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Research Engineer (holding the functional title as System Engineer) - Job Opportunity at Hong Kong Generative AI Research and Development Center Limited

Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong
Full-time
Mid-level
Posted: July 29, 2025
On-site
HKD 600,000 - 900,000 per year (USD 77,000 - 115,000). This estimate reflects the specialized nature of GPU cluster management, the research institution setting, Hong Kong's competitive tech salary market, and the strategic importance of this role in a flagship government-funded initiative.

Benefits

Highly competitive compensation package designed to attract top-tier talent in the rapidly growing AI research sector
Comprehensive medical insurance coverage providing financial security and peace of mind for healthcare needs
Dental insurance benefits supporting overall health and wellness, reflecting modern employee care standards
Generous paid leave allocation enabling work-life balance crucial for sustained research productivity
Contract renewal opportunities providing career stability and continuity in cutting-edge research projects
Professional development programs fostering continuous learning in the fast-evolving AI landscape
Promotion pathways within a prestigious research institution offering clear career advancement
Performance-based gratuity payments upon successful contract completion, rewarding excellence and commitment
Access to state-of-the-art GPU infrastructure and research facilities worth millions of dollars
Collaboration opportunities with world-renowned professors and industry leaders from DeepMind, IBM, Ping An, and JD Research

Key Responsibilities

Architect and manage hundreds of high-performance Nvidia GPU servers, directly enabling breakthrough AI research that could revolutionize multiple industries and establish Hong Kong as a global AI hub
Design and optimize GPU cluster configurations that support the largest collaborative scientific research project in Hong Kong's history, impacting six top-100 QS universities and their research outcomes
Lead technical infrastructure decisions for large language models, computer vision, and audio generation systems that will influence the future of human-AI interaction and creative collaboration
Implement and maintain high-speed storage solutions and network communication systems critical for training foundation models that could transform how people live, work, and interact globally
Provide technical leadership and system management expertise to support over hundreds of AI researchers and developers, directly impacting the productivity and success of groundbreaking research initiatives
Drive troubleshooting and optimization of complex GPU cluster environments, ensuring maximum uptime and performance for time-sensitive research projects with international significance
Establish best practices for cluster scheduling and resource allocation that will serve as the foundation for Hong Kong's emergence as an international innovation and technology center

Requirements

Education

Master's degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Electronic Engineering, Information Engineering, Mathematics or a related field

Experience

More than 3 years of experience in managing clusters of 20 or more Nvidia GPU servers

Required Skills

proficiency in GPU cluster configuration, scheduling, and software management familiarity with principles, configuration optimization, and troubleshooting of intra-machine and inter-machine network communication of Nvidia GPU clusters, such as NVLink and InfiniBand switches proficiency in the configuration and management of high-speed storage dedicated to GPU clusters, such as DDN storage
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Sauge AI Market Intelligence

Industry Trends

The generative AI market is experiencing unprecedented growth with global investments exceeding $25 billion in 2023, creating massive demand for infrastructure specialists who can manage large-scale GPU deployments. Organizations are racing to build foundation models and AI applications, driving the need for experts who understand both the technical complexities of GPU clusters and the specific requirements of AI workloads. Hong Kong is positioning itself as a major AI research hub in Asia, with significant government backing through InnoHK initiatives and substantial funding from the University Grants Committee. This represents a strategic shift toward establishing the region as a competitor to Silicon Valley and other established tech centers, creating unique opportunities for professionals in AI infrastructure. The shift toward large language models and multimodal AI systems requires specialized infrastructure knowledge that combines traditional high-performance computing with AI-specific optimizations. Companies are seeking professionals who understand not just server management, but the nuances of training and inference workloads for transformer architectures and other advanced AI models.

Role Significance

The role likely involves leading a technical team of 3-8 infrastructure specialists and collaborating with research teams totaling 50+ members across multiple institutions. The appointee will interface with professors, postdocs, and industry professionals, requiring both technical expertise and collaborative leadership skills.
This role represents a mid-to-senior level position with significant technical leadership responsibilities. The appointee will be managing infrastructure worth millions of dollars and supporting hundreds of researchers, indicating substantial trust and autonomy. The position serves as a critical enabler for groundbreaking research rather than a support function, elevating its strategic importance within the organization.

Key Projects

Designing and implementing GPU cluster architectures for training large language models with billions of parameters, requiring deep understanding of distributed computing and AI-specific hardware optimization Building infrastructure to support multimodal AI research including computer vision foundation models and audio generation systems, necessitating expertise in diverse computational requirements and data pipeline management Establishing the technical foundation for human-AI collaboration platforms and creative AI systems that will serve as flagship demonstrations of Hong Kong's AI capabilities to the international research community

Success Factors

Deep technical expertise in modern GPU architectures, particularly Nvidia's latest generations, combined with understanding of AI workload characteristics and optimization strategies that can significantly impact research productivity and outcomes Strong project management and communication skills to coordinate infrastructure needs across multiple research teams and institutions, ensuring that technical decisions align with research objectives and timelines Adaptability and continuous learning mindset to stay current with rapidly evolving AI hardware and software ecosystems, as the infrastructure requirements for generative AI continue to evolve at an unprecedented pace Strategic thinking ability to anticipate future infrastructure needs and scalability requirements as the research center grows and takes on more ambitious projects with international collaborators

Market Demand

Very High - The intersection of AI infrastructure expertise and research institution experience represents a critical skill gap in the rapidly expanding generative AI sector, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region.

Important Skills

Critical Skills

GPU cluster management expertise is absolutely essential as the role involves managing hundreds of high-performance servers worth millions of dollars. Deep understanding of Nvidia architectures, CUDA optimization, and distributed computing principles directly impacts the organization's ability to conduct world-class research and maintain its competitive edge in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. Network infrastructure knowledge, particularly with high-speed interconnects like InfiniBand and NVLink, is crucial for enabling the massive data transfers and communication patterns required for training large AI models. This expertise directly determines the efficiency and scalability of research operations. Storage system optimization skills, especially with high-performance solutions like DDN storage, are critical for managing the enormous datasets and model checkpoints involved in generative AI research. Poor storage performance can become a significant bottleneck that limits research productivity and innovation speed.

Beneficial Skills

Understanding of AI/ML workflows and model training processes would significantly enhance the appointee's ability to optimize infrastructure for specific research needs and anticipate future requirements as the field evolves Experience with containerization and orchestration technologies like Kubernetes would be valuable for managing complex multi-user research environments and ensuring efficient resource utilization across diverse projects Knowledge of cloud computing platforms and hybrid infrastructure management would provide flexibility for scaling research operations and collaborating with international partners who may use different computing environments

Unique Aspects

Opportunity to work directly with Professor Yike GUO and other internationally recognized AI researchers, providing unparalleled access to cutting-edge research and professional networking in the global AI community
Access to state-of-the-art infrastructure including hundreds of Nvidia GPU servers, representing one of the most advanced AI research computing environments in Asia
Involvement in groundbreaking research across multiple AI domains including large language models, computer vision, and audio generation, offering broad exposure to the full spectrum of generative AI technologies
Position at the intersection of academic research and practical application, with direct connections to major industry partners and the potential to influence the development of AI technologies that reach millions of users

Career Growth

2-4 years for progression to senior management roles, given the specialized nature of the experience and the rapid growth of the AI infrastructure market creating abundant advancement opportunities.

Potential Next Roles

Senior Research Infrastructure Manager or Director of Technical Operations at major AI research institutions or technology companies, leveraging experience with large-scale AI infrastructure to lead even larger technical organizations Chief Technology Officer or VP of Engineering at AI startups or scale-ups, applying research infrastructure experience to commercial AI product development and deployment Technical Lead or Principal Engineer at major technology companies like Google, Microsoft, or Nvidia, focusing on AI infrastructure products and services for enterprise and research markets

Company Overview

Hong Kong Generative AI Research and Development Center Limited

Hong Kong Generative AI Research and Development Center Limited represents a flagship initiative in Hong Kong's strategy to establish itself as an international AI research hub. Established in October 2023 as part of the InnoHK program, the organization brings together six top-100 QS universities and collaborates with leading international institutions and industry partners including DeepMind, IBM, Ping An, and JD Research Institutes.

The organization holds a unique position as the largest collaborative scientific research project in Hong Kong's history, with substantial government backing and academic prestige. Its association with HKUST and international partnerships positions it as a bridge between academic research and industry application in the generative AI space.
The center serves as Hong Kong's primary vehicle for competing with established AI research hubs like Silicon Valley, Boston, and Beijing. Its InnoHK backing and university partnerships give it significant influence in shaping the region's AI research agenda and talent development initiatives.
The environment combines the intellectual rigor of top-tier academic research with the urgency and innovation focus of a well-funded startup. Team members work alongside internationally recognized professors and industry veterans, creating a collaborative atmosphere focused on breakthrough research and practical applications.
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