Product Engineer II

AHEAD; Libertyville, Northern (IL, KY); On-site; USD 100,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

401(k)

Paid company holidays

Paid time off

Paid parental and caregiver leave

Job summary

AHEAD in Libertyville, IL is seeking a Product Engineer II–Configuration Services to own enterprise server configurations from arrival to power-on, configuration, validation, and final sign-off.

You will implement OS/hypervisor images and automation, perform firmware updates, maintain BOMs, and collaborate across Program Management, Manufacturing, System Verification, Sales Engineering, and with clients to ensure a high-quality, repeatable configuration process.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience building and designing enterprise-level systems including networking, compute and storage hardware.
• 5+ years configuring Dell, Supermicro, HPE, Lenovo, and Whitebox systems.
• 5+ years of experience with Linux and Windows operating systems.
• 5+ years of creating and maintaining BOMs.

Responsibilities

• Own bench-level configuration from incoming inspection through final sign-off.
• Develop and maintain system configuration plans and port mappings.
• Perform initial power-on, firmware/BIOS/UEFI updates, and hardware validation.
• Install and configure Linux and Windows OS, hypervisors, and base images.
• Develop automation scripts and golden images for repeatable builds.
• Provide production floor support for configuration issues with Manufacturing.
• Capture and maintain configuration documentation in systems of record.

Skills

Excellent communication

Documentation skills

Problem solving

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in computer engineering, Computer Science, or related field

Tools

Dell servers

Supermicro servers

HPE servers

Lenovo servers

Whitebox systems

Job description

AHEAD builds platforms for digital business. By weaving together advances in cloud infrastructure, automation and analytics, and software delivery, we help enterprises deliver on the promise of digital transformation.

AtAHEAD, we prioritize creating a culture of belonging,where all perspectives and voices are represented, valued, respected, and heard. We create spaces to empower everyone to speak up, make change, and drive the culture at AHEAD.

We are an equal opportunity employer,anddo not discriminatebased onan individual's race, national origin, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, maritalstatus,or any other protected characteristic under applicable law, whether actual or perceived.

We embraceall candidatesthatwillcontribute to the diversification and enrichment of ideas andperspectives atAHEAD.

As a Product Engineer II– Configuration Services, you will be instrumental in implementing enterprise-level system configurations for data center and edge hardware. You will own the process from hardware arrival through power-on, configuration, validation, and documentation, ensuring accurate and efficient delivery of configured systems to internal teams and customers. Your responsibilities include creating system configuration plans, defining and executing power-on and burn-in procedures, performing firmware and BIOS/UEFI updates, and implementing OS/hypervisor images and automation. You will collaborate closely with Program Management, Account Coordinators, ProductionEngineering, Manufacturing, System Verification, Sales Engineering, and clients to provide a high-quality project experience.

Essential Functions

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

General Functions

• Collaborate on quoting requests with other Product Engineers, Sales Engineers, Project Managers, external client facing teams, and directly with the client as necessary for complete and accurate quotes.
• Collaborate oncross trainingwiththe Product Engineering Team.
• Collaborate with the Sales Engineering team toscope anddesignFoundryservicesas necessary.
• Collaborate withManufacturing Engineering, System Verificationengineering, to ensure proper documentationandautomation inin place forprojects.

Configuration Engineering Functions

• Own the bench-level configuration process for enterprise servers, storage, and networking platforms from incoming inspection through final configuration sign-off.
• Develop andmaintainsystem configuration plans and port mapping for single systems and small clusters, including IP addressing, VLAN assignments, and logical connectivity.
• Perform initial power-on, firmware/BIOS/UEFI updates, and hardware validation per project standards.
• Install and configure Linux and Windows operating systems, hypervisors, and base software images according to customer or internal build standards.
• Develop andmaintaingolden images, automation scripts, and configuration checklists for repeatable, high-quality builds.
• Diagnose and resolve hardware, firmware, and software compatibility issues in coordination with customers and vendors, escalating whenappropriate.
• Capture andmaintainconfiguration documentation (as-built configs, inventories, serials, IP plans, port maps) in theappropriate systemsof record.
• Provide input to labor estimation and pre-sales assessments for configuration-heavy opportunities.
• Provide production floor support for configuration issues and deviations, working closely with Manufacturing and System Verification teams.

Competencies (knowledge, skills, and abilities)

• Excellentcommunication and listening skills with the ability to collaborate effectively with customers, technical resources, and team members to deliver successful projects.
• Proven ability to understand, gather, and document customer requirements.
• Expertiseinengineering disciplines and revision control, including engineering change management, product lifecycle management (PLM), and end-of-life (EOL) processes.
• Expertiseinenterprise-gradecompute, storage,networking, PDU and rack hardware power, cooling (air and liquid), build methodologies, cabling, connectivity and build standards.
• Knowledgeofx86 and ARMcomputer architectures, server hardware components, and computer standards.
• Expertiseinenterprise Gen AI use cases and hardware used for core inference and training.
• Knowledge of quality control and computer assembly methods.
• Expertiseincollaborating effectively with external vendors.
• Demonstrated critical thinking, problem-solving, planning, and organizational skills, with the ability to make decisions under pressure.
• Adaptability and resilience in dynamic environments.
• Expertiseinrisk management and new product introduction (NPI).
• Excellent attention to detail and documentation skills.
• Network+ and Server+ certifications are a plus.

Supervisory Responsibility

This position does not managed direct reports.

Physical Demands

Occasionally this position requires lifting servers weighing up to 50lbs.

Position type and expected hours of work

This is a full-time position, and hours of work and days are typically Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. Occasional evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand.

Travel

This position requires up to 10% travel and may include Integrated Rack delivery at customer locations.

Required education and experience

• 5+ years of experience building and designing computer components into custom built systems.
• 5+ years of experience building and designingenterpriselevelsystemsincluding Networking, Compute and Storage hardware.
• 5+ years of experience with Linux and Windows operating systems.
• 5+ years of experience creating andmaintainingbills of materials (BOMs).
• 5+ years of experience configuring Dell, Supermicro, HPE, Lenovo, andWhiteboxsystems.
• Bachelor’s degree in computer engineering, Computer Science, ora relatedfield.

Other duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

$100,000 - $160,000 a year

The compensation range indicated in this posting reflects the On-Target Earnings (“OTE”) for this role, which includes a base salary and any applicable target bonus amount. This OTE range may vary based on the candidate’s relevant experience, qualifications, and geographic location.

Why AHEAD:

Through our daily work and internal groups like Moving Women AHEAD and RISE AHEAD, we value and benefit from diversity of people, ideas, experience, and everything in between.

We fuel growth by stacking our office with top-notch technologies in a multi-million-dollar lab, by encouraging cross department training and development, sponsoring certifications and credentials for continued learning.

USA Employment Benefits include:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• 401(k)
• Paid company holidays
• Paid time off
• Paid parental and caregiver leave

Plus more! See benefits https://www.aheadbenefits.com/ for additional details.

Use of AI:

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, assessing responses, or to capture recordings and create transcriptions or summaries during interviews. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans.

If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please refer to Candidate Privacy Notice or contact us at [e-mail].

You may opt-out of the review or analysis of your application and resume by AI tools by using the General Application. Please include the role you wish to apply for in the Additional Information field. You may also choose to opt-out of recording and transcription at any time, including after joining an interview. Candidates will not be penalized for choosing to opt-out.