Datacenter Hardware Engineer, HPC

Mistral AI•Paris, TX

47d•Onsite

About The Position

At Mistral AI, we believe in the power of AI to simplify tasks, save time, and enhance learning and creativity. Our technology is designed to integrate seamlessly into daily working life. We democratize AI through high-performance, optimized, open-source and cutting-edge models, products and solutions. Our comprehensive AI platform is designed to meet enterprise needs, whether on-premises or in cloud environments. Our offerings include le Chat, the AI assistant for life and work. We are a dynamic, collaborative team passionate about AI and its potential to transform society. Our diverse workforce thrives in competitive environments and is committed to driving innovation. Our teams are distributed between France, USA, UK, Germany and Singapore. We are creative, low-ego and team-spirited. Join us to be part of a pioneering company shaping the future of AI. Together, we can make a meaningful impact. See more about our culture on https://mistral.ai/careers. Role Summary Our compute footprint is growing fast to support our science and engineering teams. We're hiring a Datacenter HW Engineer to maintain, troubleshoot, and scale our GPU/CPU clusters safely and reliably. You'll execute hands-on hardware work in our Paris-area datacenter and partner with hardware owners, DC operations, and vendors to keep one of France's largest GPU clusters healthy. Location: Bruyères-le-Châtel - on-site, field role Reporting line: Hardware Ops Impact Compute is a key lever for Mistral's success and our largest spend item. Direct impact on scale: your work keeps one of France's largest AI clusters healthy as we grow to unprecedented scale. Enable breakthrough AI: you unlock our science & engineering teams to deliver groundbreaking AI solutions.

Requirements

Hands-on mindset in datacenters/server hardware: you can install/re-seat/swap GPU/PCIe cards, NICs, PSUs, drives, and work cleanly in racks (rails, cabling, labeling). We also welcome candidates with strong Linux fundamentals (boot/check, logs) and scripting (Python/Bash) who are eager to learn hardware; you'll be trained and mentored by a senior hardware engineer.
Disciplined and meticulous: follows checklists, ESD/LOTO; no rough handling; careful with all high-value server components.
Practical electrical basics: power-off, PPE, short-circuit risk awareness.
Comfortable in racks: cooling, network, storage, PDU, cable management; can lift/mount safely (within HSE limits).
Clear communicator: short factual updates; reliable teammate; punctual and process-minded.
Hardware-passionate, professionally grounded: strong curiosity and craft mindset.

Nice To Haves

HPC/AI/Cloud at scale experience (production environments), large-fleet/server install & maintenance in datacenters.
Basic networking (Ethernet/InfiniBand) and basic Linux (boot/check; no coding needed).
Coding/automation skills (Python/Bash): small tools/scripts to improve checklists, photo/serial capture, inventory sync, or simple monitoring/reporting.
Experience with inventory/RMA tools and vendor coordination.
Exposure to HPC/research/industrial environments.

Responsibilities

Diagnose & operate core server/cluster components - Investigate and handle compute/storage hardware issues (CPU, memory, drives, NICs, GPUs, PSUs) and interconnect problems (switches, cables, transceivers; Ethernet/InfiniBand). Perform safe interventions (power-off/lockout, ESD) to replace, re-seat, or recable components and restore service.
Safety & procedures - Apply lockout/tagout (LOTO) and ESD discipline; follow pre/post-work checklists; maintain tidy, safe work areas.
First-line diagnostics - Triage using LEDs, POST, beep codes and basic tests; capture evidence (photos, serials, results); open/update/close tickets with clear notes.
Preventive maintenance - Provide feedback and ideas to improve proactive activities, monitoring, and targeted follow-ups on recurring or specific anomalies; help turn ad-hoc checks into SOPs, alerts, and dashboards.
Parts & logistics - Receive and track parts, keep labeled inventory accurate, manage simple RMAs, and coordinate with vendors.
Collaboration & escalation - Partner with senior hardware/firmware owners on complex or multi-node issues; communicate status and next steps crisply.
Documentation & quality - Keep SOPs/checklists current; ensure zero undocumented changes and consistent, audit-ready records.