Senior Network & Systems Engineer

Karman•Ann Arbor, MI

20h•Hybrid

About The Position

Karman is a fast-growing NVIDIA-backed AI company enabling AI data centers to dynamically orchestrate power and unlock more compute capacity from existing energy infrastructure. For over a decade, we have applied AI to the electric grid — bringing real-time visibility and power-flow control to complex energy infrastructure. Our Karman platform, built on a custom NVIDIA module, brings that same capability to AI data centers, giving operators a way to better use the power already available to them. The Senior Network & Systems Engineer is responsible for owning Tier 3 IT support, network infrastructure, and systems administration across Utilidata’s Ann Arbor headquarters and remote environments. This is a hands-on senior individual contributor role—not an architecture position—focused on resolving complex technical issues, maintaining reliable network and systems infrastructure, and supporting the security posture of the organization. This role enables the Director of IT & Security Operations to focus on strategic planning, policy implementation, and security governance, and ensures that R&D engineers can dedicate their time fully to product development. This position is based onsite at our company headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with flexibility for occasional remote work. Candidates will be expected to collaborate cross-functionally with remote teams based across the country.

Requirements

5+ years of hands-on experience in network engineering, IT infrastructure, or systems administration in production environments
Deep networking expertise, including routing, switching, firewalls, VLANs, and network security
Proven ability to resolve Tier 3 issues independently across network, server, and endpoint environments
Experience supporting physical data center or lab environments, including low-level hardware support
Solid understanding of system monitoring, log management, and troubleshooting methodologies
Experience with identity and access management platforms (JumpCloud preferred)
Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, small-team environment where scope evolves and self-direction is expected

Nice To Haves

Security background or SOC familiarity; relevant certifications such as CCNA, CompTIA Security+, or CISSP are a plus
Familiarity with security frameworks such as NIST, CIS benchmarks, or SOC 2 controls
Experience with SIEM platforms (Splunk, Sentinel, or similar)
Exposure to high-performance computing, AI infrastructure, or GPU-based systems
Experience with configuration management or automation tools (Ansible, Puppet, Chef, or similar)
Experience administering developer and infrastructure platforms such as GitHub, Tailscale, or NetBox

Responsibilities

Serve as the Tier 3 escalation point for complex IT issues across networking, servers, endpoints, and identity systems
Design, implement, and maintain LAN/WAN, wireless, firewall, and VPN infrastructure
Manage network segmentation, VLAN configuration, routing protocols, and SD-WAN solutions
Monitor network performance and system availability; proactively identify and resolve issues before they cause impact
Troubleshoot and resolve advanced operating system, application, and infrastructure incidents
Manage and maintain on-premises and cloud infrastructure, including servers, switches, and access control systems
Provide on-site support for the Ann Arbor Innovation Lab, including rack-and-stack, cabling, and low-level hardware configuration
Support data center operations including server provisioning, storage, and compute resource management relevant to Karman platform deployments
Support security monitoring, incident detection, and alert triage in coordination with the Director of IT & Security Operations
Assist with endpoint detection, log review, and vulnerability management within established security tooling
Contribute to the development and enforcement of IT security policies and access control standards
Support SOC coordination on security incident triage and response as needed
Manage user onboarding and offboarding workflows including identity provisioning, access management, and device setup
Absorb IT and administrative tasks currently managed by R&D engineers
Support procurement, hardware asset lifecycle management, and inventory tracking
Contribute to documentation of operational runbooks, network diagrams, troubleshooting guides, and system procedures
Support change management processes, coordinating on network, firewall, and access control changes