Application Guide

How to Apply for Customer Engineer

at HITACHI ENERGY

🏢 About HITACHI ENERGY

Hitachi Energy is at the forefront of advancing sustainable energy systems towards a carbon-neutral future, offering a unique opportunity to work on cutting-edge technologies that directly impact global climate goals. The company's commitment to innovation and its role in the energy transition make it an inspiring place for engineers who want to contribute to meaningful change.

About This Role

As a Customer Engineer at Hitachi Energy in New Zealand, you will provide critical post-sales support for Hitachi Vantara solutions, ensuring high availability and performance for clients. This role is impactful because you'll directly enable customers to maintain efficient operations, while also participating in a 24/7 on-call rotation to minimize downtime in essential services.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might start by checking overnight alerts and emails, then performing scheduled preventative maintenance at a client site. You could troubleshoot a SAN performance issue remotely, escalate if needed, and later conduct a training session for a new customer on their Hitachi storage system. The day ends with updating CRM records and preparing for the next day's on-call shift.

🎯 Who HITACHI ENERGY Is Looking For

  • Has 3+ years of IT industry experience specifically with SAN/Fibre Channel, storage arrays, and server hardware (e.g., Hitachi, Dell EMC, NetApp).
  • Is proficient in Windows Server, Linux administration, and VMWare vSphere, with hands-on experience in virtualization and clustering.
  • Demonstrates strong customer-facing skills, able to explain technical issues to non-technical stakeholders and manage expectations under pressure.
  • Is self-motivated and comfortable working unsupervised, but also thrives in a team environment, especially during complex break-fix scenarios.

📝 Tips for Applying to HITACHI ENERGY

1

Highlight specific examples of post-sales support you've provided, including maintenance, break-fix, and installation projects for SAN/storage solutions.

2

Emphasize any experience with Hitachi Vantara products (e.g., VSP, HNAS) or similar enterprise storage platforms, and mention your familiarity with their CRM systems if possible.

3

Showcase your ability to work in a 24/7 on-call rotation by describing a time you handled an urgent outage or critical issue outside normal hours.

4

Tailor your resume to include keywords from the job description: preventative maintenance, spare parts management, CRM administration, and product demonstrations.

5

Include any certifications like VMware VCP, Microsoft MCSE, or storage-specific certs (e.g., Hitachi Qualified Professional) to stand out.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

["Your passion for sustainable energy and how your technical skills can support Hitachi Energy's mission toward a carbon-neutral future.", "Specific examples of customer-facing support you've provided, especially in complex storage environments, demonstrating problem-solving and communication.", 'Your ability to work independently and in a team, with a willingness to participate in on-call rotations and handle high-pressure situations.', 'Any experience with product training or demonstrations, as this role includes conducting them.']

Generate Cover Letter →

🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • Explore Hitachi Energy's sustainability initiatives and recent projects in New Zealand, such as renewable energy integration or grid modernization.
  • Read about Hitachi Vantara's product portfolio, especially the Virtual Storage Platform (VSP) series and its features like AIOps and data reduction.
  • Understand the company's culture and values, particularly around safety, quality, and customer centricity, by reviewing their website and employee reviews.
  • Look into the local energy market in New Zealand and how Hitachi Energy is positioned to support the country's carbon-neutral goals.

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Describe a time you diagnosed and resolved a complex SAN performance issue. What tools and steps did you use?
2 How do you prioritize multiple support tickets during a high-severity outage?
3 Explain your experience with preventative maintenance on storage systems. What tasks did you perform and how did you ensure minimal disruption?
4 Tell us about a time you had to explain a technical problem to a non-technical customer. How did you handle it?
5 Why are you interested in working for Hitachi Energy specifically, and how do you see this role contributing to the company's sustainability goals?
Practice Interview Questions →

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Submitting a generic application without tailoring your experience to storage/san technologies and post-sales support.
  • Failing to mention your ability to work on-call or handle after-hours emergencies, which is a key part of the role.
  • Not demonstrating customer-facing skills or providing vague examples of technical problem-solving without concrete results.

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to HITACHI ENERGY!