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; m ... (truncated, view full listing at source)