Systems Engineer
Panasas · United States
- Hybrid
- Full-time
- $150,000 / year
- United States
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Job highlights
- Serve as primary technical advisor on West Coast.
- Combine storage expertise with pre-sales consulting.
- Lead customer engagements and drive account strategy.
- Support new system deployments and post-sales.
- Collaborate with internal teams for product excellence.
About the role
Systems Engineer - VDURA (US West)
About VDURA:
VDURA is redefining data storage for the AI era. Built on 25+ years of innovation that began with the invention of RAID at UC Berkeley and the creation of the industry's first enterprise parallel file system, VDURA now delivers a fully software-defined, subscription-based data platform purpose-built for AI factories, GPU clusters, Neoclouds, and HPC environments. With 1,000+ production deployments across 50+ countries and exabytes of data under management, VDURA is trusted by leading research labs, government agencies, and Fortune 500 enterprises worldwide.
Position Overview:
The VDURA Systems Engineering team is the critical technical link between VDURA sales, customers, channel partners, and our service and product development organizations. As a Systems Engineer on the West Coast, you will serve as the primary technical advisor for prospects and customers across your region, combining deep storage architecture expertise with a hands-on approach to pre-sales consulting, implementation, and post-sales support.
Key Responsibilities:
Customer Engagement & Pre-Sales
- Lead on-site consulting engagements covering AI Factory design, capacity planning, and storage system implementation
- Own and drive account strategy by translating customer technical requirements, growth plans, timelines, and budgets into winning solutions
- Deliver compelling technical briefings and proof-of-concept demonstrations to engineering and executive audiences
- Partner with VDURA channel partners to build complete, integrated solutions for customer environments
Implementation & Post-Sales:
- Support new system deployments, including installation, configuration, and initial performance tuning
- Provide joint escalation support and technical problem management alongside VDURA Customer Service
- Serve as a second-tier support resource and field extension of VDURA hardware and software engineering
Cross-Functional Collaboration:
- Work collaboratively with VDURA Product Design, Manufacturing, Operations, Sales, and Product Marketing to ensure end-to-end technical product excellence
- Maintain proactive communications with customers, prospects, and channel partners across the region
- Maintain current knowledge of VDURA products, roadmaps, competitive landscape, and pricing
Qualifications:
Experience & Education
- BS or higher degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, Sciences, or equivalent practical experience
- 7+ years of storage industry experience working with distributed and/or clustered file systems (AFS/DFS, NFS, Lustre, Weka, DDN, VAST, or similar)
- HPC or AI storage industry background strongly preferred
Technical Skills:
- Deep knowledge of current and emerging storage architectures including FC, NAS, OSD/OBSD, and SAN
- Hands-on experience with UNIX/Linux (BSD, Linux, System V), TCP/IP networking, Gigabit Ethernet, and InfiniBand
- Familiarity with backup and data management tools (HSM, Legato, Veritas)
- Experience with enterprise applications (Active Directory, Exchange, Data Center) and Windows Server storage implementations a plus
- Networking and switching architecture knowledge a plus
- Comfortable with installation, hands-on debugging, and modern AI tools (Claude, ChatGPT, etc.)
Soft Skills:
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including strong executive-level presentation ability
- Strong project management, multi-tasking, and time management skills
- Ability to travel within assigned geography up to 50%, including air travel and overnight stays
Why VDURA:
Join a company at the center of the AI infrastructure wave, with a 25-year heritage and a fully reinvented product for the next era of computing. Work with a team of storage industry veterans who built the systems that power the world's most demanding research and AI environments. Bring a genuinely differentiated product to market: software-defined, subscription-based, and delivering 60%+ lower TCO than all-flash architectures at comparable performance. Operate with the autonomy and impact of a growth-stage company backed by over $150M in funding and a proven go-to-market motion.
Key skills/competency
- Systems Engineer
- Storage Architecture
- Pre-Sales Consulting
- Customer Engagement
- Linux/UNIX
- TCP/IP Networking
- HPC/AI Storage
- File Systems
- Performance Tuning
- Data Management
Skills & topics
- Systems Engineer
- Storage Architecture
- AI Storage
- HPC Storage
- Pre-Sales Engineer
- Technical Consulting
- Linux
- UNIX
- Data Platform
- Distributed File Systems
- FC
- NAS
- SAN
- TCP/IP
- InfiniBand
- Customer Support
- Solution Design
- Performance Tuning
- NFS
- Lustre
- Weka
- DDN
- VAST
How to get hired
- Tailor your resume: Highlight your 7+ years of storage industry experience, distributed/clustered file systems knowledge, and HPC/AI background. Emphasize your BS or higher degree in a relevant field and any hands-on debugging or AI tool experience.
- Craft a compelling application: Clearly articulate your understanding of VDURA's mission in AI data storage and how your skills align with the Systems Engineer role, particularly in pre-sales consulting and post-sales support.
- Prepare for technical interviews: Be ready to discuss deep knowledge of storage architectures (FC, NAS, OSD/OBSD, SAN), hands-on experience with UNIX/Linux, TCP/IP, and InfiniBand. Practice explaining complex technical concepts clearly.
- Showcase soft skills: Demonstrate your excellent verbal and written communication, executive-level presentation abilities, and project management skills during the interview process. Highlight your willingness to travel up to 50%.
- Research VDURA's innovation: Understand their software-defined, subscription-based platform for AI factories and HPC, and be prepared to discuss its competitive advantages and lower TCO.
Technical preparation
Master distributed/clustered file systems.,Deep dive into FC, NAS, OSD/OBSD, SAN.,Practice UNIX/Linux and TCP/IP networking.,Prepare to discuss HPC/AI storage solutions.
Behavioral questions
Describe a complex technical solution you designed.,How do you handle challenging customer technical issues?,Share an experience collaborating with engineering teams.,How do you manage multiple customer priorities?
Frequently asked questions
- What specific AI tools should I be familiar with for the Systems Engineer role at VDURA?
- The job description mentions familiarity with modern AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT. While deep expertise isn't explicitly required, demonstrating an understanding of how these tools are used and their potential impact on data storage solutions would be beneficial for a Systems Engineer candidate at VDURA.
- How important is the HPC or AI storage background for the Systems Engineer position at VDURA?
- An HPC or AI storage industry background is strongly preferred for the Systems Engineer role at VDURA. Given VDURA's focus on redefining data storage for the AI era and their target markets (AI factories, GPU clusters, HPC), candidates with this specific experience will have a significant advantage.
- What kind of travel is expected for the Systems Engineer role at VDURA?
- The Systems Engineer role at VDURA requires travel within the assigned geography (US West Coast) up to 50%. This includes air travel and overnight stays, as the role involves on-site consulting, customer engagement, and supporting new system deployments.
- What are the primary responsibilities of a Systems Engineer at VDURA?
- As a Systems Engineer at VDURA, your primary responsibilities include acting as the main technical advisor for prospects and customers, leading pre-sales consulting, designing solutions, demonstrating products, supporting new system deployments, and providing post-sales technical support. You will also collaborate with various internal teams.
- What type of storage architectures does VDURA specialize in, and what knowledge is required for the Systems Engineer?
- VDURA focuses on software-defined, subscription-based data platforms for AI and HPC. The Systems Engineer role requires deep knowledge of current and emerging storage architectures including FC, NAS, OSD/OBSD, and SAN. Hands-on experience with distributed and clustered file systems is also crucial.
- How does VDURA differentiate itself in the market, and how should I address this as a Systems Engineer candidate?
- VDURA differentiates itself with a software-defined, subscription-based platform that offers a significantly lower TCO than all-flash architectures at comparable performance. As a Systems Engineer, you should be prepared to articulate these advantages, drawing on your technical expertise and understanding of customer needs in AI and HPC environments.