Field Technical Support Engineer - Data Direct Networks

DDN Storage is seeking great candidates to join our dynamic team of passionate customer-enabling technologists!

This is an incredible opportunity to be part of a company that has been at the forefront of AI and high-performance data storage innovation for over two decades. DDN Storage is a global market leader renowned for powering many of the world's most demanding AI data centers, in industries ranging from life sciences and healthcare to financial services, autonomous cars, Government, academia, research and manufacturing.

"DDN's A3I solutions are transforming the landscape of AI infrastructure." – IDC

“The real differentiator is DDN. I never hesitate to recommend DDN. DDN is the de facto name for AI Storage in high performance environments” - ~ Marc Hamilton VP, Solutions Architecture & Engineering | NVIDIA

DDN Storage is the global leader in AI and multi-cloud data management at scale. Our cutting-edge storage and data management solutions are designed to accelerate AI workloads, enabling organizations to extract maximum value from their data. With a proven track record of performance, reliability, and scalability, DDN Storage empowers businesses to tackle the most challenging AI and data-intensive workloads with confidence.

Our success is driven by our unwavering commitment to innovation, customer-centricity, and a team of passionate professionals who bring their expertise and dedication to every project. This is a chance to make a significant impact at a company that is shaping the future of AI and data management.

Our commitment to innovation, customer success, and market leadership makes this an exciting and rewarding role for a driven professional looking to make a lasting impact in the world of AI and data storage.

The primary responsibility for individuals in this position is to provide onsite support and work closely with the customer staff to resolve DDN system problems. The Field Technical Support Engineer (FTSE) will also serve as a resource to expedite problem resolution by working with DDN staff to quickly analyze and resolve issues. This position will primarily be responsible for DDN system hardware monitoring, maintenance, inventory management, and break/fix replacement. This individual will be required to serve as an extension to the customer staff and participate in customer meetings as required. Individuals in this position may also be required to remotely connect to systems in DDN integration facility or lab environments to help understand and resolve critical issues.

This position is not considered a remote position and requires business day in person location at customer facilities in Memphis, TN.  After hours and weekend maintenance visits will be required as needed.

Detailed responsibilities for this role include but are not limited to:

• Have a thorough technical understanding of the various DDN product lines.
• Manage DDN customer hardware inventory.
• Monitor DDN customer solution health.
• Coordinate with DDN support and engineering in trouble ticket resolution.
• Understand the DDN hardware and be able to perform emergency maintenance in the case that the regular support team is unavailable.
• Coordinate onsite DDN and contract personnel in maintaining customer DDN equipment.
• Physically install and configure hardware at a customer site. Supervise “smart hands” to do so if appropriate.
• Help create hardware and or software documentation as required.
• Be prepared to form/lead a Tiger Team with the required SME if a particular challenge is encountered.
• Understand Linux and networking to be able to troubleshoot all areas effectively.
• Prepare status reports of activities to manager as required.
• Document and communicate customer issues and concerns so that DDN sales, pre-sales, support, and engineering can quickly react and resolve issues.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to the customer and translate that knowledge into system requirements and future sales offerings.
• Identify additional business opportunities when working with customers.
• Help expand DDN sales opportunities, helping to develop products, process and procedures to facilitate these opportunities.
• Additional responsibilities may be assigned to individuals in this position as business requirements evolve.

Qualifications for this role are:

• Knowledge of the storage industry and solutions.
• 3-5 Years of experience in Operating systems debugging Linux and Windows Environments.
• 3-5 years of experience in SAN and NAS RAID Appliance is required.
• Red Hat/CentOS/Rocky/Alma, Debian/Ubuntu, SUSE, Windows Server.
• Knowledge in file system deployment and concepts: XFS, ZFS, EXT3/4, GPFS, Lustre is preferred.
• Deep knowledge of networking concepts is required; NAS protocol levels (CIFS, NFS, SMB, etc...)
• Knowledge on the configuration, deployment and troubleshooting Ethernet.
• Scripting (Shell/Bash and Python).
• Ability to Multitask.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to listen, understand and articulate creative implementations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to lift at least 50lbs/22.6kg.
• Ability for coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects to perform precision assembling, adjusting, or calibrating, within narrow tolerances, of electrical or electronic components.
• Associates or higher degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, Sciences; or technical equivalent (5 years work experience) is required.
• Located in Memphis, TN regional area.

DDN has a very strong orientation towards these 4 characteristics and any successful employee will demonstrate these capabilities: 

Self-Starter - Takes independent action to identify and solve problems. Seeks out relevant information needed to make decisions. Gets involved with new initiatives. 

Success/Achievement Orientation - Delivers quality results consistently. Targets, achieves (or exceeds) measurable results. Sets challenging goals, focuses on critical priorities, and is accountable. 

Problem Solving - Recognizes problems and responds with a systematic assessment that identifies and addresses cause of issue. Practical, realistic, and resourceful. 

Innovative - Builds and improves key business processes that enhance the effectiveness of DDN. Generates new ideas, challenges the status quo, and solves problems creatively.

DataDirect Networks, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender, sex stereotyping, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.