Data Center Deployment Engineer
Location: Remote
About The AES Group
The AES Group is a premier technology and engineering consulting company that has been bringing businesses and talent together for over 20 years to deliver innovative solutions that have the greatest positive impact on society. AES has helped over 40 business enterprises, including Fortune 500 companies, engage their customers, empower their employees, and transform their business operations with the power of cloud, data, AI, engineering, and other emerging technologies.
Job Summary
Our client is seeking an experienced Senior Data Center Deployment Engineer to lead field installation teams responsible for deploying enterprise data center infrastructure.
The ideal candidate will have extensive hands-on experience installing and commissioning enterprise hardware, including Cisco UCS servers, Cisco Nexus switches, F5 BIG-IP appliances, and NetApp AFF storage systems. This role requires strong technical expertise, field leadership, installation planning, hardware troubleshooting, and documentation skills.
The Senior Data Center Deployment Engineer will oversee the complete deployment lifecycle, from pre-installation site surveys and readiness assessments through rack-and-stack activities, hardware commissioning, licensing handoff, and final customer acceptance. The engineer will also lead and mentor a two-person field team while ensuring installations meet manufacturer specifications, applicable industry standards, and customer requirements.
Key Responsibilities
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Site Surveys and Planning: Conduct remote and on-site pre-installation surveys to assess rack space, power availability, A/B power feeds, cooling, network connectivity, optics, and equipment delivery access.
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Installation Readiness: Develop site-specific installation plans and coordinate with site contacts to resolve readiness issues before deployment.
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Hardware Installation: Rack, stack, cable, and label Cisco UCS C-Series and X-Series servers, fabric interconnects, Cisco Nexus switches, F5 BIG-IP appliances, and NetApp AFF storage systems.
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Standards Compliance: Ensure installations follow manufacturer guidelines and applicable ANSI/TIA-942, TIA-568, TIA-606, and TIA-607 standards.
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Hardware Configuration and Commissioning: Install field-replaceable components, configure management interfaces, including Cisco IMC, and verify power, network links, device accessibility, and hardware health.
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Licensing and Asset Handoff: Capture serial numbers, Cisco Intersight claim codes, F5 registration keys, and other required information for licensing and entitlement processing.
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Customer and Vendor Coordination: Coordinate with NetApp Professional Services, customer platform teams, site personnel, and the Program Manager to ensure successful deployment and handover.
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Technical Documentation: Complete deployment closeout packages within five business days, including Visio rack elevations, Excel configuration workbooks, equipment details, and photographic records.
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Maintenance and Troubleshooting: Perform independent return visits for RMA hardware replacements, equipment upgrades, and complex maintenance activities.
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Field Team Leadership: Lead, mentor, and train the Data Center Deployment Engineer assigned to the site.
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Project Reporting: Provide daily deployment status updates, document issues and resolutions, and communicate risks or delays to the site contact and Program Manager.
Required Skills and Qualifications
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Minimum 10 years of relevant enterprise data center hardware installation and deployment experience.
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Proven experience leading data center installation projects and coordinating with site managers and customer stakeholders.
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Hands-on experience installing Cisco UCS C-Series and/or X-Series servers and configuring Cisco Integrated Management Controller (IMC).
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Experience with F5 BIG-IP hardware appliances and/or NetApp or comparable enterprise storage platforms.
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Working knowledge of serial console connections, IP addressing, VLANs, network ports, transceivers, and physical connectivity.
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Experience with rack-and-stack installations, structured cabling, equipment labeling, hardware commissioning, and troubleshooting.
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Proficiency in Microsoft Visio and Excel for rack elevations, configuration workbooks, and deployment documentation.
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Strong communication, organization, problem-solving, and customer-facing skills.
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Ability to obtain and maintain a favorable federal/Public Trust background investigation for access to VA and other federal facilities.
Education and Certifications
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Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electronics Engineering, or another engineering or technical discipline.
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Eight additional years of relevant experience may substitute for the degree requirement, subject to employer acceptance.
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Relevant certifications are preferred, including:
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Cisco CCNA or CCNP Data Center
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CompTIA Server+
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BICSI Technician or Outside Plant Designer (OSP)
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Fiber-optic cable installation (OLAN) certification
Preferred Qualifications
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Experience deploying enterprise infrastructure in healthcare, government, or other regulated environments.
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Familiarity with federal facility access requirements and customer site procedures.
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Experience coordinating multi-site infrastructure deployments and managing project closeout documentation.
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Strong understanding of enterprise server, network, storage, and application delivery infrastructure.
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Ability to work independently in field environments while maintaining deployment schedules and quality standards.
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