Job Description

Posted: May 29, 2025
Tier 2 Canada Research Chair Faculty Position in Supercomputing
and High-Performance Computing
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Queen’s University at Kingston, Canada
Queen's University is situated on traditional Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee Territory.
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Stephen J. R. Smith Faculty of
Engineering and Applied Science at Queen’s University invites applications for a tenuretrack/
tenured Tier 2 Canada Research Chair position at the rank of Assistant or Associate
Professor with specialization in supercomputing, high performance computing, and
extreme-scale systems. Applicants with expertise in computing systems for modelling and
simulation, digital twins, and AI infrastructure are especially encouraged to apply. The
position will continue to support research at Queen’s University in the growing specialty of
Supercomputing and High-Performance Computing and will expand the successful Computer
Engineering program at Queen’s, which already includes 38 full-time Faculty and over 200
graduate students and postdocs. The preferred start date for the position is July 1, 2026.
Tier 2 Canada Research Chair
Canada Research Chairs were established as part of a national strategy to foster research
excellence (www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca). The successful candidate must submit an external
application to the Tri-agency Institutional Program Secretariat that meets the requirements
for the successful nomination of Tier 2 Chair as defined by the Canada Research Chairs
Program:
• be an excellent emerging world-class researcher who has demonstrated particular
research creativity;
• have demonstrated the potential to achieve international recognition in their field in
the next five to ten years;
• have the potential to attract, develop and retain excellent trainees, students and
future researchers; and
• be proposing an original, innovative research program of high quality.
Decreased teaching and administrative responsibilities will be associated with this position to
enable the candidate to develop a world-class research program.
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have:
• a PhD or equivalent degree completed at the start date of the appointment
(Note: the requirement for a PhD is that of the University and not the CRC program).
• a background in supercomputing systems and a solid understanding of the challenges
of building and operating large supercomputers.
• the ability to design and build supercomputers and be familiar with the components
and overall system design.
• extensive experience with building, improving, and using software on
supercomputers, direct experience with large supercomputers with traditional batch
systems like Slurm and expertise with Message Passing Interface, collective
communication libraries like NCCL/RCCL and experience with high performance
computing middleware is highly desirable. Optimizations of large parallel code bases
and experience with GPU programming languages such as CUDA and HIP is an asset.
Candidates should have strong backgrounds in C and/or C++ programming, have
knowledge of shared memory programming models like OpenMP and hybrid MPI+X
models.
• enthusiasm about teaching supercomputing/HPC to diverse groups.
The main criteria for selection are:
• evidence of high-quality scholarly research expertise that complements existing
research areas in the department that is demonstrated through peer reviewed
publications and external research funding;
• demonstrated aptitude for teaching courses at the undergraduate and graduate
levels, with a clear commitment to academic and pedagogical excellence;
• evidence of an ability to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary and studentcentered
environment;
• Professional engineering licensure in Canada, or the eligibility to obtain licensure, is a
requirement. Note that all forms of engineering licensure in Canada are considered
acceptable (e.g. P.Eng., temporary engineering license, provisional engineering
license, etc.).
• Postdoctoral and/or industrial experience will be considered an asset;
The successful candidate will be required to make contributions through service to the
Department, the Faculty, the University, and/or the broader community. Salary will be
commensurate with qualifications and experience.
CRC Tier 2 candidates with more than 10 years from their highest degree at the time of
nomination may have their eligibility for a Tier 2 Chair assessed through the program’s Tier 2
justification process. Acceptable justifications are generally limited to breaks in the
candidate’s research career due to maternity or parental leave, extended sick leave, clinical
training, and family care. Please contact [email protected] if you desire more
information on the Tier 2 justification process. In addition, the impact of certain
circumstances (including but not limited to parental leave, family responsibilities, illness,
disability, research in emerging fields, limited access to resources) that may legitimately
affect a nominee’s record of research achievement will be given careful consideration when
assessing the nominee’s research productivity. Candidates are encouraged to provide any
relevant information about their experience and/or career interruptions to allow for a fair
assessment of their application.
Vaccination Requirements
Prior to May 1, 2022, the University required all students, faculty, staff, and visitors (including
contractors) to declare their COVID-19 vaccination status and provide proof that they were
fully vaccinated or had an approved accommodation to engage in in-person University
activities. These requirements were suspended effective May 1, 2022, but the University may
reinstate them at any point.
The Faculty and Department
Queen’s University is one of Canada’s leading research-intensive universities with a global
reputation and is a recognized leader in Canadian higher education. The Department of
Electrical and Computer Engineering has 38 full-time and 7 cross-appointed faculty, 927
undergraduate students, and over 200 masters and doctoral students. The Department is
home to the Queen’s Centre for Energy and Power Electronics Research (ePOWER) and has
connections to a number of multi-disciplinary Centres such as the Ingenuity Labs Research
Institute, Human Mobility Research Centre, CMC Microsystems, Nanofabrication Kingston,
Green Centre Canada, Innovation Park, and the Dunin-Deshpande Queen’s Innovation
Connector.
Among our top priorities in Smith Engineering is providing opportunities for early career
academics to develop exceptional research and teaching contributions while fostering an
inclusive environment where all faculty can thrive. Support for faculty to develop strong
research programs includes Special Research Grant opportunities, grant writing workshops
and review services, and one-to-one mentorship from experienced colleagues.
Smith Engineering understands that we need to focus on making Engineering for Everyone
and is working toward a more diverse and inclusive community in an effort enhance the
learning and working environment, and to advance the practice of engineering. The Faculty
strives to make a difference through commitments such as the establishment of a Chair for
Women in Engineering to improve the proportional representation of women in engineering,
the new Engineering Strategic Plan, Reimagining Engineering Education, and the dynamic
outreach programs including Indigenous Futures in Engineering and Black Youth in STEM.
Institution
Queen’s University has a long history of scholarship, discovery, and innovation that shapes
our collective knowledge and helps address some of the world’s most pressing concerns.
Home to more than 25,000 students, Queen’s offers a comprehensive research-intensive
environment. Diverse perspectives and a wealth of experience enrich our students and
faculty while a core part of our mission is to engage in international learning and research.
In 2024, for the fourth year in a row, Queen’s University has ranked in top 10 globally Times
Higher Education Impact Rankings, securing the position of third worldwide and first in North
America. The rankings measured over 2,100 post-secondary institutions on their work to
advance the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
A member of the U15 group of Canadian research universities, Queen’s is home to a vibrant
research community that includes 33 Canada Research Chairs and over 20 research institutes
who work in partnership with communities, governments, and industry to advance research
and innovation, making a measured impact on Canada and the world.
Faculty and their dependents are eligible for an extensive benefits package including
prescription drug coverage, vision care, dental care, long term disability insurance, life
insurance and access to the Employee and Family Assistance Program. Employees also
participate in a pension plan. Tuition assistance is available for qualifying employees, their
spouses and dependent children. Queen’s values families and is pleased to provide a ‘top up’
to government parental leave benefits for eligible employees on maternity/parental leave. In
addition, Queen’s provides partial reimbursement for eligible daycare expenses for
employees with dependent children in daycare. Details are set out in the Queen’s-QUFA
Collective Agreement. For more information on employee benefits, see Queen’s Human
Resources.
Queen’s University has many institutional supports in place for these values and regularly
monitors and reports on its progress in achieving inclusive goals. Queen’s University
demonstrates its commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion by ongoing self-study and
by implementing best practices on an ongoing basis. The research community at Queen's is
committed to and recognizes that building a culture of diversity is a socially responsible
approach that actively removes discrimination and barriers to inclusion to provide benefits
that reach beyond Queen's University. At Queen's, we recognize that diversity advances
research for the greater good by valuing alternate perspectives, thereby unlocking creative
potential and stimulating novel collaborations. To that end, Queen's values its responsibility
to promote equity in the employment of women, racialized/visible minorities, Indigenous
Peoples, and persons with disabilities; Queen's is an advocate for equity within the Canada
Research Chairs Program. Queen's commits to evaluating representation of the four
Designated Groups listed above within its Canada Research Chair Program and commits
further to striving proactively to meet and to maintain its equity targets among the
exceptional researchers recruited to this program.
Additional information about Queen’s University can be found on the Faculty Recruitment
and Support website.
The City
The University is situated on the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee and
Anishinaabe, in historic Kingston on the shores of Lake Ontario. Queen’s is an integral part of
the Kingston community, with the campus nestled in the core of the city, only a 10-minute
walk to downtown. Kingston’s residents enjoy an outstanding quality of life with a wide range
of cultural and creative opportunities, with access to many natural areas and proximity to
vibrant First Nations Communities including Tyendinaga and Akwesasne. Kingston is a unique
Canadian city of 125,000 with a distinct blend of history, recreation, industry, and learning.
Kingston offers waterfront living with many recreational opportunities. It is within a two-anda-
half hour drive (two-hour train ride) to the commercial, industrial and political hubs of
Toronto, Montreal, and the nation’s capital, Ottawa, and a thirty minute drive from the
international bridge linking Ontario and upstate New York. The city is also the origin of the
historic Rideau Canal system – a UNESCO International Heritage site, and is close to
Frontenac Provincial Park, the Thousand Islands National Park, and the Frontenac Arch
UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. The Queen’s University Biological Station, north of the
city, encompasses 34 km2 of diverse lands, affording premier learning and research
opportunities. Visit Inclusive Queen’s for information on equity, diversity and inclusion
resources and initiatives.
How to Apply
The University invites applications from all qualified individuals. Queen’s is strongly
committed to employment equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace and encourages
applications from Black, racialized/visible minority and Indigenous people, women, persons
with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQ+ persons.
In accordance with Canadian immigration requirements, Canadian citizens and permanent
residents of Canada will be given priority, including any qualified individuals who have a valid
legal work status in Canada. Please indicate in your application if you have a valid legal work
status in Canada. Applications from all qualified candidates will be considered in the
applicant pool.
In addition, the impact of certain circumstances that may legitimately affect a nominee’s
record of research achievement will be given careful consideration when assessing the
nominee’s research productivity. Candidates are encouraged to provide any relevant
information about their experience and/or career interruptions.
The University will provide support in its recruitment processes to applicants with disabilities,
including accommodation that takes into account an applicant’s accessibility needs. If you
require accommodation during the interview process, please contact Ms. Shelly Stilson in the
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, at [email protected].
Those interested in this position should submit a complete application package, including the
following documents:
• a cover letter, indicating whether or not you have a valid legal work status in Canada;
• a current Curriculum Vitae (including a list of publications and, funding secured and
pending);
• a statement of research interests, including your research vision for the next 5 years;
• a statement of teaching interests and experience (including teaching outlines and
evaluations if available);
• a statement identifying their strengths and experiences with, and commitment to,
facilitation and promotion of Indigenization, equity, diversity, inclusion, anti-racism,
and accessibility;
• three sample publications; and,
• the names and contact information of three referees.
Applicants are requested to send their application package electronically as a single PDF file
to the Appointments Committee c/o Shelly Stilson, at [email protected] with the
following subject line: Tier 2 CRC in Supercomputing/High Performance Computing Faculty
Position Application. The deadline for applications is November 1, 2025; however,
applications will continue to be reviewed until the position is filled.
Academic staff at Queen’s University are governed by a Collective Agreement between the
University and the Queen’s University Faculty Association (QUFA), which is posted at
https://www.queensu.ca/facultyrelations/qufa/collective-agreements-lous-moas and at
http://www.qufa.ca.
Appointments are subject to review and final approval by the Provost. Only nominees
external to Queen’s University will be considered. (Please note that, for the purposes of this
competition, Queen’s Term Adjuncts and Adjunct-1s will be considered as external
nominees).