Role Overview
The Technical Support Engineer II (Linux) position at Vast.ai is a full-time, onsite role based in Westwood, Los Angeles, operating on a Sunday through Thursday schedule. This opportunity suits an autonomous Linux professional with strong technical depth who wants to tackle complex, escalated infrastructure issues for a globally distributed cloud platform.
Key Responsibilities
Manage escalated support tickets involving container errors, network failures, account infrastructure, host configurations, and GPU workload problems.
Troubleshoot and fix issues across KVM virtualization, Docker, and NVIDIA CUDA or GPU drivers.
Investigate network-layer connectivity failures, including firewall rules, NAT, VPN, DHCP, DNS, and VLAN issues on host machines.
Diagnose performance bottlenecks such as disk I/O limits, thermal throttling, container resource constraints, and GPU utilization drops.
Guide infrastructure suppliers on optimal hardware setups, BIOS and firmware settings, driver configurations, and installation best practices.
Support supplier onboarding and machine management through configuration and post-setup troubleshooting.
Create and update internal runbooks, knowledge base articles, and escalation guides to minimize recurring tickets.
Develop diagnostic and automation tooling using Python and Bash to decrease manual triage work.
Work alongside engineering and infrastructure support teams to identify and document systemic platform issues.
Help clients and suppliers working with GPU-accelerated workloads and AI frameworks like PyTorch and TensorFlow.
Handle L1 support overflow during incidents or peak times as part of an on-call rotation.
Requirements
Solid Linux SysOps experience with Ubuntu Server, Debian, RHEL, or CentOS, covering permissions, storage, networking, and systems.
Proficiency in Docker, including image management, container debugging, Docker Compose, filesystem management, and cgroup resource limits.
Virtualization experience provisioning and troubleshooting virtual machines using hypervisors like Proxmox VE or VMware.
Networking fundamentals spanning L2/L3 troubleshooting, firewall rules, VPN, NAT, DHCP, DNS, and VLAN.
Hands-on experience troubleshooting NVIDIA GPU workloads, CUDA, and GPU drivers.
Scripting skills in Bash and Python for diagnostic tooling and automation.
Strong professional English written communication skills for documentation and technical explanations.
Background providing technical support in an internal helpdesk or customer-facing environment.
Ability to manage a concurrent queue of escalated tickets by prioritizing severity, balancing reactive fixes with proactive tooling, and making independent escalation judgments.
Availability to work onsite in Westwood, Los Angeles, on a Sunday through Thursday schedule, including participation in an on-call rotation with weekend coverage.
Nice to Have
Prior experience using the Vast.ai platform as an infrastructure supplier or client.
Familiarity with monitoring and observability tools such as Grafana and Prometheus.
Relevant professional certifications including CompTIA Linux+, RHCSA, or similar credentials.
Knowledge of AI and machine learning frameworks like TensorFlow and PyTorch alongside running GPU-accelerated containers.
Skills and Tools
Linux (Ubuntu Server, Debian, RHEL, CentOS)
Docker and Docker Compose
Virtualization (KVM, Proxmox VE, VMware)
NVIDIA CUDA, GPU drivers, and hardware
Networking (VLAN, DNS, DHCP, NAT, VPN, firewalls)
Python and Bash scripting
AI Frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow)
Monitoring tools (Prometheus, Grafana)
Salary and Benefits
Annual salary range of $90,000 to $150,000, determined by background, potential, and experience
Meaningful early-stage equity
Comprehensive life, medical, dental, and vision insurance
401(k) plan with company match
Onsite snacks and meals with direct collaboration opportunities alongside founders and technical leaders
About the Company
Vast.ai operates a global cloud platform that democratizes and decentralizes AI computing to organize, optimize, and orient worldwide computation for humanity.
The company values integrity, ownership, elegance, and continuous learning within a fast-paced, ambitious startup environment.
How to Apply
Candidates should apply directly on the official Vast.ai careers page to submit their application for this role.
