Systems Engineer - Research & Development - job 1 of 2

As a Systems Engineer at Hudson River Trading, your key responsibilities include planning and executing technical projects to enhance the performance and maintainability of our Linux research systems. You will manage and optimize large-scale distributed compute and HPC clusters while automating and troubleshooting various technical infrastructures. Troubleshooting hardware and software issues across the technology stack and performance testing and tuning are also part of your core duties.

To be eligible for the Systems Engineer position at Hudson River Trading, you should have a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience. Key qualifications include expertise in Linux systems installation, configuration, and troubleshooting, proficiency with command line tools, experience with configuration management tools, and familiarity with Python or Shell scripting. Attention to detail and effective communication skills are also essential attributes for this role.

As a Systems Engineer at Hudson River Trading, you will be involved in various projects related to the maintenance and development of our advanced computing environment. This includes designing services for optimizing our research systems, scaling and enhancing our HPC environment, for example, through hardware and software installations, and automating manual processes to improve efficiency and productivity.

The company culture at Hudson River Trading is centered around collaboration, innovation, and diversity. We have created a friendly and open environment where Systems Engineers are encouraged to share ideas and contribute to projects that shape our future. With a focus on continuous learning and professional development, team members often bond through shared interests, whether collaborating on technical challenges or enjoying social activities outside of work.

Hudson River Trading values collaboration and teamwork, primarily operating in-office. However, depending on specific circumstances related to projects and personal situations, remote work arrangements can be discussed. Our goal is to create the best work environment for our Systems Engineers while ensuring the efficiency of our operations.

In responding to this question, focus on specific projects where you installed, configured, or troubleshot Linux systems. Highlight your technical skills and any tools or methodologies you implemented to improve system performance. Use examples to illustrate your problem-solving skills and how they align with the responsibilities at Hudson River Trading.

Share a structured approach for troubleshooting issues, such as identifying the problem, gathering data, analyzing the logs, and implementing solutions before retesting the system. Illustrate your reasoning with a real-life example where you successfully resolved a significant issue and discuss what you learned from the experience.

Discuss your familiarity with HPC environments and any direct experience you have managing or optimizing them. Mention specific tools, techniques, or processes you have used. Providing an example where you contributed to performance tuning or enhanced the efficiency of an HPC cluster would be beneficial.

Choose a project where you implemented automation to improve efficiency or reduce manual effort. Describe the tools you used, the challenges you faced, and the results achieved. Emphasize how automation provided a significant benefit to your work, aligning with HRT's focus on continuous improvement.

Explain your strategy for project prioritization, whether it's based on deadlines, project impact, or resource availability. Provide an example of a time you successfully managed competing tasks while ensuring high-quality outcomes. This showcases your time management and organization skills, which are essential traits for the Systems Engineer role.

Be specific about the configuration management tools you have experience with, such as Ansible, Puppet, or Chef. Discuss how you used these tools to streamline workflows and maintain system consistency. Relating your experience to tasks at Hudson River Trading can help establish your qualifications.

Share your understanding of performance testing and how you would assess system efficiency, scalability, and reliability. Discuss the metrics or monitoring tools you use and how tuning them has helped a system operate optimally based on your experience.

Explain methods you use to foster clear communication, such as regular updates, collaborative tools, or documentation practices. Provide examples of times you coordinated with multiple stakeholders, which highlight your strong communication skills, a key requirement for the Systems Engineer role.

Discuss your passion for technology and learning, perhaps mentioning books, blogs, or communities you engage with. Emphasize how staying updated benefits your work as a Systems Engineer, particularly in a cutting-edge environment like Hudson River Trading.

Share a scenario where you faced communication challenges. Discuss how you approached the situation, your conflict resolution strategies, and the eventual outcome. This allows you to demonstrate not only your interpersonal skills but also how you remain solution-oriented in tough situations.