IT Engineer - Hardware

EMPLOYER IS A CONTRACTOR FOR THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. THIS POSITION WILL REQUIRE U.S. CITIZENSHIP.

Role Description:

We are seeking an IT Engineer to join our team, based primarily out of our San Antonio, TX office. This role is first and foremost a hardware role, the primary owner of physical infrastructure at Defense Unicorns' San Antonio location, responsible for racking servers, configuring switching and network gear, and maintaining a growing lab environment that supports active defense programs. When not heads-down on hardware, this person is a contributor to day-to-day IT operations, handling helpdesk tickets, endpoint support, and IT projects alongside the broader IT OPS team. The ideal candidate thrives in a hands-on lab environment, has real experience standing up physical infrastructure, and can context-switch into IT OPS work without losing momentum. This is an onsite role; physical presence is the job.

Responsibilities:

Hardware & Infrastructure (~70%)

• Install, configure, and maintain servers, rack-mount switches, and associated network infrastructure in the San Antonio office and lab environments
• Stand up and maintain virtualization environments on IT-owned bare-metal hardware
• Lead rack layout, cable management, patch panel termination, and physical infrastructure documentation
• Support UPS and PDU installation, configuration, and monitoring
• Configure and maintain network infrastructure including switches, access points, and security appliances
• Lead hardware procurement coordination, maintain physical and digital asset inventory, and support engineering and delivery teams with hardware staging needs
• Assist with edge and lab hardware as needed, including mini PCs, single-board computers, and portable networking gear
• Support physical security infrastructure as needed, including access control and related CMMC-adjacent hardware considerations

IT Operations (~30%)

• Provide Tier 1 and Tier 2 helpdesk support, triaging and resolving tickets or escalating as appropriate
• Administer MDM (Jamf) for device enrollment, policy enforcement, and compliance reporting
• Support endpoint hardware management (primarily macOS) alongside other IT team members, including imaging, configuration, deployment, and decommission
• Support user onboarding and offboarding workflows including access provisioning and equipment movement
• Manage access through Google Admin Console and related identity tools
• Collaborate with third-party vendors and internal stakeholders on SaaS tool rollouts, troubleshooting, and updates
• Contribute to IT projects, process improvements, and compliance initiatives aligned with NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC

Travel Expectations/Requirements: Primarily onsite in San Antonio; occasional travel to other Defense Unicorns locations (~20%)

The listed responsibilities are not exhaustive and additional responsibilities may be assigned based on the evolving needs of the organization. We are seeking a dynamic individual who is able to adapt and take on new responsibilities as they arise.

Minimum Experience and Qualifications

• 3+ years in an IT operations, systems administration, or infrastructure role
• Hands-on experience racking and configuring servers and network switches in a lab or data center environment
• Experience with virtualization platforms on IT-managed infrastructure (Proxmox, ESXi, or similar)
• Demonstrated homelab or lab environment experience, comfortable standing up and troubleshooting infrastructure from scratch
• Familiarity with structured cabling, patch panel termination, and physical infrastructure documentation
• Experience with layer 2/3 networking concepts (VLANs, switching, routing)
• Experience with change management processes and IT documentation practices
• Experience with helpdesk or trouble ticketing systems
• Familiarity with macOS endpoint management and MDM solutions (Jamf preferred)
• Experience with Google Admin Console or similar directory/identity management tools
• US citizenship required; must be eligible for CUI access
• Ability to work independently in an onsite environment and manage competing priorities without close supervision

Preferred Experience and Qualifications:

• Experience with enterprise rack-mount server configuration and out-of-band management (e.g., iDRAC, iLO, IPMI)
• Experience with managed switching and prosumer/enterprise network stacks (e.g., UniFi, Cisco, Ubiquiti, or similar)
• Experience in a defense contractor, government, or classified lab environment
• Familiarity with NIST SP 800-171, CMMC 2.0, or similar compliance frameworks
• Exposure to edge compute platforms (single-board computers, mini PCs, GPU workstations)
• Experience contributing to endpoint hardware programs in a shared-ownership model