Systems Debug Engineer – Data Center HWE

Socket.dev; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Socket.dev in Sunnyvale, CA is seeking a Systems Debug Engineer to support data center development programs and labs. You will triage, debug, and perform failure analysis on server hardware deployed in our labs.

Partner with electrical engineering and software teams to set up hardware, run tests on pre-production systems, and document results. Strong scripting in Python and Bash is required, along with experience in lab environments and firmware debugging.

Qualifications

• BS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• 4–8 years in systems engineering, hardware integration, or manufacturing in a server or HPC environment.
• Hands-on SoC troubleshooting, board-level debug, failure analysis and diagnostics.
• Lab environments at scale experience.
• Strong server architecture expertise, including firmware upgrade processes.
• Hardware, firmware and OS-level debugging using logs and debug tools.
• Provisioning and boot processes (UEFI, DHCP, DNS, PXE/Netboot).
• Proficient in Python and Bash, with automation experience (Ansible).

Responsibilities

• Triage and debug hardware issues across lab programs.
• Perform failure analysis and root cause investigations.
• Triage and manage hardware in labs and test benches.
• Set up data center hardware and run tests on pre-production systems.
• Document results and share findings with cross-functional teams.
• Collaborate with hardware development, validation and software teams.
• Support silicon validation and reliability testing.

Skills

Python

Bash

SoC troubleshooting

Hardware debugging

Server hardware

Firmware debugging

UEFI boot

Education

BS in Electrical/Computer Engineering

Tools

Ansible

Job description

As a Systems Debug Engineer, you will provide hands-on support for our data center development programs and labs. You’ll work in a cross-functional lab that acts as the on-ramp for silicon validation, software, hardware test, and reliability teams to access new systems in development. Partnering with electrical engineering teams and other subject-matter experts, you will triage, debug, perform failure analysis, and manage the hardware deployed in these labs. You will be a crucial technical resource, leveraging your expertise in server platforms and electrical engineering to tackle complex problems. Join us and be a part of our dynamic team!

Description

You will support early product development life-cycle by setting up data center hardware, running tests on pre-production hardware and document results. Build, maintain, and debug both custom and OEM hardware to support multiple programs. Deploy proof of concept hardware, software setup, and/or piloting of new hardware for use at scale in the data center. This includes testing under various environmental conditions for power and temperature. You will collaborate cross-functionally with multiple teams, including hardware development, validation, data center, logistics, software development, etc.

Minimum Qualifications

• BS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• 4-8 years in systems engineering, hardware integration, or manufacturing engineering in a server or HPC environment.
• Hands-on experience with SoC troubleshooting, board-level debug, failure analysis and diagnostics, including low- and high-speed system interconnects, memory subsystem, power management, and distribution.
• Experience working in lab environments at scale.
• Strong server architecture expertise, including component firmware upgrade processes.
• Hardware, firmware and OS-level debugging experience using SEL, kernel logs, system logs, and debug commands.
• Working knowledge of provisioning and boot processes (UEFI, DHCP, DNS, PXE/Netboot).
• Proficient in Python and Bash (or equivalent), with experience automating infrastructure provisioning, configuration management, and validation workflows (e.g., with Ansible).

Preferred Qualifications

• MS degree with 3-5 years of relevant experience.
• NPI experience with data center server hardware, custom ASICs/SoCs, or high-density server environments.
• Experience troubleshooting elusive issues that present as software problems but originate in server hardware or firmware, including debugging interactions between high-speed buses, firmware, and OS behavior.