Systems Engineer

ProFound People Pty Ltd; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

ProFound People Pty Ltd has a client seeking a Data Center Linux Systems Engineer in San Jose, CA. The role focuses on hands-on hardware and Linux diagnostics, with remote diagnosis and vendor coordination of fixes.

You will handle break-fix tickets, deploy OS images via PXE, and work with IPMI/iDRAC/iLO to diagnose issues while keeping precise asset and ticket records. Strong English and multi-ticket multitasking are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or diploma in computer science, electrical engineering or related field, or equivalent hands-on experience.
• Solid working knowledge of Linux, including the command line, basic administration and hardware fault diagnosis.
• Familiarity with server components and how they interact: CPUs, RAM, drives, NICs and RAID configurations.
• Experience with out-of-band management tools such as IPMI, iDRAC or HP iLO.
• Networking fundamentals: MAC addresses, subnets, TCP/IP and routing tables.
• Ability to read and run shell or Bash scripts, with Python a plus.
• Clear, concise written and spoken English.
• Comfort handling many tickets and shifting priorities without losing track of the detail.
• Hands-on data center experience with physical hardware troubleshooting, not only racking and cabling.

Responsibilities

• Work a daily queue of break-fix and OS installation tickets, prioritised by SLA and handled first in, first out.
• Run OS deployments and server onboarding, including automated installs over PXE boot.
• Troubleshoot hardware, OS and basic network faults remotely using out-of-band tools such as IPMI, iDRAC and iLO.
• Coordinate with vendors and on-site technicians to resolve hardware failures, including part swaps and RMA submissions.
• Keep accurate records in asset management and ticketing systems, and maintain rack elevation documentation.
• Collect and verify asset inventory data for accuracy and compliance.
• Submit and track media destruction requests.
• Escalate complex or unresolved issues to senior engineers with clear triage notes.
• Help maintain procedures and operational documentation.

Skills

Linux systems

Shell scripting

Python

Out-of-band tooling

Networking fundamentals

Ticket management

English communication

Hardware troubleshooting

Education

Bachelor’s degree or diploma in CS/EE or related field

Tools

IPMI

iDRAC

HP iLO

PXE boot

Job description

Data Center Linux Systems Engineer - San Jose, CA | Bash/Shell Scripting, Ansible, Python

Our client runs thousands of servers across its data centers, and every one of them depends on an engineer who can get it installed, onboarded and fixed quickly.

You would work a daily queue of break-fix and OS installation tickets, prioritised by SLA, and be the person who works out what has actually failed, whether it is a drive, a DIMM, a NIC or a firmware problem, before anyone is sent to the floor.

This is a hands-on role at the intersection of hardware and Linux. You will do most of the diagnosis remotely, then direct vendors and on-site technicians to carry out the fix.

What you will do

• Work a daily queue of break-fix and OS installation tickets, prioritised by SLA and handled first in, first out
• Run OS deployments and server onboarding, including automated installs over PXE boot
• Troubleshoot hardware, OS and basic network faults remotely using out-of-band tools such as IPMI, iDRAC and iLO
• Coordinate with vendors and on-site technicians to resolve hardware failures, including part swaps and RMA submissions
• Keep accurate records in asset management and ticketing systems, and maintain rack elevation documentation
• Collect and verify asset inventory data for accuracy and compliance
• Submit and track media destruction requests
• Escalate complex or unresolved issues to senior engineers with clear triage notes
• Help maintain procedures and operational documentation

What we are looking for

• Bachelor’s degree or diploma in computer science, electrical engineering or a related field, or equivalent hands-on experience
• Solid working knowledge of Linux, including the command line, basic administration and hardware fault diagnosis
• Familiarity with server components and how they interact: CPUs, RAM, drives, NICs and RAID configurations
• Experience with out-of-band management tools such as IPMI, iDRAC or HP iLO
• Networking fundamentals: MAC addresses, subnets, TCP/IP and routing tables
• Ability to read and run shell or Bash scripts, with Python a plus
• Clear, concise written and spoken English
• Comfort handling many tickets and shifting priorities without losing track of the detail
• Hands-on data center experience with physical hardware troubleshooting, not only racking and cabling

Who this is not for

If your data center experience is mainly racking, cabling and cable management, with no work diagnosing why a server has failed, this role will not be the right fit. The same applies to desktop support and helpdesk backgrounds with no server hardware.

Experience on a data center floor, in a colocation or hosting environment, or in hardware support for a server vendor is what we want to see.

Preferred

• Experience with large-scale or remote OS deployments over PXE boot
• Familiarity with server hardware from Supermicro, Dell EMC, HPE, Quanta or Cisco UCS
• Exposure to asset management or inventory tracking tools
• Any scripting or automation experience in Python or Bash