Scientific IT Specialist

Nextonic is seeking a highly ambitious, adaptable, structured, and detail-oriented Scientific IT Specialist to join our vibrant team at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) supporting the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) located in Bethesda, MD. 

Overall Position Summary and Objectives The purpose of this position is to support the scientific computing needs of the Neurophysiology Imaging Facility and Section for Cognitive Neurophysiology and Imaging at the National Institute of Mental Health.

Deliverables:

• Work products and documents related to designing and implementing software and hardware systems to support scientific research which includes, designing software to help solve problems that arise during the development of new approaches to biomedical computing; designing, developing, and modifying existing software to help solve scientific computing problems which involve graphics, prototype database development, genomic data analysis, modeling and simulation, and data display and presentation; providing recommendations in the selection , evaluation and procurement of computing hardware and software that will best meet the users needs in the networked computing environment; providing software development instruction and guidance regarding best practices for using distributed version control system software such as Git and online software development services such as GitHub. - Daily
• Work products and documents related to customizing commercially available software programs for data collection and analysis; upgrade and maintain computer hardware, peripherals, network switches and hubs; operate all scientific and non scientific software licenses; prepare purchase orders, receive and install hardware and software using appropriate monies via gov purchasing system; implement improvements to development of applications, databases, or software tools. - Daily
• Work products and documents related to evaluating experiment and testing strategies and identify new approaches, methods and systems including investigating the suitability of specific methods, algorithms, and software approaches to clinical experiments and testing; participate in both short and long term scientific strategy planning; collaborate with staff to design data acquisition platforms using cutting edge technologies; perform rigorous analysis of complex data; design and implement computer solutions to novel experimental data collection and analysis challenges within the imaging facility and neighboring labs; encode, test, debug and install new programs using various programming languages; document all assignments and creates various reports; troubleshoots any issues or problems and implements appropriate corrective actions. - Daily
• Works products and documents related to monitoring and evaluating computer information systems and application performance which includes, analyze system
  performance data to identify areas in need of change or improvement; investigate software architectures and methods development to identify where software reusability and portability could be improved; aid with planning, building and maintaining applications to meet an end user's needs; write custom code in scripting languages (e.g., python) for the automation of data transfer, storage and backup; develop and implement backup strategies for all data and applications in central facilities and as needed at individual workstations; use redundant disk, server, backup and power systems. - Daily
  
• Work products and documents related to operating and maintaining the imaging facility's mission critical web services, including hosting of imaging data sets, scanner scheduling and online documentation; maintain facility home webpage including editing of HTML, files and guidance for individual lab members; operate and maintain databases (PostgreSQL) associated with these facility web services; operate continuous deployment (via jenkins) of the facility's web based resources for its users; contribute to the facility's web based documentation for disseminating relevant IT-related processes and guidance to faculty staff and users; implement and support a variety of appropriate network services such as document and file transfers, shared high capacity disks, document sharing and electronic mail. - Daily
• Work products and documents related to installing, maintaining and updating Windows, Macintosh and Linux workstations; provide platforms to support data analysis such as workstations with MATLAB software installed; operate experimental PC workstations used for data collection, ensuring LAN port connectivity, managing software licenses and maintenance; provide tier I level II support to facility users and lab members; resolve or escalate issues based on criteria; act as point of contact with the NIMH ISO, NIMH ITB and NIH CIT; comply with all NIMH IT or CIT security relates policies and directives; operate NIH mailing list distributions; add/remove members as requested by NIH POC; provide database support and maintenance, including production data analysis to ensure data integrity, data correction with SQL and/or Java utilities, implementation of the new utilities for users and system administrators to support and correct data. - Weekly
• Work products and documents related to providing subject matter expertise to senior scientists and program executives including participating in weekly meetings with faculty staff and weekly meetings with laboratory staff; keep up to date on new technology and present recommendations and justifications on major hardware and software purchases; prepare roadmaps, schedules, status reports, plans and recommendations. - Weekly
• Work products and documents related to developing advanced approaches to artificial intelligence and machine learning to support scientific research including, establishing scalable, efficient, automated processes for large scale data analysis, model development, model validation and model implementation; create system for spontaneous or scheduled interaction with scientists to provide guidance and problem resolution for users; provide consultation, training, and assistance to staff concerning the effective movement, pre-processing and display of fMRI data; provide setup and maintenance of common high performance (Linux) servers to be used by the imaging and electrophysiology community for the processing of large datasets; perform installation and maintenance of virtual machines with VMWare; allow scientists to work on the Linux computers remotely via remote management software such as VNC.
  

Work Details:

• Designs and implements software and hardware systems to support scientific research.
  
• Design software to help solve problems that arise during the development of new approaches to biomedical computing.
  
• Design, develop and modify existing software to help solve scientific computing problems which involve graphics, prototype database development, genomic data analysis, modeling and simulation, and data display and presentation.
  
• Provide recommendations in the selection, evaluation and procurement of computing hardware and software that will best meet the user’s needs in the networked computing environment.
  
• Provide software development instruction and guidance regarding “best practices” for using distributed version control system software such as “Git” and online software development services such as “GitHub”.
  
• Customize commercially available software programs for data collection and analysis.
  
• Upgrade and maintain computer hardware, peripherals, network switches and hubs.
  
• Operate all scientific and non-scientific software licenses.
  
• Prepare purchase orders, receive, and install hardware and software using appropriate monies via government purchasing system.
  
• Implement improvements to development activities to speed development of applications, databases, or software tools.
  
• Evaluates experiment and testing strategies and identify new approaches, methods, and systems.
  
• Investigate the suitability of specific methods, algorithms, and software approaches to clinical experiments and testing.
  
• Participate in both short- and long-term scientific strategic planning
  
• Collaborate with staff to design data acquisition platforms using cutting edge technologies; perform rigorous analysis of complex data.
  
• Design and implement computer solutions to novel experimental data collection and analysis challenges within the imaging facility and neighboring labs.
  
• Encode, test, debug and install new programs using various programming languages.
  
• Document all assignments and creates various reports as needed.
  
• Troubleshoots any issues or problems and implements appropriate corrective actions.
  
• Monitors and evaluates computer information systems and application performance.
  
• Analyze system performance data to identify areas in need of change or improvement.
  
• Investigate software architectures and methods development to identify where software reusability and portability could be improved.
  
• Aid with planning, building, and maintaining applications to meet an end user's needs.
  
• Write custom code in scripting language (e.g. Python) for the automation of data transfer, storage, and backup.
  
• Develop and implement backup strategies for all data and applications in central facilities and as needed at individual workstations; use redundant disk, server, backup and power systems.
  
• Operate and maintain the imaging facility’s mission-critical web services, including hosting of imaging data sets (Orthanc), scanner scheduling (MRBS) and online documentation (Sphinx).
  
• Maintain facility home webpage, including editing of HTML, files and guidance for individual lab members.
  
• Operate and maintain databases (PostgreSQL) associated with these facility web services.
  
• Operate continuous deployment (via Jenkins) of the facility’s web-based resources for it’s users.
  
• Contribute to the facility’s web-based documentation (Sphinx) for disseminating relevant IT-related processes and guidance to facility staff and users.
  
• Implement and support a variety of appropriate network services such as document and file transfers, shared high-capacity disks, document sharing and electronic mail.
  
• Install, maintain and update Windows, Macintosh, and Linux workstations.
  
• Provide platforms to support data analysis such as workstations with MATLAB software installed.
  
• Operate experimental PC workstations used for data collection, ensuring LAN port connectivity, managing software licenses, and maintaining
  
• Provide tier I level II support to facility users and lab members; resolve or escalate issues based on criteria.
  
• Act as point of contact with the NIMH SIO, NIMH ITB, and NIH CIT.
  
• Comply with all NIMH IT or CIT security-related policies and directives
  
• Operate NIH mailing list distributions; add/remove members are requested by NIH POC.
  
• Provide database support and maintenance, including production data analysis to ensure data integrity, data correction with SQL and/or Java utilities, implementation of the new utilities for users and system administrators to support and correct data.
  
• Provides subject matter expertise to senior scientists and program executives.
  
• Participate in weekly meetings with facility staff and weekly meetings with laboratory staff
  
• Keep up to date on new technology and present recommendations and justifications on major hardware and software purchases.
  
• Prepare roadmaps, schedules, status reports, plans and recommendations.
  
• Develops advanced approaches to artificial intelligence and machine learning to support scientific research.
  
• Establish scalable, efficient, automated processes for large scale data analyses, model development, model validation and model implementation.
  
• Create system for spontaneous or scheduled interaction with scientists to provide guidance and problem resolution for users.
  
• Provide consultation, training and assistance to staff concerning the effective use of computing and networking resources.
  
• Conceive of and create data processing pipelines that allow for the efficient movement, pre-processing and display of fMRI data.
  
• Provide setup and maintenance of common high-performance (Linux) servers to be used by the imaging and electrophysiology community for the processing of large datasets.
  
• Perform installation and maintenance of virtual machines with VMWare; allow scientists to work on the Linux computers remotely via remote management software such as VNC.
   

Minimum Education

Master's

Additional Qualifications:

Certifications & Licenses

• Bachelors Degree

Field of Study

• Neuroscience
• Computer Science
• Computer Engineering
• Biomedical Engineering

Software

• Matlab or Python
• SQL
• HTML
• Linux
• AFNI

Skills

• Server Management
• Operating Systems (Mac, Windows, Linux)
• Scientific Data Analysis
• Instrumentation for data Acquisition
• Communicating Best Practices
• Hardware Procurement and Maintenance

Benefits

• 100% Medical Dental & Vision Coverage for Employees
• Educational Benefits for Career Growth
• Paid Time Off (Including Holidays)
• Employee Referral Bonus
• Profit Sharing
• 401K Matching
• Flexible Spending Accounts:
  • Healthcare (FSA)
  • Parking Reimbursement Account (PRK)
  • Dependent Care Assistant Program (DCAP)
  • Transportation Reimbursement Account (TRN)