Associate Engineer

About the Role

The Associate Engineer supports the safe, accurate, and timely integration, configuration, validation, and documentation of customer technology solutions in Insight’s lab environment. The role performs hands-on server configuration, network switch operating system updates, component and platform firmware updates, and controlled VLAN change management. Working from approved procedures, engineering designs, bills of materials, and customer requirements, the Associate Engineer prepares systems for deployment while maintaining configuration quality, asset traceability, security, and schedule commitments. This position will also help expand the lab’s capability to build and validate artificial intelligence infrastructure racks. The Associate Engineer will support rack-level assembly, cabling, power and cooling readiness, firmware baselines, network configuration, burn-in, validation, and handoff of compute-intensive solutions under the direction of senior engineering resources.

Key Responsibilities

• Lab Integration and Server Configuration
• Receive, stage, inventory, inspect, and prepare servers, storage, networking equipment, accelerators, and related components for integration.
• Perform server configuration using approved work instructions, including BIOS/UEFI settings, management-controller configuration, storage and RAID setup, boot configuration, operating-system or hypervisor deployment, and baseline validation.
• Install or replace approved components such as processors, memory, storage devices, network adapters, host bus adapters, graphics processing units, power supplies, rails, and cable assemblies.
• Execute build plans and bills of materials accurately; identify discrepancies, incompatible components, missing items, and damaged equipment before work proceeds.
• Run prescribed diagnostics, burn-in, health checks, and functional tests; document results and escalate failures with reproducible evidence.
• Network Switch IOS and Software Updates
• Stage and update network switch operating systems, including IOS or equivalent vendor software, using approved images, procedures, maintenance windows, and rollback plans.
• Verify image integrity, boot variables, licensing status, startup and running configurations, port status, management reachability, and post-upgrade health.
• Back up configurations and capture pre-change and post-change evidence in the designated system of record.
• Troubleshoot basic connectivity, interface, transceiver, cabling, link aggregation, management-plane, and upgrade issues; escalate complex defects appropriately.
• Firmware and Lifecycle Management
• Apply approved firmware baselines to servers, management controllers, BIOS/UEFI, storage controllers, drives, network adapters, switches, power distribution equipment, and other supported devices.
• Confirm hardware compatibility, dependencies, sequencing, prerequisites, and recovery steps before updates.
• Maintain accurate records of current and target versions, update outcomes, exceptions, and remediation actions.
• Use vendor tools and documented procedures to validate platform health after updates and prevent unauthorized or untested changes.
• VLAN Change Management
• Implement approved VLAN additions, removals, and port assignments in accordance with change records and network standards.
• Validate access and trunk settings, permitted VLANs, native VLAN configuration, port descriptions, addressing dependencies, and end-to-end connectivity.
• Perform peer checks when required, preserve configuration backups, document verification results, and execute rollback procedures when acceptance criteria are not met.
• Follow separation-of-duties, authorization, maintenance-window, and escalation requirements; do not make undocumented production-impacting changes.
• AI Infrastructure Rack Builds
• Support assembly and integration of AI infrastructure racks containing GPU accelerated compute, high-speed networking, storage, management switches, power distribution, and associated cabling.
• Follow rack elevations, wiring diagrams, bills of materials, labeling standards, torque specifications, weight distribution guidance, and component handling procedures.
• Install rails and equipment; route, dress, label, and verify copper, fiber, management, and power cabling while maintaining airflow and serviceability.
• Assist with power planning and validation, including feed identification, power distribution unit mapping, redundancy checks, phase or circuit awareness, and documented power-on sequencing.
• Support cooling-readiness checks for high-density systems, including airflow orientation, blanking requirements, environmental monitoring, and liquid-cooling connection or leak-check procedures when trained and authorized.
• Apply coordinated firmware and configuration baselines across rack components and validate management-plane access, fabric connectivity, storage paths, time synchronization, telemetry, and hardware health.
• Execute approved rack-level burn-in and acceptance tests; collect logs and evidence for thermal, power, compute, network, storage, and resiliency validation.
• Contribute to repeatable AI rack build standards, checklists, automation inputs, lessons learned, and continuous-improvement activities.
• Quality, Security, Safety, and Operations
• Complete work in accordance with Insight policies, customer requirements, standard operating procedures, quality controls, and applicable manufacturer guidance.
• Maintain chain of custody, asset and serial-number accuracy, configuration records, test evidence, and status updates throughout the build lifecycle.
• Protect customer data, credentials, configuration files, software images, and other confidential information; follow least-privilege and approved media-handling practices.
• Follow electrostatic-discharge controls, lifting and material-handling requirements, electrical safety practices, lockout/tagout rules where applicable, and all site safety procedures.
• Keep assigned work areas orderly and audit-ready; use tools and test equipment correctly and report unsafe conditions immediately.
• Manage assigned tasks against schedule and service-level expectations, communicate blockers early, and collaborate with engineering, project management, logistics, quality, and operations teams.
• Create and improve work instructions, checklists, knowledge articles, and troubleshooting records.
• Participate in training, cross-training, team meetings, and other duties aligned with the role.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Computer Science associates degree or equivalent certifications.
• Foundational knowledge of computer hardware, server architecture, networking, storage, operating systems, and troubleshooting.
• Hands-on technical experience gained through employment, education, military service, certification labs, internships, or personal projects.
• Ability to follow technical instructions, diagrams, checklists, change records, and safety procedures with close attention to detail.
• Working understanding of Ethernet, TCP/IP, subnetting, VLANs, access and trunk ports, management networks, and basic network troubleshooting.
• Strong communication, documentation, organization, teamwork, and customer service skills.
• Ability to learn vendor platforms, lab processes, automation tools, and AI infrastructure concepts.
• Ability to satisfy applicable background, customer-site, security, and access requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Associate degree or technical training in information technology, computer science, electronics, networking, engineering technology, or a related discipline.
• Entry-level certification such as CompTIA A+, Network+, Server+, Linux+, Cisco CCST/CCNA, or a relevant vendor credential.
• Experience with enterprise servers, out-of-band management, RAID and storage, Linux or Windows Server, virtualization, network switches, fiber optics, or structured cabling.
• Experience with ticketing, change-management, asset-management, source control, or documentation platforms.
• Exposure to PowerShell, Python, shell scripting, APIs, infrastructure templates, or vendor automation utilities.
• Exposure to GPU servers, high-speed Ethernet or InfiniBand, parallel storage, rack power planning, telemetry, or liquid-cooled infrastructure.

Location

This role is fully onsite in our Fort Worth, TX office.

Shift

9:30am - 6:00pm CST

Salary

$80,000