High Performance Computing Hardware / Systems Engineer

KLA; Ann Arbor Charter Township (MI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

KLA is seeking a senior HPC hardware engineer to design, assemble, and validate rack-scale systems used in high-performance computing environments. You will work hands-on with compute, storage, NICs, and networking, perform bring-up, debugging, and system validation, and collaborate with software teams to meet application requirements.

The role requires strong Linux administration, IPMI/BMC management, and experience with SUSE/Rocky; on-site in Michigan with opportunities to lead hardware

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's degree in a relevant engineering or computer science field.
• 5+ years of experience with HPC hardware systems or largescale compute platforms.
• Hands-on experience with server assembly, CPUs/GPUs/memory/PCIe, IPMI/BMC, and Linux in HPC/server environments.

Responsibilities

• Design, assemble, and integrate rack-level HPC systems, including compute, storage, networking, power, and cooling.
• Perform hands-on server bring-up, component installation, cable routing, labeling, and rack documentation.
• Evaluate HPC components based on performance, reliability, and cost; BOM definition and lifecycle management.
• Configure and manage systems using IPMI/BMC tools for remote access, monitoring, and firmware updates.
• Configure, validate, and document BIOS, firmware, and BMC settings; debug hardware across power, thermals, and PCIe.
• Install and maintain Linux OS environments (SUSE, Rocky); tune OS for HPC workloads.
• Collaborate with software teams to ensure hardware platforms meet application requirements; work with high-speed networking (Ethernet, InfiniBand, RoCE).
• Integrate and validate high-bandwidth NICs, switches, and cabling; support local and shared storage (NVMe, DAS, NFS/SMB).
• Participate in system validation, stress testing, and reliability characterization; root-cause analysis for HW/SW issues.

Skills

HPC hardware architecture

Rack-level system integration

IPMI/BMC management

Linux system administration

Hardware bring-up and debugging

Networking and storage integration

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science

Master's Degree in related field

PhD in related field (optional)

Job description

Responsibilities

• Design, assemble, and integrate rack-level HPC systems, including compute, storage, networking, power distribution, and cooling.
• Perform hands-on server bring-up, including component installation, cable routing, labeling, and rack documentation.
• Evaluate and select HPC components (CPUs, GPUs, memory, NICs, storage, PCIe cards) based on performance, reliability, and cost.
• Partner with vendors and internal teams on BOM definition, hardware qualification, and lifecycle management (NPI, sustaining, and EOL transitions).
• Configure and manage systems using IPMI/BMC tools for remote access, monitoring, firmware updates, and diagnostics.
• Configure, validate, and document BIOS, firmware, and BMC settings.
• Debug hardware issues across power, thermals, PCIe, memory, storage, and interconnects.
• Install, configure, and maintain Linux OS environments (e.g., SUSE, Rocky) on HPC systems.
• Tune OS settings for HPC workloads (CPU pinning, memory, I/O, networking).
• Collaborate with software teams to ensure hardware platforms meet application and algorithm requirements.
• Work with high-speed networking technologies (Ethernet, InfiniBand, RoCE).
• Integrate and validate high-bandwidth NICs, switches, and cabling at rack scale.
• Support local and shared storage solutions (NVMe, DAS, RAID, and NFS/SMB where applicable).
• Participate in system validation, stress testing, and reliability characterization.
• Perform root-cause analysis for field and lab issues involving hardware or HW/SW interactions.
• Develop and maintain system documentation, rack layouts, and bring-up procedures.

Qualifications

• Required Qualifications
• Bachelor's or master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent practical experience.
• 5+ years of experience with HPC hardware systems or largescale compute platforms.
• Strong hands-on experience with:
  • Server assembly and rack integration
  • CPUs, GPUs, memory, PCIe, NICs, and storage devices
  • IPMI/BMC and out-of-band management
  • Linux system administration in HPC or server environments
• Solid understanding of system-level characteristics (performance, thermals, power, reliability).
• Ability to debug issues spanning hardware, firmware, OS, and system configuration.

• Preferred Qualifications
• Experience with rack-scale system design in production or lab environments.
• Familiarity with HPC networking (100G/200G/400G Ethernet, InfiniBand).
• Experience with GPU-accelerated HPC systems.
• Exposure to HPC software stacks, workload characteristics, and performance tuning.
• Experience in semiconductor, advanced manufacturing, or inspection systems is a plus.

Key Skills

• HPC hardware architecture
• Rack-level system integration
• IPMI/BMC management
• Linux system administration
• Hardware bring-up and debugging
• Networking and storage integration
• Cross-functional collaboration (hardware, software, algorithms, manufacturing)

Minimum Qualifications

• Doctorate (Academic) Degree and 0 years related work experience; Master’s Degree and related work experience of 3 years; Bachelor’s Degree and related work experience of 5 years

EEO Notice. KLA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified individuals with disabilities will receive reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to enjoy other benefits and privileges of employment.