HPC Data Center Operations Engineer

About San Francisco Compute

San Francisco Compute (SFC) exists to give ambitious teams large scale supercomputers without taking on a catastrophic balance sheet risk. We are building the next generation of AI infrastructure, making large-scale GPU computing more accessible, flexible, and financially sustainable.

Unlike traditional GPU cloud providers, SFC combines supercomputer development and operations with an innovative compute marketplace, giving customers the flexibility to scale without the risks of rigid, long-term contracts.

We are a fast-growing team of ambitious, technically driven people working to shape the future of AI infrastructure. Our leadership team brings deep experience from Lambda, Crusoe, AWS, DigitalOcean, Hut 8, and Voltage Park, with a track record of deploying 8GW of data center capacity and hundreds of thousands of GPUs.

There has never been a more critical moment in history, and it is up to us to shape it on behalf of those who come after us. If you're excited by complex challenges, bold ideas, and meaningful impact, we'd love to meet you.

About The Role

Please note - This role is based in our San Francisco office.

Our clusters don’t run themselves. Someone has to pull the failed tray, chase the bad optic that’s flapping a link at 3am, and make sure the spare was already on the shelf before anyone needed it. That’s this role, and it’s as hands-on as it gets.

From racking and commissioning systems to replacing failed components, managing fiber, transceivers, liquid cooling, and maintaining accurate asset records. You’ll also manage procurement, including BOMs, vendor quotes, lead times, spares, warranties, and RMAs.

Around 80% of the role focuses on data center operations and procurement, with 20% supporting office IT. Regular visits to local facilities and occasional travel to remote sites are required.

You’ll work with cutting-edge infrastructure, including HGX/DGX-class GPU systems, InfiniBand and 400G+ networks, high-density power, and liquid cooling. As part of a small team, you’ll also help establish standards, develop runbooks, and mentor future team members.

About You

• You are based in the San Francisco Bay Area, and you have 5+ years in data center operations, infrastructure support, or systems administration, with real hands-on hardware and cabling responsibility

• You know fiber — high-density trunks and breakouts, end-face inspection and cleaning, transceiver swaps — and you can tell a dirty connector from a dying optic

• You’ve replaced server FRUs and racked, cabled, and commissioned equipment, and you work safely in and around energized racks

• You’ve bought hardware, not just installed it: BOMs, vendor quotes, POs, receiving, warranty, and RMAs are familiar territory

• You keep inventory and asset records that would survive an audit, across more than one site

• You’re comfortable with TCP/IP, DHCP, DNS, VLANs, out-of-band management (IPMI, iDRAC, iLO, Redfish), and the Linux command line

• You’re open to occasional travel to remote sites and to after-hours maintenance windows when the work requires it

Some Nice To Haves

• Experience in HPC, GPU, or other high-density compute environments, including HGX- or DGX-class platforms and rack-scale designs

• Experience with InfiniBand or high-rate Ethernet at 400G and above

• Experience with liquid cooling — CDUs, manifolds, and direct-to-chip cold plates

• Colocation experience and familiarity with the tenant/operator relationship

• NetBox or similar DCIM, and procurement or ERP systems

• Scripting for automation and inventory reconciliation (Bash, Python, or PowerShell)

• Enterprise wireless (Meraki, Ubiquiti, Aruba, Mist), MDM (Jamf, Intune, Kandji), and identity providers (Okta, Google Workspace, Entra ID)

• Certifications such as CompTIA Server+, Cisco CCNA, or NVIDIA credentials

Physical Requirements

This job is physical. With or without reasonable accommodation, you’ll need to lift and position equipment up to 50 lbs unassisted (heavier chassis by team lift), work at elevation and in confined spaces behind racks, stand and walk for extended periods, handle fine motor work with optics and liquid-cooling quick-disconnects, work in sustained cold-aisle temperatures and elevated noise (hearing protection provided), read small-format labels and status indicators, and wear required PPE.

Benefits

Generous equity grant

Team members are offered a competitive salary along with equity in the company

Retirement matching

We match 401(k) plans up to 4%

Medical, dental & vision

We offer highly competitive medical, dental, vision insurance for employees and dependents.

Time off

We offer unlimited paid time off as well as 10+ observed holidays

Parental leave

We offer biological, adoptive, and foster parents paid time off to spend quality time with family

Daily lunch

We cover lunch daily for employees

Unlimited office book budget

You can buy as many books for the office as you want

The San Francisco Compute Company is committed to maintaining a workplace free from discrimination and harassment.

We make employment decisions based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, belief, national origin, social or ethical origin, age, physical, mental, or sensory disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, HIV status, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status including pregnancy, or any other status protected by law.

We welcome the opportunity to consider qualified applicants with prior arrest or conviction records. Our commitment to diversity includes hiring talented individuals regardless of their criminal history, in accordance with local, state, and federal laws, including San Francisco’s Fair Chance Ordinance and California’s ban-the-box laws.