Datacentre Engineer – Contract Position – HIRING ASAPLocation: Paris-Saclay Start Date: ASAP Duration: 3 month rolling contract with a view to go permanent after Daily Rate: €450 - €700 per daySummaryWe are seeking a deeply technical, hardware-passionate Datacentre Operations Engineer to execute on-the-ground operations for our Paris-Saclay deployment— cuttingedge AI infrastructure site in Europe. This role focuses on delivering precise, repeatable physical practices—including advanced smart-hands support, complex cabling, and hands-on operation of advanced liquid cooling and ultra-high-density compute systems—to guarantee world-class SLAs on next-generation hardware architecture. Working closely with Infrastructure (HPC) SRE, Network Engineering, and Datacentre Strategy teams, you will uphold uncompromising standards on the data centre floor. You will live and breathe the hardware, maintaining elite facility reliability through hands-on deployment, proactive maintenance, rapid incident response, and structured break/fix execution across advanced liquid cooling systems, busbar-based high-density power distribution, and next-generation GPU compute platforms. The role centres on technical execution and optimised output. You will turn global engineering standards into flawless, repeatable daily routines, continually honing on-the-ground practices to keep our most advanced hardware running at peak performance. Experience with NVIDIA NVL72- class or busbar/high-density compute is strongly valued; candidates who can demonstrate a strong aptitude and clearRequirementsDegree in Computer Science/Electrical Engineering, or 5+ years of directly relevant industry experience in data centre operations3+ years of experience in data centre operations, HPC, or related rolesPassion for hardware and upholding the highest operational standards on the groundStrong communication skills in both French and EnglishProven hands-on experience with HPC NVIDIA GPU platforms or equivalent high-density compute systems, high-performance storage, and networkingPractical knowledge of Direct Liquid Cooling (DLC) systems—CDU operation, coolant monitoring, leak detection, and associated maintenance—or strong related cooling infrastructure experience with clear willingness to train on DLCExperience with, or demonstrable willingness and aptitude to train on, ultra-high-density compute platforms such as NVIDIA NVL72, busbar-based power distribution, or equivalent systems operating at >30kW/rackFamiliarity with structured break/fix practices for complex hardware platforms, including coolant loop isolation, module-level component exchange, and firmware fault isolationExpertise in hardware installation, network configuration, and low-level system maintenance, including firmware managementKnowledge of data centre environment technologies, including cooling and high-density power distributionUnderstanding of capacity management principles: power, space, and cooling trackingStrong understanding of hardware and spares management; ability to handle RMAs within defined SLOsUnderstanding of HPC and AI workloads at a high levelStrong problem-solving abilities and resilience in a fast-paced environmentStrong grasp of ITSM and service operation best practicesExcellent communication skills and ability to collaborate with cross-functional, internationally dispersed teamsComfortable interfacing with internal stakeholders and external customersBonus: Vendor-endorsed qualifications from NVIDIA, HPE, or equivalent OEMs for high density AI compute or liquid cooling systemsBonus SkillsKnowledge of large-scale private cloud deployments and capacity planning.Qualifications in HVAC management and deploymentsCertifications in relevant areas - Hardware, NetworkingITIL Foundation level qualification or equivalent experienceResponsibilities Hardware Operations & Break/FixQuickly diagnose and resolve hardware and network issues to maximise uptime; execute structured fault isolation methodologies to drive rapid resolutionRespond to critical hardware alerts via our monitoring and observability platform; contribute to ongoing service improvement to improve monitoring capability and alert qualityDeploy and maintain HPC and AI hardware for uninterrupted operations, including hardware troubleshooting, firmware updates, and component replacementExecute break/fix procedures for advanced hardware platforms, including GPU module exchange, component-level fault isolation, and firmware-level diagnosticsExecute or support break/fix operations on ultra-high-density compute systems including NVIDIA NVL72-class (GB200 NVLink rack-scale) or equivalent platforms, including coolant loop isolation, GPU module swap, and busbar connection/disconnection—under the direction of the Lead where qualification is in progress Liquid Cooling OperationsOperate, monitor, and maintain advanced Direct Liquid Cooling (DLC) systems, including Cooling Distribution Units (CDUs), rear-door heat exchangers, in-row cooling, and associated coolant infrastructureExecute routine and corrective maintenance on liquid cooling circuits: topping up coolant, monitoring flow rates and temperatures, identifying and reporting leaks, and performing scheduled inspectionsFollow and contribute to SOPs for safe working on liquid-cooled compute platforms, including isolation and lock-out/tag-out proceduresMonitor thermal performance and raise anomalies before they escalate into incidents Capacity ManagementContribute to site-level capacity management operations, maintaining accurate records of power, space, and cooling utilisationSupport capacity planning activities by providing accurate as-built data and flagging infrastructure changes to the Lead and relevant teamsManage on-the-ground assets from point of purchase and delivery through lifecycle management and disposal, owning asset management within the client’s CMDB system Infrastructure & FacilitiesHandle RMAs and support requests within the clients’ Service Level Objectives (SLOs) to meet customer contract SLAsContribute to ongoing maintenance, fostering compliance and leveraging strong vendor partnershipsOperate cooling, power distribution (including busbar and PDU infrastructure), and other critical data centre technologies to maintain high operational standardsDevelop and maintain datacentre/hardware management SOPs, ensuring continual alignment with the clients’ governance and compliance requirementsService & Operational ExcellenceApply ITSM frameworks: Incident, Major Incident, Change Management, and service improvementOperate and support services 24x7x365 for production environments, including on-call rotationContribute to Incident postmortem analyses, root cause analysis, document learnings, and automate remediationsCommunicate technical decisions clearly to stakeholders and customersChampion a culture of do, document, automate Willing to cross train and upskill in Infrastructure/Platform SRE practicesWilling to travel across EMEA to support future datacentre onboarding and train in new technologies
Nathan Peters 
