diff --git a/nemo_run/run/torchx_backend/schedulers/slurm.py b/nemo_run/run/torchx_backend/schedulers/slurm.py
index c959c968..c3c08bf6 100644
--- a/nemo_run/run/torchx_backend/schedulers/slurm.py
+++ b/nemo_run/run/torchx_backend/schedulers/slurm.py
@@ -424,12 +424,24 @@ def _save_job_dir(
         )
 
 
-def _get_job_dirs() -> dict[str, tuple[str, SSHTunnel | LocalTunnel, str]]:
-    try:
-        with open(SLURM_JOB_DIRS, "rt") as f:
-            lines = f.readlines()
-    except FileNotFoundError:
-        return {}
+def _get_job_dirs(retries: int = 5) -> dict[str, tuple[str, SSHTunnel | LocalTunnel, str]]:
+    last_exc: OSError | None = None
+    for _ in range(retries):
+        try:
+            with open(SLURM_JOB_DIRS, "rt") as f:
+                lines = f.readlines()
+            break
+        except FileNotFoundError:
+            return {}
+        except OSError as e:
+            last_exc = e
+            time.sleep(1)
+    else:
+        if last_exc is not None:
+            raise last_exc
+        raise OSError(
+            f"Failed to read SLURM job dirs from {SLURM_JOB_DIRS} after {retries} retries"
+        )
 
     out = {}
     for line in lines:
diff --git a/test/run/torchx_backend/schedulers/test_slurm.py b/test/run/torchx_backend/schedulers/test_slurm.py
index c8851bcc..5e829381 100644
--- a/test/run/torchx_backend/schedulers/test_slurm.py
+++ b/test/run/torchx_backend/schedulers/test_slurm.py
@@ -339,6 +339,31 @@ def test_get_job_dirs():
                     assert result == {}
 
 
+def test_get_job_dirs_retries_on_permission_error(tmp_path, mocker):
+    """Transient PermissionError should be retried; success on 3rd attempt returns data."""
+    mocker.patch("time.sleep")  # don't actually sleep in tests
+    mock_open = mocker.mock_open(read_data="")
+    mock_open.side_effect = [
+        PermissionError("[Errno 1] Operation not permitted"),
+        PermissionError("[Errno 1] Operation not permitted"),
+        mock_open.return_value,
+    ]
+    mocker.patch("builtins.open", mock_open)
+
+    result = _get_job_dirs(retries=5)
+    assert result == {}
+    assert mock_open.call_count == 3
+
+
+def test_get_job_dirs_raises_after_exhausting_retries(mocker):
+    """PermissionError should be re-raised after all retries are exhausted."""
+    mocker.patch("time.sleep")
+    mocker.patch("builtins.open", side_effect=PermissionError("[Errno 1] Operation not permitted"))
+
+    with pytest.raises(PermissionError):
+        _get_job_dirs(retries=3)
+
+
 def test_schedule_with_dependencies(slurm_scheduler, slurm_executor):
     mock_request = mock.MagicMock()
     mock_request.cmd = ["sbatch", "--requeue", "--parsable"]