Network Staging Lab Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: Network Staging Lab Engineer
Location: Remote (DFW Area Required)
Duration: 1 year+ contract
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-5:00 PM CST
Travel: Approximately 10%

About the Opportunity:
Seeking a Network Staging Lab Engineer to support a large-scale global network infrastructure program for a leading enterprise organization. In this role, you will play a critical part in preparing, validating, configuring, and testing network infrastructure prior to deployment into production environments.

The ideal candidate will combine strong network engineering fundamentals with hands-on data center experience and a disciplined approach to validation, documentation, and deployment readiness. This position supports a highly visible global initiative where accuracy, technical depth, and attention to detail are essential.

Although primarily remote, candidates must reside in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and be available for occasional onsite lab activities and travel (10%) when required.

Key Responsibilities:

Network Staging & Deployment Readiness:

-- Configure, validate, and test network infrastructure equipment prior to production deployment.
-- Load and verify operating systems, firmware, software releases, and configuration baselines.
-- Execute deployment readiness testing and pre-deployment validation procedures.
-- Verify routing, switching, security, and management functionality.
-- Document hardware inventories, software versions, configurations, and deployment status.
-- Support equipment packaging, shipment coordination, and deployment logistics.

Network Engineering & Infrastructure Support:

-- Remotely access and configure network devices across enterprise environments.
-- Support network expansion, refresh, migration, and infrastructure deployment initiatives.
-- Perform troubleshooting and issue resolution for hardware, software, and configuration-related problems.
-- Work closely with network engineering, operations, project management, and vendor teams to resolve deployment blockers.
-- Participate in technical discussions, project meetings, and engineering reviews.

Lab Operations:

-- Support network staging lab operations and inventory management.
-- Perform rack-and-stack activities, hardware installation, cabling, and equipment validation as needed.
-- Maintain asset tracking, inventory records, and equipment documentation.
-- Ensure adherence to lab standards, cable management practices, equipment labeling, and operational procedures.
-- Support RMA activities and vendor coordination for failed or defective hardware.

Automation & Process Improvement:

-- Assist with network automation initiatives and deployment optimization efforts.
-- Support automated configuration validation, device provisioning, and deployment workflows.
-- Contribute to process documentation, deployment runbooks, and standard operating procedures.
-- Identify opportunities to reduce manual effort and improve deployment efficiency through automation.

Required Qualifications:

-- 3+ years of hands-on network engineering, network operations, deployment, or infrastructure support experience.
-- Strong understanding of:
-TCP/IP networking
- Ethernet switching
- VLANs
- Routing fundamentals
- Network security concepts
-- Experience working in data center environments.
-- Experience supporting physical network infrastructure, including Layer 1 connectivity.
-- Experience configuring and validating enterprise networking equipment.
-- Ability to independently troubleshoot network-related issues.
-- Experience working with one or more major networking platforms such as:
- Cisco
- Juniper
- Arista
- Palo Alto
- Fortinet
-- Experience with console access, remote management tools, and network documentation.
-- Ability to lift and install network equipment in accordance with safety guidelines.

Preferred Qualifications:

-- CCNP certification or equivalent hands-on networking expertise.
-- Juniper networking experience.
-- Experience supporting large-scale enterprise, cloud, or global network environments.
-- Experience with:
- OSPF
- BGP
- IS-IS
- Segment Routing (SR-MPLS)
-- Experience with network automation and infrastructure-as-code concepts.
-- Fami