Data Center Engineer I

Brakebush • Madison, WI

6d • Hybrid

About The Position

This position is primarily responsible for the lifecycle, performance, and reliability of server, SAN, and VMware infrastructure across all facilities. Maintains and optimizes virtualization and backup environments to ensure system availability and data integrity. Partners with IT Security to plan, execute, and validate disaster recovery strategies. Following a mandatory 2-week, on-site training period at the Westfield, WI facility, this role will be primarily work-from-home. Candidates must reside within a reasonable commuting distance of Fitchburg, WI to ensure reliable access to the primary data center and headquarters. This position requires occasional travel to other company sites in Wisconsin and other states as project or operational needs dictate.

Requirements

• Bachelors’ Degree in Information Technology or related field and three plus years of Data Center Engineering experience in a manufacturing setting or five plus years of Server Engineering experience in a manufacturing setting.
• Hands-on operational experience administering virtualization platforms (VMware vSphere) and enterprise backup infrastructure (Rubrik or equivalent), including configuration, patching, and performance tuning.
• Demonstrated ability to manage infrastructure projects using change control, risk assessment, and ITIL-aligned processes.
• Strong technical communication skills, oral and written, with the ability to author clear runbooks, incident reports, and configuration documentation, and coordinate effectively with cross-functional IT, security, facilities teams, and end users.
• Proficiency in PowerShell/Bash scripting for infrastructure automation and administration tasks.
• Valid driver's license and REAL ID-compliant identification are required for all travel.
• Must be prepared for occasional multi-day or extended-duration trips when operational demands require it.
• Must have the legal authorization to work for any employer in the United States.
• Successful completion of a pre-employment drug test and background check are required.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in regulated manufacturing, food production, or high-throughput industrial environments where strict uptime and compliance standards are required.
• Advanced VMware vSphere administration: HA/DRS, vRealize, or capacity planning.
• Advanced Rubrik administration: policy design, ransomware protection, and performance tuning.
• Proficiency in Ubuntu Linux administration.
• Experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools such as Ansible or Terraform, and version control (Git).
• Familiarity with data center modernization/migration projects.
• ITIL Foundation certification or equivalent IT service management experience.

Responsibilities

• Research, evaluate, and recommend server, storage, and hypervisor upgrades aligned with performance, security, and hardware lifecycle standards.
• Maintain and optimize data center infrastructure across 8 sites, executing consistent firmware updates, patch management, and configuration compliance across all sites.
• Develop, maintain, and update technical runbooks, configuration documentation, and CMDB and asset records to ensure accurate, accessible infrastructure knowledge.
• Diagnose and resolve infrastructure incidents via monitoring alerts and ITSM ticketing systems, performing root cause analysis and extended validation per SLA.
• Design and implement automation scripts (PowerShell, Bash) to streamline provisioning, patching, and operational workflows.
• Manage enterprise backup operations using Rubrik, including system health checks, scheduled jobs, and disaster recovery drills in coordination with IT Security and other IT departments.
• Monitor environmental controls (power, cooling, rack density) and coordinate with Facilities to implement changes that maintain optimal data center operating conditions.
• Partner cross-functionally with IT Security, Networking, Facilities, and leadership to align infrastructure changes with business, security, and compliance requirements.
• Participate in a structured on-call rotation (7-day shifts, beginning Wednesday; 1 week on / 3 weeks off) to support critical infrastructure monitoring, emergency break/fix scenarios, and time-sensitive maintenance windows.
• Expect occasional after-hours or weekend communications aligned with incident severity and SLA requirements.

Benefits

• Equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level