Computer Hardware Engineers Jobs Near Me in Illinois

AHEAD builds platforms for digital business. By weaving together advances in cloud infrastructure, automation and analytics, and software delivery, we help enterprises deliver on the promise of digital transformation.

At AHEAD, we prioritize creating a culture of belonging, where all perspectives and voices are represented, valued, respected, and heard. We create spaces to empower everyone to speak up, make change, and drive the culture at AHEAD.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and do not discriminate based on an individual's race, national origin, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, marital status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law, whether actual or perceived.

We embrace all candidates that will contribute to the diversification and enrichment of ideas and perspectives at AHEAD.

As a Product Engineer I – Configuration Services, you will be instrumental in implementing enterprise-level system configurations for data center and edge hardware. You will own the process from hardware arrival through power-on, configuration, validation, and documentation, ensuring accurate and efficient delivery of configured systems to internal teams and customers. Your responsibilities include creating system configuration plans, defining and executing power-on and burn-in procedures, performing firmware and BIOS/UEFI updates, and implementing OS/hypervisor images and automation. You will collaborate closely with Program Management, Account Coordinators, Production Engineering, Manufacturing, System Verification, Sales Engineering, and clients to provide a high-quality project experience.

Essential Functions  

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

General Functions

Collaborate on quoting requests with other Product Engineers, Sales Engineers, Project Managers, external client facing teams, and directly with the client as necessary for complete and accurate quotes.

Collaborate on cross training with the Product Engineering Team.

Collaborate with the Sales Engineering team to scope and design Foundry services as necessary.

Collaborate with Manufacturing Engineering, System Verification engineering, to ensure proper documentation and automation in in place for projects.

Support Production as needed throughout the course of projects by collaborating with Program Management, Account Coordinators and Production Engineering.

Participate in the launch of new solutions, ensuring successful delivery to customers.

Diagnose and resolve hardware, firmware, and software compatibility issues in coordination with customers and vendors.

Conduct research on emerging technologies, including performance evaluations and benchmark testing.

Respond to and resolve advanced customer technical inquiries in a timely manner.

Mentor and provide guidance to other Product Engineers to support team development.

Configuration Engineering Functions

Own the bench-level configuration process for enterprise servers, storage, and networking platforms from incoming inspection through final configuration sign-off.

Develop and maintain system configuration plans and port mapping for single systems and small clusters, including IP addressing, VLAN assignments, and logical connectivity.

Perform initial power-on, firmware/BIOS/UEFI updates, and hardware validation per project standards.

Install and configure Linux and Windows operating systems, hypervisors, and base software images according to customer or internal build standards.

Develop and maintain golden images, automation scripts, and configuration checklists for repeatable, high-quality builds.

Diagnose and resolve hardware, firmware, and software compatibility issues in coordination with customers and vendors, escalating when appropriate.

Capture and maintain configuration documentation (as-built configs, inventories, serials, IP plans, port maps) in the appropriate systems of record.

Provide input to labor estimation and pre-sales assessments for configuration-heavy opportunities.

Provide production floor support for configuration issues and deviations, working closely with Manufacturing and System Verification teams.

Competencies (knowledge, skills, and abilities) 

Excellent communication and listening skills with the ability to collaborate effectively with customers, technical resources, and team members to deliver successful projects.

Proven ability to understand, gather, and document customer requirements.

Familiarity with engineering disciplines and revision control, including engineering change management, product lifecycle management (PLM), and end-of-life (EOL) processes.

Familiarity with enterprise-grade compute, storage, networking, PDU and rack hardware power, cooling (air and liquid), build methodologies, cabling, connectivity and build standards.

Knowledge of x86 and ARM computer architectures, server hardware components, and computer standards.

Familiarity with enterprise Gen AI use cases and hardware used for core inference and training.

Knowledge of quality control and computer assembly methods.

Familiarity with collaborating effectively with external vendors.

Demonstrated critical thinking, problem-solving, planning, and organizational skills, with the ability to make decisions under pressure.

Adaptability and resilience in dynamic environments.

Familiarity with risk management and new product introduction (NPI).

Excellent attention to detail and documentation skills.

Network+ and Server+ certifications are a plus.

Required education and experience  

3+ years of experience building and designing computer components into custom built systems.

3+ years of experience building and designing enterprise level systems including Networking, Compute and Storage hardware.

3+ years of experience with Linux and Windows operating systems.

3+ years of experience creating and maintaining bills of materials (BOMs).

3+ years of experience configuring Dell, Supermicro, HPE, Lenovo, and Whitebox systems.

Bachelor’s degree in computer engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.

The compensation range indicated in this posting reflects the On-Target Earnings (“OTE”) for this role, which includes a base salary and any applicable target bonus amount. This OTE range may vary based on the candidate’s relevant experience, qualifications, and geographic location.

Why AHEAD:

Through our daily work and internal groups like Moving Women AHEAD and RISE AHEAD, we value and benefit from diversity of people, ideas, experience, and everything in between.

We fuel growth by stacking our office with top-notch technologies in a multi-million-dollar lab, by encouraging cross department training and development, sponsoring certifications and credentials for continued learning.

USA Employment Benefits include:

- Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

- 401(k)

- Paid company holidays

- Paid time off

- Paid parental and caregiver leave

- Plus more! See benefits https://www.aheadbenefits.com/ for additional details.

Use of AI:

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, assessing responses, or to capture recordings and create transcriptions or summaries during interviews. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans.

If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please refer to the Candidate Privacy Notice or contact us at privacy@ahead.com.

You may opt-out of the review or analysis of your application and resume by AI tools by using the General Application. Please include the role you wish to apply for in the Additional Information field. You may also choose to opt-out of recording and transcription at any time, including after joining an interview. Candidates will not be penalized for choosing to opt-out.

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