Data Center Operations Engineer, Senior – Cloud AI - Riyadh, KSA

Qualcomm; Riyad Al Khabra; On-site; SAR 250,000 - 420,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary including housing & transport

Performance related bonus

Maternity Leave (16 weeks)

Paternity Leave (6 weeks)

Employee stock purchase

Relocation and immigration support

Life and Medical Insurance

Wellness allowance

Job summary

Qualcomm Middle East Information Technology Company LLC is seeking a Senior Data Center Operations Engineer to manage MAAS, VM provisioning, and Linux-based data center environments. The role requires hands-on experience with bare-metal provisioning, imaging workflows, and rigorous documentation practices.

The ideal candidate has 6+ years in IT/data center operations, strong scripting skills (Python/Bash), and the ability to coordinate across multiple teams and vendors for smooth deployments and

Qualifications

• 6+ years of IT/data center operations experience.
• Hands-on MAAS or bare-metal provisioning experience.
• Strong Linux server administration, deployment, patching, and troubleshooting.

Responsibilities

• Administer MAAS servers including deployment, image management, and troubleshooting.
• Provision, configure, and support virtual machines with appropriate compute, memory, and storage resources.
• Install and maintain server operating systems across bare-metal and virtualized environments.
• Coordinate with internal teams and vendors for deployments, incidents, and follow-up actions.
• Maintain accurate inventory, runbooks, and operational documentation.

Skills

MAAS administration

VM provisioning

Linux server administration

Documentation discipline

Cross-team coordination

Education

Bachelor’s or Associate degree in Electrical Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science or related field

Tools

MAAS

Python

Bash scripting

Job description

Company:

Qualcomm Middle East Information Technology Company LLC

Job Area:

Information Technology Group, Information Technology Group > IT Engineering

About the Role

Qualcomm is leveraging its expertise in hardware‑accelerated AI to deliver powerful, energy‑efficient generative AI and computer vision workloads at rack‑scale in modern data centers. The Qualcomm Cloud AI team develops and operates a vertically integrated hardware and software platform for large‑scale AI inference acceleration across global deployments.

We are seeking a Senior Data Center Operations Engineer to support Qualcomm’s Cloud AI data center environments through hands‑on administration of MAAS, virtual machines, server operating systems, and operational infrastructure. This role is responsible for reliable deployment, imaging, provisioning, troubleshooting, and maintenance of systems that support Cloud AI deployments.

The role requires strong senior‑level technical execution, practical troubleshooting judgment, coordination across internal and external teams, and disciplined ownership of documentation, inventory, and operational procedures.

YOU MUST BE A SAUDI NATIONAL TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS ROLE

Key Responsibilities will include

Operational Excellence & Reliability

• Administer MAAS servers, including deployment configuration, bare‑metal provisioning, image management, imaging workflows, and troubleshooting of provisioning issues.
• Provision, configure, and support virtual machines, including compute, memory, storage, and network resource allocation based on operational requirements.
• Install, patch, maintain, and troubleshoot server operating systems across bare‑metal and virtualized environments.

Hardware & Infrastructure Leadership

• Support day‑to‑day server resources, storage coordination, and infrastructure incidents impacting Cloud AI data center operations.
• Troubleshoot server hardware, operating system, provisioning, VM, storage, and infrastructure issues, escalating when needed and supporting resolution through closure.
• Coordinate with HUMAIN, internal Qualcomm teams, and vendors to support deployments, maintenance activities, incident response, and operational follow‑up.
• Maintain accurate system inventory, deployment records, configuration information, operational documentation, and standard operating procedures.

Automation, Tooling & Continuous Improvement

• Contribute to improvements in monitoring, alerting, ticketing, and operational workflows to reduce repeat issues and improve support efficiency.
• Develop and maintain runbooks, checklists, and troubleshooting procedures for MAAS, VM provisioning, OS maintenance, and infrastructure support activities.
• Participate in incident reviews and help translate lessons learned into practical operational process improvements.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Serve as a trusted technical partner to Cloud AI software, systems, security, supply chain, and facilities teams.
• Communicate complex operational issues, tradeoffs, and recommendations clearly to engineers, leadership, and external partners.
• Influence operational roadmaps and priorities through data‑driven insights and recommendations.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Hands‑on experience administering MAAS or similar bare‑metal provisioning platforms, including deployment, image management, and troubleshooting.
• Experience provisioning, configuring, and supporting virtual machines, including resource allocation and operational support.
• Strong Linux or server operating system administration experience, including installation, patching, maintenance, and troubleshooting.
• Ability to diagnose infrastructure incidents involving compute, storage, operating systems, provisioning workflows, and virtualization layers.
• Working knowledge of data center server hardware, storage coordination, networking basics, and operational support processes.
• Experience coordinating with internal engineering teams, external partners, and vendors to resolve operational issues and support deployments.
• Strong documentation discipline, including system inventory, configuration records, runbooks, and operational procedures.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to provide concise operational updates, document issues, and follow through on action items.

Nice‑to‑Have Experience

• Experience designing or operating large‑scale AI inference platforms.
• Proficiency in Python, Bash, or similar scripting languages for automation.
• Experience with incident management, ticketing systems, and change management processes.
• Familiarity with hybrid cloud or cloud‑adjacent architectures.
• Exposure to data center compliance and security standards (e.g., ISO 27001, SOC 2).

Minimum Qualifications

• Associate of Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science or related field with 6+ years of experience
• Significant hands‑on experience with computer hardware, servers, networking, and data center operations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Industry certifications such as CompTIA Linux+, CCNA, CDCP, or equivalent demonstrated expertise.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to frequently transport, install, and rack equipment weighing at least 25 lbs.
• Ability to work in data center environments involving standing, lifting, and equipment installation.

What's on Offer

• Salary including housing & transport allowance
• Performance related bonus
• 16 weeks fully paid Maternity Leave
• 6 weeks fully paid Paternity Leave
• Employee stock purchase scheme
• Child Education Allowance
• Relocation and immigration support (if needed)
• Life and Medical Insurance
• Live+ Well Reimbursement for health and recreational membership fees

Minimum Qualifications:

• 3+ years of IT-related work experience with a Bachelor's degree. OR 5+ years of IT-related work experience without a Bachelor’s degree.
• Completed advanced degrees in a relevant field may be substituted for up to two years (Master’s = one year, Doctorate = two years) of work experience.
• References to a particular number of years experience are for indicative purposes only. Applications from candidates with equivalent experience will be considered, provided that the candidate can demonstrate an ability to fulfill the principal duties of the role and possesses the required competencies.

Applicants: Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer. If you are an individual with a disability and need an accommodation during the application/hiring process, rest assured that Qualcomm is committed to providing an accessible process. You may e-mail [e-mail] or call Qualcomm's toll‑free number found here. Upon request, Qualcomm will provide reasonable accommodations to support individuals with disabilities to be able participate in the hiring process. Qualcomm is also committed to making our workplace accessible for individuals with disabilities. (Keep in mind that this email address is used to provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. We will not respond here to requests for updates on applications or resume inquiries).

Qualcomm expects its employees to abide by all applicable policies and procedures, including but not limited to security and other requirements regarding protection of Company confidential information and other confidential and/or proprietary information, to the extent those requirements are permissible under applicable law.

If you would like more information about this role, please contact Qualcomm Careers.