# Staff Engineer, Datacenter Server Lifecycle

**Company:** [Anthropic](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/anthropic)
**Location:** San Francisco, CA, New York, NY
**Role:** DevOps / SRE
**Salary:** $320k – $405k/yr
**Experience:** 8+ years
**Skills:** Python, Rust, Go, Java, Kubernetes, Infrastructure As Code, AWS, GCP, Nvidia A100/H100, Amd Mi300, Google Tpus, Aws Trainium, Coreboot, Linuxboot, U-Root
**Posted:** 2026-04-28

> Owns end-to-end server lifecycle in datacenters at scale, from provisioning to decommissioning, with strong focus on automation, trusted compute security, and hardware operations for AI workloads. Requires hands-on server hardware experience and proficiency in Python/Rust/Go plus cloud infra like Kubernetes/AWS/GCP.

## Job Description

## Key Responsibilities

- Lead the build-out of automation to support datacenters containing tens of thousands of servers.
- Define and own the end-to-end server lifecycle strategy — from provisioning and deployment through operation, maintenance, refresh, and decommissioning — and maintain automation and operational procedures for common lifecycle events (e.g., hardware failures, firmware upgrades, fleet rotations).
- Partner closely with Infrastructure Security to design and enforce trusted compute standards across the server lifecycle.
- Work closely with our Networking team to ensure end-to-end connectivity across all sites.
- Build and maintain tooling to track machine health, configuration, and operational status across the full datacenter fleet.

## Minimum Qualifications

- Hands-on experience with server hardware, including rack deployment, cabling, troubleshooting, and understanding failure modes at scale.
- End-to-end understanding of hardware lifecycle management: asset tracking, provisioning workflows, maintenance scheduling, and decommissioning practices.
- Proficiency in at least one programming language (e.g., **Python**, **Rust**, **Go**, or **Java**).
- Working knowledge of modern cloud infrastructure, including **Kubernetes**, **Infrastructure as Code**, **AWS**, and **GCP**.
- Ability to communicate clearly and build consensus with a wide range of stakeholders.
- Comfort navigating ambiguity and making progress on complex, cross-functional problems.
- Willingness to travel occasionally to datacenter sites across North America.

## Preferred Qualifications

- 8+ years of experience in datacenter operations, hardware infrastructure management, or a closely related discipline.
- Hands-on experience with GPU or AI accelerator hardware (e.g., **NVIDIA A100/H100**, **AMD MI300**, **Google TPUs**, or **AWS Trainium**) and an understanding of their operational demands.
- Familiarity with modern provisioning tooling such as **coreboot**, **LinuxBoot**, or **u-root**.
- Experience building or contributing to datacenter automation or fleet management platforms.
- Experience building and deploying server operating system distributions across thousands of hosts.
- Background in large-scale capacity planning and hardware refresh strategy, ideally at a hyperscaler or large cloud provider.
- Experience with trusted compute and hardware security concepts such as **secure boot**, **TPM**, **hardware attestation**, and firmware verification — or a strong desire to develop deep expertise in this area.

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