Professional Services Engineer

This is an incredible opportunity to be part of a company that has been at the forefront of AI and high-performance data storage innovation for over two decades. DataDirect Networks (DDN) is a global market leader renowned for powering many of the world's most demanding AI data centers, in industries ranging from life sciences and healthcare to financial services, autonomous cars, Government, academia, research and manufacturing.

"DDN's A3I solutions are transforming the landscape of AI infrastructure." – IDC 

“The real differentiator is DDN. I never hesitate to recommend DDN. DDN is the de facto name for AI Storage in high performance environments” - Marc Hamilton, VP, Solutions Architecture & Engineering | NVIDIA 

DDN is the global leader in AI and multi-cloud data management at scale. Our cutting-edge data intelligence platform is designed to accelerate AI workloads, enabling organizations to extract maximum value from their data. With a proven track record of performance, reliability, and scalability, DDN empowers businesses to tackle the most challenging AI and data-intensive workloads with confidence. 

Our success is driven by our unwavering commitment to innovation, customer-centricity, and a team of passionate professionals who bring their expertise and dedication to every project. This is a chance to make a significant impact at a company that is shaping the future of AI and data management. 

Our commitment to innovation, customer success, and market leadership makes this an exciting and rewarding role for a driven professional looking to make a lasting impact in the world of AI and data storage. 

Overview:

We are currently seeking candidates for the position of Professional Services Engineer based in HongKong to support DDN Customers.

The primary responsibility for individuals in this position is to install hardware and software, configure systems, and tune solutions which have been designed by the pre-sale engineering team. These tasks may be performed remotely or there may be the requirement to perform these tasks by being physically on a customer site. With the company direction to minimize on site work individuals in this position may be required to remotely supervise “Smart Hands” technicians while they perform on site hardware installation tasks.  Individuals in this position may also be required to remotely connect to systems in Chatsworth and perform software installation, configuration and tuning prior to the system shipping from the factory.

This is a is a highly technical position responsible for

• the Implementation and
• the Support of DDN High-Performance Storage Solutions in the Location

Additional responsibilities may be assigned to individuals in this position as business requirements require. This is especially true in smaller regions where limited headcount may require the business to “blend” various job descriptions due to limited headcount.

Duties and Key Responsibilities:

• Planning, designing, architecting, implementing, and administering value added services and components
• Engage with pre-sales teams and customers to scope service deliverables with ability to translate customer requirement/need into DDN deliverables
• Develop a deep understanding of customer environment/Develop a deep understanding of customer environment and industry trends
• Contribute to the improvement and enhancement of DDN products and consulting best practices

• Have a thorough technical understanding of the various DDN & Tintri product lines so that deployments can go smoothly.  Know where to gain assistance from either the SE or engineering when required.  Be prepared to form/lead a Tiger Team with the required SME if a particular challenge is encountered during a deployment.
• Physically install Hardware at a customer site. Supervise “smart hands” to do so if appropriate either on site or remotely
• Remotely or on-site install, configure and tune software as required by the PS services sold with the solution.
• Install, configure and tune software in system pre-built in Chatsworth prior to them being shipped from the factory
• Provide Transfer of Information (TOI) sessions for customer installations and prepare the “as built” and other required customer documentation.
• Contribute content to the PS/Deployment related sections of the IPG, TIP, SOW as required by the business
• Help create hardware and or software documentation as required by the business
• Teach internal and or customer classes as required by the business
• Understand the sales process and be prepared to contribute if required by the business.
• Participate in customer-focused seminars, tradeshows, events, and training as required by the business
• Assist the sales team in providing RFP responses, technical drawings, presentations, and recommendations if required by the business
• Manage customer relationship during the deployment phase to ensure the highest caliber customer satisfaction.
• While on site be on the lookout for additional business opportunities
• Go into a lab – in person or remotely – and set up configurations for new designs to assure that there is the understanding of how they work.
• Submit benchmarks to the benchmark team if required by the business, and occasionally be able to go into the lab and set up and run a test if required by the business.
• Prepare status report of activities to manager if and when required
• Help expand professional services offerings outside of DDN product offerings, helping to develop products, process and procedures to facilitate engagements.

• Provide weekly status report of activities to manager and participate in weekly staff calls
• Participate in product testing and documentation reviews

• Must be able and willing to travel occasionally.

The candidate must possess the following technical skills:

• Must have at least 2 years’ experience Managing EXAScaler file systems/ “Lustre” or “EXAscaler” Parallel File System deployment or troubleshooting experience is not mandatory but a big plus
• Networking infrastructure, topology, bounding modes, DHCP & DNS basics

Qualifications:

• BSc or higher degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, Sciences; or equivalent is required

Skills and Experience:

• Proven knowledge of the storage industry and solutions.
• Strong background in SAN/NAS/Parallel Filesystem and deep archive storage.
• 5+ Years of experience in Operating systems administration for Linux and Windows Environments.
• Red Hat, SUSE, Windows XP, Server, 2000, 2003 and 2008. Scripting (Shell), C++, Java, Perl.
• Strong knowledge in file system deployment and concepts: XFS, ZFS, EXT3/4.
• Experience in clustering packages, GPFS, Red Hat Clustering, Lustre.
• 5+ years of experience in SAN and NAS RAID Appliance is required. BS or work equivalent in Computer Information Systems.
• Deep knowledge of networking concepts is required; NAS protocol levels (CIFS, NFS, SMB, etc...) and ability to integrate and trouble shoot at all layers of OSI model. Specifically understand the Network and Data link layers as well as Session and Application.
• Ability to Multitask
• The ability to listen, understand and articulate creative implementations
• Good communication skills, written and oral in English/ Must have strong communication skills, including developing and delivering presentations; and connecting with customers via phone, face to face, and in written correspondences.
• Ability to work with DDN Subject Matter Experts from different geographies and time zones

DDN Core Competencies:

DDN has a very strong orientation towards these four characteristics and any successful employee will demonstrate these capabilities: 

• Self-Starter - Takes independent action to identify and solve problems. Seeks out relevant information needed to make decisions. Gets involved with new initiatives. 
• Success/Achievement Orientation - Delivers quality results consistently. Targets, achieves (or exceeds) measurable results. Sets challenging goals, focuses on critical priorities, and is accountable. 
• Problem Solving - Recognizes problems and responds with a systematic assessment that identifies and addresses cause of issue. Practical, realistic, and resourceful. 
• Innovative - Builds and improves key business processes that enhance the effectiveness of DDN. Generates new ideas, challenges the status quo, and solves problems creatively.

DataDirect Networks, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender, sex stereotyping, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.