with existing research workflows?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Applying with only generic Linux administration experience without specific GPU computing or research environment examples
  • Focusing solely on software skills while neglecting physical hardware maintenance experience
  • Submitting generic application materials that don't address Foresight's specific interdisciplinary research focus

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

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Good luck with your application to Foresight Institute!

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