About CNAG

The Centro Nacional de Análisis Genómico (CNAG) is a world-leading genomics research institute located in Barcelona. With state-of-the-art genomic analysis capabilities, CNAG supports national and international researchers, as well as clinicians, in pursuing cutting-edge research and clinical applications. CNAG carries out large-scale genomic projects involving DNA and RNA analysis in collaboration with the Spanish, European and international research communities.

CNAG is one of the largest genome analysis centres in Europe, equipped with advanced sequencing, single-cell and spatial genomics technologies and extensive computing infrastructure. Its operations are certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 and accredited according to ISO/IEC 17025, supporting the delivery of standardised, high-quality data for research and clinical applications.

CNAG has more than 125 professionals and participates in major international genome initiatives and EU-funded projects

About CNAG’s IT Department

The Systems Administrator will join CNAG’s IT Department and work with the existing team to manage and improve the organisation’s IT infrastructure and computing platforms. The team supports a state-of-the-art data centre with an HPC compute cluster of more than 10,000 cores, over 30 petabytes of storage and high-speed networking capabilities up to 400 Gbps.

The Role

We are looking for a Systems and Security Administrator to join our IT department and contribute to the operation, security, and continuous improvement of our corporate and scientific computing infrastructure. The successful candidate will play an active role in supporting the technical and organizational measures required to achieve and maintain compliance with the Spanish National Security Framework (ENS) at High Category level and ISO 27001 requirements.

This position combines Linux systems administration, cybersecurity operations, HPC infrastructure support, and compliance-related activities. The primary focus of the role is to help ensure the availability, security, integrity, and continuous operation of the organization's scientific and corporate computing platforms while supporting compliance with ENS and ISO 27001 requirements.

The successful candidate will participate in the day-to-day administration of Linux systems, storage platforms, network services, security controls, and HPC infrastructure. Working alongside senior team members, they will contribute to maintaining reliable and secure services, resolving incidents, implementing infrastructure improvements, and progressively taking on more advanced technical responsibilities.

A significant part of the role involves supporting the organization's HPC and data processing infrastructure, one of the key platforms enabling scientific research. Responsibilities include contributing to service availability, data integrity and security, backup and recovery procedures, capacity planning, network operations, and the implementation of security controls that protect both computing resources and scientific data assets.

The Systems and Security Administrator will collaborate with internal IT teams, technology providers, auditors, and external cybersecurity partners. The role includes supporting security technologies such as firewalls, VPN services, monitoring platforms, vulnerability management tools, endpoint protection solutions, and security sensors where required. Some cybersecurity services are operated in coordination with the Spanish Government's Cybersecurity Operations Center (COCS), which acts as the organization's reference Security Operations Center (SOC).

Main Responsabilities

Systems, Security and Compliance Operations

• Support the implementation and operation of technical and organizational controls required by ENS High Category and ISO 27001.
• Maintain compliance evidence, asset inventories, security documentation, operational procedures, and configuration records.
• Apply security best practices and hardening standards to Linux systems and infrastructure services.
• Assist in vulnerability management activities, remediation tracking, and corrective action plans.
• Operate security monitoring, logging, auditing, and endpoint protection platforms.
• Support cybersecurity incident response, investigation, containment, recovery, and post-incident activities.
• Assist in the administration of identity and access management systems, including authentication, authorization, and privileged access controls.
• Participate in security audits, compliance assessments, risk mitigation activities, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support the deployment and operation of security technologies including firewalls, VPNs, security monitoring sensors, endpoint protection platforms, and other infrastructure security controls.
• Collaborate with the AGE Cybersecurity Operations Center (COCS) and other security service providers when required.

HPC and Infrastructure Operations

• Administer Linux servers and virtualized infrastructure supporting both corporate and scientific services.
• Support the operation and maintenance of HPC platforms and associated research computing services.
• Contribute to maintaining the availability, reliability, security, and performance of HPC computing resources.
• Assist in the administration of storage platforms, scientific datasets, and data lifecycle management processes.
• Participate in backup, recovery, and disaster recovery activities to ensure data protection and business continuity requirements are met.
• Support capacity planning and infrastructure growth initiatives, including compute, storage, and network resources.
• Monitor infrastructure health, performance, utilization, and availability, identifying risks and proposing improvements.
• Assist in the administration of high-performance networking, firewalls, VPN services, network segmentation, and network security controls.
• Collaborate in the operation of cluster scheduling systems, storage services, monitoring platforms, and data management infrastructure.
• Support the deployment and maintenance of infrastructure monitoring tools, security sensors, and endpoint protection technologies where required.
• Troubleshoot infrastructure and operational incidents, escalating complex issues when necessary.
• Develop and maintain automation scripts and operational tooling using Bash, Python, Ansible, or similar technologies.
• Maintain accurate technical documentation and operational procedures.
• Participate in infrastructure deployment, migration, upgrade, and modernization projects.

Skills/Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Telecommunications, Engineering, or a related field.
• At least 4 years of experience administering Linux systems in production environments.
• Solid understanding of operating systems, networking, storage, virtualization, and infrastructure services.
• Practical experience with scripting and automation using tools such as Bash, Python, or Ansible.
• Knowledge of Linux security principles and system hardening practices.
• Familiarity with networking concepts, including TCP/IP, routing, DNS, firewalls, VPNs, and network troubleshooting.
• Experience working with documented operational procedures and change management processes.
• Good analytical and troubleshooting skills.
• Ability to learn new technologies and technical concepts independently.
• Good communication skills and the ability to work effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Professional working proficiency in English.

Desirable:

• Experience working with ENS, ISO 27001, NIS2, or similar cybersecurity and compliance frameworks.
• Experience with SIEM, EDR, vulnerability management, asset management, endpoint protection, or security monitoring solutions.
• Familiarity with centralized authentication technologies such as Active Directory, LDAP, FreeIPA, or Kerberos.
• Experience participating in security audits, compliance assessments, or risk management activities.
• Exposure to HPC environments, scientific computing infrastructures, or research organizations.
• Familiarity with Slurm, parallel file systems, InfiniBand, high-performance networking, or large-scale storage environments.
• Experience with backup platforms, disaster recovery procedures, and data protection technologies.
• Experience with cloud platforms and hybrid infrastructure environments.
• Good command of English, Spanish and Catalan

Relevant certifications in Linux administration, cybersecurity, networking, or cloud technologies

Employment Conditions & Benefits

• Contract: Permanent full-time employment contract.
• Work location: CNAG, Barcelona, Spain.
• Expected starting date: As soon as possible.
• Working hours: 35-hour working week, Monday to Friday.
• Flexible working hours: Starting time between 7:30 and 10:00, with a lunch break of between 30 minutes and 1.5 hours.
• Remote working: Possibility of remote working up to two days per week.
• Annual leave: 30 working days per year.
• Salary: Commensurate with qualifications and experience, in accordance with CNAG's salary scales.
• Flexible remuneration: Options may include meals, public transport, health insurance, childcare and training.

Application Procedure

All applications must be addressed to People Management - people@cnag.eu

Email subject: 2026-15  CNAG: Systems & Security Administrator

Deadline: Please submit your application by November 1st, 2026.

All applications must include:

• A complete CV including contact details.
• Contact details of two referees.
• Cover letter.

Selection Procedure

The pre-selection process will be based on the qualifications, professional experience and expertise reflected in the candidates' applications. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview.

CNAG offers and promotes a diverse and inclusive environment and welcomes applications regardless of age, disability, gender, nationality, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation.

See all our job openings in the "Jobs" section of the CNAG website: http://www.cnag.eu/jobs