Director of System QE - Infinia

Overview

This is an incredible opportunity to be part of a company that has been at the forefront of AI and high-performance data storage innovation for over two decades. DataDirect Networks (DDN) is a global market leader renowned for powering many of the world's most demanding AI data centers, in industries ranging from life sciences and healthcare to financial services, autonomous cars, Government, academia, research and manufacturing.

"DDN's A3I solutions are transforming the landscape of AI infrastructure." – IDC 

“The real differentiator is DDN. I never hesitate to recommend DDN. DDN is the de facto name for AI Storage in high performance environments” - Marc Hamilton, VP, Solutions Architecture & Engineering | NVIDIA 

DDN is the global leader in AI and multi-cloud data management at scale. Our cutting-edge data intelligence platform is designed to accelerate AI workloads, enabling organizations to extract maximum value from their data. With a proven track record of performance, reliability, and scalability, DDN empowers businesses to tackle the most challenging AI and data-intensive workloads with confidence. 

Our success is driven by our unwavering commitment to innovation, customer-centricity, and a team of passionate professionals who bring their expertise and dedication to every project. This is a chance to make a significant impact at a company that is shaping the future of AI and data management. 

Our commitment to innovation, customer success, and market leadership makes this an exciting and rewarding role for a driven professional looking to make a lasting impact in the world of AI and data storage. 

Job Description

We are seeking a highly skilled Director of Software Engineering to lead the Infinia Storage engineering team in the development of cutting-edge Quality Engineering (QE) tools, strategies, and infrastructure. This leadership position will be responsible for driving strategic initiatives in test automation, software engineering, and the overall quality and performance of storage subsystems. You will lead a talented engineering team, collaborate across functional teams, and work on building innovative solutions that will directly impact the quality and efficiency of product development and delivery.

As a core leader in QE, you will bring both leadership and advanced technical skills to lead complex engineering efforts, expedite testing cycles, and improve the overall product quality, with a focus on automation and scalable test infrastructures. The Director will play a key role in influencing and shaping the future direction of our engineering practices, as well as ensuring that high standards of quality are maintained throughout the development lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership and Vision:

• Develop and execute a comprehensive strategy for Infinia’s Engineering Quality and Development processes, driving innovation and improvements across the organization.
• Lead strategic discussions for the design, development, and deployment of test automation tools and infrastructure that support storage subsystems testing in a highly scalable, reliable, and efficient manner.
• Collaborate with senior leadership across engineering, product, and quality teams to define long-term goals, priorities, and strategic initiatives that drive impactful results for the business.

Team Leadership and Development:

• Lead and inspire a high-performing, results-driven team of software engineers focused on test automation and quality infrastructure. Encourage innovation, accountability, and growth within the team.
• Empower engineers to take ownership of their work and provide the guidance necessary to accomplish their objectives while balancing team priorities.
• Define and implement team development plans, helping to advance the careers of your engineers through mentorship, periodic check-ins, and setting long-term growth objectives.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Forge strong relationships with leaders across functional teams, including Quality Engineering, Product Development, and Operations, to ensure alignment on objectives, priorities, and deliverables.
• Lead collaborative efforts across multi-site, multicultural engineering teams, driving timely and high-quality results through clear communication and effective problem-solving.

Test Automation and Architecture:

• Design and implement scalable test automation strategies that ensure flexibility, reusability, and efficiency across multiple storage platforms.
• Work closely with Test Architects and Engineering leaders to develop robust test strategies, plans, and test cases, leveraging automated testing to accelerate development cycles.
• Drive the continued evolution and optimization of test automation architecture, ensuring that it meets current and future engineering needs.

Continuous Improvement and Agile Execution:

• Champion iterative and agile engineering methodologies to ensure the team’s output aligns with organizational goals and deliverables.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to enhance the efficiency of testing processes, reduce testing cycle time, and increase overall product quality.
• Establish metrics for tracking the success and impact of test automation, providing data-driven insights to leadership on key performance indicators.

Global Coordination and Impact:

• Coordinate with engineering teams globally to align testing efforts and share best practices.
• Proactively identify and address challenges in the testing and automation process, ensuring that any blockers or obstacles are resolved promptly to maintain project timelines.

Qualifications:

• BS/MS/Ph.D. in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Mathematics, Statistics, or related technical field.
• 10+ years of experience in software development or software development for test, with a deep focus on distributed systems, data storage, or cloud computing.
• 8+ years of experience leading and managing a team of engineers in a software or test engineering capacity, with a strong track record of delivering results.
• Significant experience with QE methodologies, functional and structural testing techniques (Agile methodologies preferred).
• Expertise in Python or related high-level languages, as well as experience with automation frameworks like pytest, bash, and Ansible (experience with Ansible is a plus).

Technical Skills:

• Strong understanding of distributed systems and storage architectures (parallel file systems, object storage, NVM, and key-value storage systems).
• Solid understanding of test automation design and implementation, including test strategy development, architecture, and best practices.
• Ability to read and understand coding languages and logic, including C++ and GoLang, and experience with high-level programming languages.
• Hands-on experience in high-performance computing system installation and management.

Leadership and Soft Skills:

• Exceptional leadership and management skills with a demonstrated ability to inspire, motivate, and guide teams to high performance.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to effectively present and discuss complex ideas with both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Collaborative, team-oriented mindset with the ability to build relationships and create win-win solutions across cross-functional teams.
• Self-motivated, results-driven, and able to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with evolving responsibilities.

Preferred Experience:

• Knowledge of Lustre, GPFS, or other parallel file system solutions.
• Familiarity with the installation, management, and optimization of high-performance computing systems.
• Experience in working with distributed key-value stores and NVM storage technologies.

This position requires participation in an on-call rotation to provide after-hours support as needed.

DDN

Join our dynamic and driven team, where engineering excellence is at the heart of everything we do. We seek individuals who love to challenge themselves and are fueled by curiosity. Here, you'll have the opportunity to work across various areas of the company, thanks to our flat organizational structure that encourages hands-on involvement and direct contributions to our mission. Leadership is earned by those who take initiative and consistently deliver outstanding results, both in their work ethic and deliverables, making strong prioritization skills essential. Additionally, we value strong communication skills in all our engineers and researchers, as they are crucial for the success of our teams and the company as a whole.

Interview Process: After submitting your application, one of our recruiters will review your resume. If your application passes this stage, you will be invited to a 30-minute interview during which a member of our team will ask some basic questions. If you clear the interview, you will enter the main process, which can consist of up to four interviews in total:

• Coding assessment: Often in a language of your choice.
• Systems design: Translate high-level requirements into a scalable, fault-tolerant service (depending on role).
• Real-time problem-solving: Demonstrate practical skills in a live problem-solving session.
• Meet and greet with the wider team.
• Our goal is to finish the main process in 2-3 weeks at most.

DataDirect Networks (DDN) is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender, sex stereotyping, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

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