Data Center Hardware Engineer at Mistral (Paris, France)
Mistral· Paris, France·
Role details
Mistral at a glance
A French AI lab building open and frontier-grade large language models, with the full developer and enterprise stack around them.
Mistral is a French AI lab that builds open and frontier-grade large language models and sells the full stack around them: developer tooling, an agent studio, consumer and enterprise apps like Le Chat and Vibe, custom model training, and its own GPU compute. Its edge is deployment control, with open weights, EU hosting, and self-hosting for regulated and sovereign buyers.
$3B+ raised · latest: Series C · 1.7B euros · Sept 2025 · backed by ASML, Nvidia, Andreessen Horowitz, DST Global
Job description
About Mistral
Mistral provides full-stack AI solutions: from frontier models to developer tools, applications, and compute. We partner with enterprises tackling the hardest problems across high-stakes industries like finance, manufacturing, defense, healthcare, and the public sector, co-creating customized AI systems that they can run on their terms. We are a dynamic, collaborative team passionate about AI and its potential to transform society. Our diverse workforce thrives in competitive environments and is committed to driving innovation. Our teams are distributed between Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East. We are creative, low-ego and team-spirited.
The mission You will work every day on the racks that power one of France's largest AI clusters. Mistral's compute footprint is our single largest investment and the foundation of our AI research and engineering. We're hiring Data Center Hardware Engineers to keep our GPU/CPU clusters healthy, safe and growing — hands-on, in the data center, at the intersection of high-performance computing and physical infrastructure. You'll join a small, senior team working at a scale few engineers get to experience: GPU-dense racks (H100/H200-class and next-generation platforms), high-speed interconnects, liquid-cooled systems — with new sites under development in France and beyond. Hardware here is not someone else's problem. As part of a small on-site team, you carry responsibility for it end to end. Location: On-site at one of our data centers in the South of Paris.
What you'll do
- Diagnose & repair server and cluster hardware: CPUs, memory, drives, NICs, GPUs, PSUs, and interconnect problems (switches, cables, transceivers; Ethernet/InfiniBand).
- Intervene safely — power-off/lockout, ESD discipline, pre/post-work checklists, tidy and safe work areas.
- Capture everything — photos, serials, test results; open, update and close tickets with notes the next engineer can act on.
- Manage parts — receive, label and track inventory; run RMAs and coordinate with vendors.
- Help us get better — feed recurring anomalies into monitoring, alerts and SOPs; contribute small scripts (Python/Bash) if you have those skills.
- Be a good teammate — clear status updates, honest handovers, and respect for the people depending on the cluster.
About you
- Hands-on comfort in data centers or server hardware — you can (or will quickly learn to) work cleanly in racks: rails, cabling, labeling, mounting.
- Disciplined and meticulous: checklists aren't bureaucracy to you, they're craftsmanship.
- Practical electrical basics: power-off procedures, PPE, short-circuit risk awareness.
- Basic Linux (boot checks, logs) — scripting is a plus, not a requirement.
- Physically able to work in racks (lift, mount, maneuver) in a data center environment.
- Comfortable in a 24/7 operation, including a rotating on-call with emergency response expectations.
- Driver's licence (B) for travel between our sites.
Even if you don't match every criterion Many of our best hardware engineers came from research labs, telecoms, IT services or the military. If you are rigorous, curious and genuinely motivated by hardware at scale, we would be glad to hear from you — we assess demonstrated scope rather than keyword matching.
Nice to have
- HPC/AI/cloud production experience at scale; large-fleet server install and maintenance.
- Networking fundamentals (Ethernet/InfiniBand) beyond basics.
- Vendor/RMA tooling, ticketing (Jira/ServiceNow), inventory systems.
- Python/Bash automation for checks, capture, inventory or reporting.
What We Offer
We offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your well-being, growth, and work-life balance. Benefits vary by country and may include healthcare coverage, parental leave, retirement plans, relocation support, wellness programs, meal and transportation allowances, and other location-specific perks. For the most up-to-date details on benefits available in your location, please refer to our Benefits page.
Privacy Policy Your privacy matters to us. You can learn more about how we handle your personal data in our Applicant Privacy Policy.
Why work at Mistral
- Culture: Flat structure, high ownership, low ego, and a "builders, not order takers" mentality. The company values audacity, speed, rigor, and customer centricity.
- Remote/Hybrid/Office: Based in Paris (15 rue des Halles); relocation support and visa sponsorship offered. Specific remote/hybrid policy not detailed, but global team suggests flexibility.
- Notable perks and benefits (from careers page):
- 20 weeks paid parental leave for all birthing parents.
- 100% employer-sponsored medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents.
- 6% 401k match (US) / 5% pension contribution (UK).
- Childcare support (reserved daycare seats or financial assistance).
- Meal allowances and transportation support.
- Fitness and wellness subsidies.
- Relocation and settling-in services.
- Financial and career planning support.
- Team composition: 900+ employees from 30+ nationalities; 50% female leaders.
- Interview process: For science, product, and engineering roles: intro conversation → 2-5 technical exercises → 1-3 interviews (hiring manager + teammates) → values conversation → reference checks.