Data Center Engineer Jobs in California

INTRODUCTION

OpenText is a global leader in information management, where innovation, creativity, and collaboration are the key components of our corporate culture. As a member of our team, you will have the opportunity to partner with the most highly regarded companies in the world, tackle complex issues, and contribute to projects that shape the future of digital transformation.

AI-First. Future-Driven. Human-Centered.

At OpenText, AI is at the heart of everything we do—powering innovation, transforming work, and empowering digital knowledge workers. We are hiring talent AI can't replace to help us shape the future of information management. Join us.

Your Impact:

We are seeking a versatile and detail-oriented Datacenter Engineer to support the installation, lifecycle, monitoring and triage of a diverse, multi-vendor hardware laboratory. The lab environment comprises an extensive mix of compute platforms (Dell, HPE, Cisco, Oracle, IBM and Supermicro), enterprise storage networks (NetApp, HPE 3PAR and Dell EMC), virtualization clusters and a layered stack of monitoring, logging, security and IT service management platforms.

The role is broader than a traditional rack-and-stack position. The engineer operates as the operational backbone of the lab: deploying servers, provisioning operating systems, validating connectivity, automating firmware updates, supporting virtualization and monitoring platforms, and coordinating vendor lifecycle activities. A strong foundation in cross-domain troubleshooting is essential to determine whether a fault originates in the hardware, the storage fabric, the network, the hypervisor or the operating system layer, and to execute baseline remediation before escalating to the corresponding specialist.

What the role offers:

1. Installation and Physical Infrastructure

2. Multi-vendor deployment: execute precision rack-and-stack, structured cabling (copper and fiber) and hardware verification for servers across Dell PowerEdge, HPE ProLiant, Cisco UCS, Oracle, IBM and Supermicro platforms.

3. Power and environmental management: calculate rack power density, safely distribute loads across three-phase PDUs, ensure proper airflow and thermal management within the datacenter footprint.

4. Hardware component lifecycle: perform bare-metal diagnostics and physically replace failed components (RAID controllers, cache memory, system boards, SFP transceivers, power supplies, drives) using vendor out-of-band management tooling such as iDRAC, iLO, CIMC and IPMI.

5. Operating System Deployment and Lifecycle

6. Bare-metal provisioning: deploy and configure operating systems (Linux distributions and Unix variants) on lab servers, including network, storage and time service post-deployment validation.

7. Deployment automation: operate and maintain provisioning and deployment automation platforms; manage access permissions, deployer role assignments and image lifecycle.

8. Connectivity validation: conduct structured reachability audits (ICMP, SSH, port checks) and document host status against the lab inventory.

9. Storage and Fabric Operations

10. Storage provisioning support: assist in the provisioning of storage arrays (NetApp, HPE 3PAR, Dell PowerVault); validate underlying physical and Fibre Channel connections.

11. Storage pathing and connectivity: verify host bus adapters (HBAs), Fibre Channel zoning, SAS and iSCSI cabling, and multipath visibility from the host side; reconcile mismatches between fabric configuration and operating system view.

12. Virtualization Platform Support

13. Hypervisor operations: support the lifecycle of VMware vSphere environments — hypervisor hosts, clusters, datastores, virtual networking and lifecycle patching.

14. Validation activities: perform post-change validation, including hypervisor host health checks, datastore visibility and workload mobility verification after maintenance windows.

15. Firmware Lifecycle Automation

16. Scripted firmware deployment: plan, stage and execute firmware updates (BIOS, BMC, RAID controllers, network adapters) across multi-node server fleets using vendor command-line interfaces and scripted lifecycle management toolchains.

17. Pre- and post-update validation: verify versions, capture rollback baselines, document update windows and validate component health following each update.

18. Vendor toolchain proficiency: work fluently with vendor lifecycle utilities and CLI-based firmware deployment tools across Dell, HPE and Cisco hardware platforms.

19. Network Triage and Time Synchronization

20. Connectivity isolation: verify physical link status, inspect port LED indicators, confirm VLAN assignments on local access switches and run packet captures with Wireshark to isolate connectivity issues.

21. Baseline operating system triage: inspect interface state, route tables, storage visibility and console output (boot screens, panic logs, hardware console messages) to determine whether a fault is hardware- or software-related before escalation.

22. Monitoring Platforms and Service Management

23. Monitoring platform hygiene: maintain network and infrastructure monitoring platforms by removing decommissioned devices, cleaning stale entries and reducing false-positive alerts to preserve alert signal-to-noise ratio.

24. Log and security platform support: provide lab-tier operational support for centralized logging and security monitoring infrastructure (configuration validation, console access, basic troubleshooting).

25. ITSM workflow execution: operate within IT service management (ITSM) ticketing systems; document actions, change records and resolutions; coordinate with cross-functional operations teams (network, cloud, security).

26. Vendor and Asset Lifecycle Management

27. Evaluation programs: coordinate hardware evaluation programs (such as try-and-buy or proof-of-concept engagements) — racking, testing, return logistics and swap workflows.

28. RMA workflows: manage return merchandise authorization (RMA) processes for failed components across multiple vendors.
29. Asset accuracy: maintain accurate asset inventory, location tags, serial number records and deployment status in the inventory of record.

What you need to succeed:

Experience

• Minimum of five (5) years of professional experience in a datacenter, enterprise lab or hands-on technical operations environment involving multi-vendor hardware and platform support.

Technical Skills

• Hardware fluency: hands-on experience installing, configuring and replacing components across Dell PowerEdge, HPE ProLiant, Cisco UCS, Oracle, IBM and Supermicro server lines.
• Out-of-band management: working knowledge of iDRAC, iLO, CIMC and IPMI for remote console access, diagnostics and firmware operations.
• Operating systems: comfortable navigating command-line interfaces in Linux distributions and Unix variants for diagnostic activities, interface inspection, storage visibility checks and log review.
• Virtualization: operational familiarity with VMware vSphere, OpenStack — hosts, clusters, datastores, virtual networking and standard maintenance procedures.
• Storage and fabric basics: understanding of Fibre Channel, iSCSI, SAS, HBAs, multipathing and basic SAN fabric concepts.
• Networking fundamentals: knowledge of L2 concepts (VLANs, trunking, link aggregation), Ethernet troubleshooting and packet capture analysis using Wireshark.
• Firmware automation: experience with vendor scripting tools and command-line interfaces for staged firmware updates across server fleets.
• Scripting basics: ability to read and write basic Bash, PowerShell or Python scripts to automate repetitive operational tasks.
• Datacenter fundamentals: solid understanding of datacenter electrical configurations (PDUs, load balancing, redundancy schemes) and adherence to structured cabling standards.
• ITSM and ticketing: comfort operating within enterprise IT service management tools and following change management procedures.

Soft Skills

• Collaboration and communication: excellent ability to relay precise technical findings to senior Systems Administrators, Network Engineers and Security Engineers.
• Structured problem-solving mindset with disciplined documentation of findings, actions and escalations.
• Strong sense of accountability, ownership and attention to detail in physical work, cabling and post-change validation.
• Comfort working in a multi-team environment that includes hardware, network, virtualization, storage, security and cloud operations specialists.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Vendor certifications such as Dell EMC Associate, HPE ATP, Cisco CCNA, Red Hat Certified Specialist or VMware Certified Technical Associate.
• Exposure to Fibre Channel zoning, SAN switch fabrics (Cisco MDS, Brocade) and storage administration tasks beyond basic connectivity.
• Familiarity with cable management standards (ANSI/TIA-942) and datacenter tier-level requirements.
• ITIL Foundation or equivalent service management training.
• Communication proficiency for collaboration with geographically distributed engineering teams.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

• Hands-on work in a controlled datacenter environment, including extended periods of standing, lifting and equipment handling up to 50 Lbs.
• Use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
• On-call rotation will be required to address critical infrastructure events outside business hours.
• Occasional travel to support other OpenText data centers.

One last thing:

OpenText is more than just a corporation, it's a global community where trust is foundational, the bar is raised, and outcomes are owned. Join us on our mission to drive positive change through privacy, technology, and collaboration. At OpenText, we don't just have a culture; we have character.

OpenText's commitment to diversity and inclusion surpasses legal requirements, evident in our Equal Employment Opportunity Statement of Policy which promotes a respectful and empowering environment for employees of all backgrounds, culture, national origin, race, color, gender, gender identification, sexual orientation, family status, age, veteran status, disability, religion, or other basis protected by applicable laws.

If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please contact us at hr@opentext.com. Our proactive approach fosters collaboration, innovation, and personal growth, enriching OpenText's vibrant workplace.

Compensation: At OpenText, we offer a thoughtfully designed benefits package that supports your physical, emotional, and financial wellbeing. A summary of those benefits can be found on our Why Join Us page. As you move through the hiring process, we’re happy to provide more details about our compensation programs, including variable and commission compensation opportunities for eligible roles, vacation entitlement, and paid time off.

Salary Range: $87800 - $131,600 USD per annum; Depending on the candidate’s education, experience, skills, geographical location, and alignment with internal equity and external market, actual salary may vary and be higher or lower than the range posted.

AI Usage Disclosure: As part of our commitment to transparency, we use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist in various stages of our recruitment process, including resume screening, candidate matching, interview scheduling, and communications. These tools are designed to improve efficiency, reduce bias, and enhance candidate experience. All decisions regarding hiring are made by qualified human professionals, and we continuously monitor our AI systems to ensure fairness and compliance with applicable regulations.