Data Center Infrastructure Analyst

Cornell University • City of Ithaca, NY

3d • Onsite

About The Position

Cornell University, unique among peers, is the federal land-grant institution of New York State, a private endowed university, and a member of the Ivy League. Information technologies (IT) is a strategic enabler for many functions at Cornell. Staff working in IT are found in most colleges and units across Cornell. We are comprised of many organizations, but we work as one. By being where Cornell faculty, staff, and students are, we are better able to offer support—whether needed at your desktop or to solve a major business, academic or research objective—to everyone at Cornell. Check out this link to find out more about IT@Cornell.
Cornell Information Technologies (CIT) Enterprise Network Services organization provides cutting-edge technology services and solutions that enable the Cornell community to achieve its academic, research, and administrative goals. Our highly skilled and experienced team is committed to delivering technology solutions that are both standards-based and process-oriented, as well as agile and adaptive. We understand the importance of adhering to best practices and industry standards to ensure our services' reliability, security, and scalability. At the same time, we recognize the need to be flexible and adaptive in a rapidly changing technological landscape. We continually strive to provide exceptional customer service and support and work closely with our partners across campus to foster a culture of innovation and excellence. Our team is adept at collaborating with stakeholders across the university to understand their unique needs and requirements and to develop solutions that meet their specific goals.
As a member of Cornell Information Technologies (CIT) Network Facilities & Infrastructure Services (NF&IS)’s Infrastructure team, the Data Center Infrastructure Analyst will play a key role in the maintenance and operations activities of the CIT data centers, data center and research computing networks, and other campus telecommunications facilities.
This position will have broad range of current technical knowledge, hands on experience, and possess a customer-oriented mindset. Under general supervision, the Data Center Infrastructure Analyst will perform maintenance, operations, and support activities for a wide variety of data center services and IT facilities functions. Duties include, but are not limited to:

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree and up to two years of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience in data centers, server rooms, telecom rooms, or mission‑critical IT environments
• Data center physical infrastructure, network technologies, and support systems.
• Servers, switches, routers, console servers, and related electronics.
• HVAC, UPS, power and cooling distribution systems.
• OSI model, IP/Ethernet operations, routing, switching, DNS, DHCP.
• Cable testing procedures, airflow management, and data center design principles.
• Installation, monitoring, and maintenance of mission‑critical IT equipment.
• Troubleshooting and diagnostics for server and network hardware.
• Basic hardware repairs.
• Inventory management, materials handling, shipping, and receiving.
• Reading and interpreting blueprints and technical documentation.
• Basic network monitoring protocol usage.
• Ability to work in fast‑paced, high‑stress environments.
• Strong organizational and project‑management abilities.
• Excellent communication, teamwork, and customer‑support skills.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving mindset.
• Willingness to learn new technologies and stay current with industry developments.
• Commitment to accurate documentation practices.
• Ability to cultivate and develop inclusive working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community members.
• Possess and maintain a valid NYS Driver’s License. Out-of-state employees must obtain and provide proof of a NYS license within 30 days of starting employment.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working in Higher Education / R1 Research Universities
• Experience in network and/or server support for research computing / HPC
• Knowledge of Juniper, Aruba, and Fortinet network hardware and software
• Experience with ticketing systems (Team Dynamix) and inventory management systems (PCR360

Responsibilities

• Perform rack and stack operations, including cabling, labeling, and securing equipment in accordance with best practices.
• Perform hardware lifecycle activities such as RMA processing, shipping/receiving, inventory tracking, and auditing.
• Diagnose and repair infrastructure issues; perform physical upgrades, improvements, decommissions, and rebuilds.
• Assist in the monitoring and maintenance of power and cooling infrastructure including UPSs, PDUs, and HVAC systems.
• Conduct regular facility walk-throughs and inspections to proactively identify and resolve issues.
• Ensure compliance with safety, cleanliness, and operational standards within the data center.
• Assist in the design and implementation of structured cabling solutions for new deployments and upgrades.
• Maintain thorough cable management, labeling, and physical layout documentation.
• Assign rack space, provision and connect infrastructure cables, and switch ports.
• Provision & deprovision data center and research networks using standard procedures.
• Troubleshoot basic network connectivity issues in the data center and research networks.
• Install and maintain network hardware, UPS, and other equipment in coordination with CIT engineering teams.
• Participate in change control processes and support incident response efforts to maintain facility integrity.
• Engage with project teams to ensure deployments align with documented processes and standards.
• Coordinate and track service requests to ensure seamless infrastructure operations.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to improve deployment efficiency, automation, and monitoring.
• Maintain accurate records of installations, moves, changes, and inventory in management systems.
• Develop and review documentation to support implementation and future maintenance activities.
• Communicate technical requirements, instructions, and status clearly with stakeholders of varying technical expertise.

Benefits

• Great benefits including generous retirement contributions, educational benefits, comprehensive health care options, access to a plethora of wellness programs, and employee discounts with local and national retail brands.
• Our leave provisions include three weeks of vacation, two floating holidays and 13 holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and an end of the year winter break from December 25-January 1.
• We invite you to follow this link to learn more about the Total Rewards of Working at Cornell: https://hr.cornell.edu/jobs/your-total-rewards
• Experience an active and diverse community at Cornell, situated in picturesque Ithaca, New York, the heart of the Finger Lakes. Ithaca is home to two academic institutions, state parks, waterfalls, gorges, and a wide range of art galleries, theaters, eateries, wineries, and breweries. Ithaca has something to suit all ages and interests!

What This Job Offers

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