Data Center Technician (Breakfix)
Location: Sines, Portugal
Job Type: Full-Time | Permanent
Role Overview
We are seeking an experienced Senior Data Center Break/Fix Technician to join our operations team in Portugal, supporting mission-critical data centre environments. The successful candidate will be responsible for diagnosing, repairing, replacing, and validating enterprise server, storage, and networking hardware across customer environments.
This is a hands-on technical role focused on hardware diagnostics, break/fix activities, and incident resolution within live production data centres. While some installation and Smart Hands support is required, the primary responsibility is ensuring customer infrastructure is restored quickly and efficiently through expert hardware troubleshooting and repair.
During the initial onboarding period (approximately the first two months), the successful candidate will travel extensively across Europe to support customer deployments, receive technical training, and become familiar with operational procedures and customer environments. Following this period, the role will be permanently based in Amsterdam.
Key Responsibilities
Hardware Break/Fix & Diagnostics
- Diagnose and resolve hardware faults on enterprise servers, storage platforms, and network equipment.
- Replace field-replaceable units (FRUs), including:
- Hard drives (HDD/SSD)
- Memory (DIMMs)
- CPUs
- Power supplies
- RAID controllers
- Motherboards
- Fans
- Network interface cards (NICs)
- Fibre Channel and Ethernet adapters
- Other server components
- Perform hardware diagnostics, POST analysis, BIOS/UEFI configuration, firmware verification, and fault isolation.
- Validate repaired systems through functional testing before returning equipment to production.
- Escalate complex hardware faults where required while maintaining ownership through to resolution.
- Work to strict SLA targets for hardware incident response and resolution.
Data Centre Operations
- Respond to hardware incidents and service requests within agreed SLAs.
- Perform equipment installations, replacements, upgrades, relocations, and decommissioning.
- Support server refresh programmes and hardware lifecycle management.
- Carry out controlled power cycling and equipment recovery procedures.
- Provide Smart Hands support for customers and internal engineering teams.
- Follow change management procedures within live production environments.
Rack & Infrastructure Support
- Perform rack and stack of enterprise servers, storage, and networking equipment.
- Install, replace, and terminate structured copper and fibre cabling.
- Install, replace, and troubleshoot PDUs (Power Distribution Units).
- Install and support network switches and routers during infrastructure deployments.
- Maintain high standards of cable management and rack presentation.
- Update rack elevations and infrastructure documentation following equipment changes.
Asset & Spare Parts Management
- Manage onsite spare parts inventory.
- Receive, inspect, and book in replacement hardware.
- Track failed components through RMA processes.
- Maintain accurate asset records and service documentation.
- Coordinate hardware returns and warranty replacements.
Customer Support
- Act as the onsite technical representative for hardware support activities.
- Provide timely updates to customers and internal engineering teams.
- Produce detailed service reports and maintain accurate ticket updates.
- Escalate incidents appropriately while maintaining excellent customer communication.
Health & Safety
- Follow all Health & Safety procedures within critical environments.
- Work safely around live production infrastructure.
- Maintain a clean and organised work area.
- Report hazards and incidents in accordance with company procedures.
Candidate Requirements
- Experience supporting enterprise, hyperscale, or colocation data centres.
- Strong experience performing enterprise server hardware break/fix.
- Proven experience diagnosing hardware failures within live production environments.
- Excellent knowledge of Dell, HPE, Lenovo, Cisco, Supermicro, or equivalent enterprise hardware.
- Experience replacing server components including motherboards, CPUs, memory, storage, power supplies, RAID controllers, NICs, and other FRUs.
- Strong understanding of RAID, BIOS/UEFI, firmware management, and hardware diagnostics.
- Hands-on experience with rack and stack installations.
- Experience with structured copper and fibre cabling.
- Experience installing and replacing PDUs.
- Familiarity with network switches and routers.
- Experience providing Smart Hands support within enterprise data centres.
- Experience working within SLA-driven service environments.
- Strong fault-finding and analytical skills.
- Experience using ticketing and IT service management systems.
- Excellent customer service and communication skills.
- Fluent in English.
- Willingness to travel extensively across Europe during the first two months.
- Valid passport with unrestricted European travel.
- Flexibility to participate in shift work, on-call support, and occasional out-of-hours maintenance.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience supporting hyperscale or colocation data centres.
- Experience supporting NVIDIA GPU infrastructure or AI/HPC environments.
- Experience with HP/HPE enterprise server hardware.
- Vendor certifications (Dell, HPE, Lenovo, Cisco, Supermicro, Juniper, Arista, or similar).
- CompTIA Server+.
- ITIL Foundation.
- Experience with enterprise server diagnostic tools.
- Full driving licence.