Principal Systems Engineer – Server & Storage

A Day in Your Life at MKS:

As the Principal Systems Engineer – Server & Storage you will be responsible for designing, implementing, maintaining, and optimizing enterprise server, virtualization, and storage infrastructures. You will ensure high availability, performance, and scalability across datacenter environments. You possess deep expertise in Windows Server, VMware vSphere, Nutanix Enterprise Cloud, and enterprise SAN/NAS storage platforms.

As a senior technical resource, you will provide architectural guidance, lead complex engineering projects, and serve as an escalation point for operations teams.

You Will Make an Impact By:

Server & Virtualization Engineering

• Design, deploy, and maintain Windows Server environments, including Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, Group Policy, DFS, Clustering, OS hardening, File, and Print.
• Architect and administer VMware vSphere environments (ESXi, vCenter) with an emphasis on performance optimization, lifecycle management, and automation.
• Engineer and operate Nutanix clusters, including AHV administration, Prism management, storage configuration, and integration with virtualization platforms.
• Ensure server platform reliability through proactive monitoring, capacity planning, and security best practices.

Storage Engineering

• Design, implement, and manage SAN and NAS storage arrays, including provisioning, zoning, replication, backup, and performance tuning.
• Maintain storage fabric technologies (Brocade, Cisco MDS, etc.) and ensure high-availability data access.

• Implement and support backup and disaster recovery strategies using enterprise recovery tools and replication technologies.

Infrastructure Architecture & Operations

• Lead the evaluation and introduction of new technologies to improve datacenter efficiency, resiliency, and automation.
• Develop and maintain detailed system documentation, standards, and runbooks.
• Collaborate with security teams to enforce compliance, patching, and vulnerability management across servers and storage platforms.
• Respond to major incidents, conduct root-cause analysis, and drive long-term remediation.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership to project teams.

Skills You Bring:

• 8+ years of experience supporting enterprise server, virtualization, and storage technologies.
• Expert-level knowledge in:
  • Windows Server (2016/2019/2022/2025)
  • VMware vSphere/ESXi/vCenter
  • Nutanix Enterprise Cloud / AHV / Prism
  • Enterprise SAN/NAS platforms (e.g., NetApp, Dell EMC, HPE)
• Experience with PowerShell or other scripting languages for automation.
• Deep understanding of TCP/IP networking fundamentals, DNS, load balancing, and security best practices.
• Strong troubleshooting skills with a methodical approach.

Preferred

• Relevant certifications such as:
  • MCSE, Nutanix NCP/NCM, VMware VCP/VCAP, or storage vendor certifications.
• Experience with hybrid cloud integrations (Azure, AWS).
• Knowledge of Infrastructure-as-Code (Terraform, Ansible) or CI/CD pipelines.

Soft Skills

• Strong communication skills for cross-team collaboration.
• Ability to lead complex technical initiatives with minimal supervision.
• Excellent documentation, planning, and analytical skills.
• Customer-service mindset with a proactive approach to system reliability.

This role requires periodic travel to our Plano, TX site and therefore candidate must be within commuting distance to Plano, TX.

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Compensation and Benefits:

• Salary Pay Range: $ 109,750 - $182,900 per year. This range is a good faith estimate of the expected salary range for this position, based on a wide range of factors including qualifications, experience and training, operational and business needs and other considerations permitted by law. 

• Bonus: This position is eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, in an amount to be determined by MKS [or as applicable].

• Benefits: MKS offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance coverage (medical, dental and vision), 401(k) with company match, life and disability insurance, 12 paid holidays, sick time, 15 paid vacation days, [6 weeks fully paid] parental leave, adoption assistance and tuition reimbursement [and for participation in any stock programs, signing bonus, etc.

#LI-MH1 #LI-Remote

We are interested in a qualified candidates eligible to work in the United States and will not be sponsoring work visas for this position, at this time. 

MKS is an equal opportunity employer, including disability, veteran status and all categories protected by law. Please review our EOE statements for additional details. MKS is generally only hiring candidates who reside in states where we are registered to do business.

Globally, our policy is to recruit individuals from wide and diverse backgrounds. However, certain positions require access to controlled goods and technologies subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Applicants for these positions may need to be “U.S. persons.” “U.S. persons” are generally defined as U.S. citizens, noncitizen nationals, lawful permanent residents (or, green card holders), individuals granted asylum, and individuals admitted as refugees.

MKS Inc. and its affiliates and subsidiaries (“MKS”) is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer: diverse candidates are encouraged to apply. We win as a team and are committed to recruiting and hiring qualified applicants regardless of race, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions), religion, age, ancestry, physical or mental disability or handicap, marital status, membership in the uniformed services, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other category protected by applicable law. Hiring decisions are based on merit, qualifications and business needs. We conduct background checks and drug screens, in accordance with applicable law and company policies.  MKS is generally only hiring candidates who reside in states where we are registered to do business.

MKS is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process due to a disability, please contact us at: accommodationsatMKS@mksinst.com .

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