Network Deployment Engineer

Network Deployment Engineer

Location: Santa Clara -CA & Ashburn VA (Onsite) Duration: contract W2

Role is to support upcoming deployments, specifically in production-grade NPI / Production Lab environments. This role owns end-to-end execution for bringing up, expanding, and operating NPI infrastructure in Ashburn and Santa Clara, partnering closely with hardware, software, operations, and capacity planning teams to deliver reliable, production-parity lab environments.

NPI / Prod Lab Execution (Core)

• Execute onsite build and expansion of Production NPI environments (rack/stack readiness coordination, bring-up, validation, handoff)
• Physical requirements: ability to lift 40–50 lbs, standing for extended periods, and working on ladders.
• Drive deployment plans, cutovers, and upgrades with clear documentation, checklists, MOP writing, peer review, change approval processes, risk management, and rollback planning.
• Coordinate with cross-functional partners and vendors to manage dependencies and resolve blockers quickly.

Data Center Network (DCN) / Fabric Engineering (Core)

• Build, configure, and troubleshoot data center fabrics (e.g., spine-leaf / Clos) and understand server + switch architecture.
• Operate L2/L3 networks using protocols such as BGP/MP-BGP, EVPN/VXLAN, and an IGP (e.g., OSPF where applicable).
• Perform migrations and hardware/software upgrades with minimal disruption.

Optical Switching / Transport, Copper/DAC Cabling & Physical Layer (Core)

• Configure, deploy, and troubleshoot optical switching platforms such as Calient and/or Telescent (experience with either is valuable).
• Work with multi-vendor optics/cabling; apply best practices for fiber handling, inspection, cleaning, and troubleshooting.
• Use optical diagnostics and tools as needed (e.g., OTDR, power meters) and interpret transceiver diagnostics (DOM/DDM, BER, loss).

Test, Validation & Commissioning

• Execute lab and production acceptance testing for new deployments and upgrades.
• Use traffic generation / validation tooling (e.g., IXIA and/or Spirent TestCenter) to validate throughput, loss, latency, and failover behavior.
• Support regression and repeatability efforts by documenting test plans and results.
• Inventory and asset management: track hardware (switches, optics, patch panels, etc.), manage asset tracking, RMA processes, and inventory reconciliation.

Observability / Monitoring / Alert Triage

• Implement and use monitoring/telemetry to maintain reliability and speed up troubleshooting, using combinations of: gNMI-based telemetry (preferred) IPFIX/NetFlow/sFlow, syslog, SNMP Active probes (ICMP, RPM/IP SLA style)
• Triage monitoring alerts during deployments and participate in break/fix activities, escalation paths, and incident triage during and after bring-up.
• Support deployment and cutover activities during maintenance windows, which may include evenings and weekends as required.

Required Qualifications

• Hands-on experience delivering and troubleshooting network infrastructure in lab and/or production environments.
• Minimum years of relevant experience in network engineering or infrastructure deployment.
• Experience with data center switching/routing concepts and operational troubleshooting.
• Familiarity with a subset of the following (depth can vary based on focus area): DCN fabric concepts (spine-leaf/Clos), routing/switching fundamentals BGP (and related routing concepts), EVPN/VXLAN, OSPF (where applicable) Telemetry/monitoring and incident-style troubleshooting Strong cross-functional coordination skills and clear written/verbal communication. Willingness to work onsite in Ashburn and/or Santa Clara as required by build and deployment schedules.
• Hands-on experience of IPv6, DHCPv6 and SLAAC
• Experience with different transceivers (sfp+,qsfp, osfp etc) and cables (DAC, AES, Fibre etc)
• Server Architecture and component knowledge
• Familiarity with internal network management and provisioning tools (training provided).

Preferred Qualifications (Nice to Have)

• Hands-on with Calient and/or Telescent optical switching platforms.
• Experience with IXIA / Spirent TestCenter or other traffic generation tools.
• Strong optical fundamentals: fiber standards, inspection/cleaning, OTDR/power testing, DOM/DDM, BER analysis.
• Familiarity with technologies including flow telemetry (IPFIX, sflow), Precision Time Protocol
• Experience with gNMI telemetry and modern monitoring stacks.
• Experience with version control (e.g., Git), configuration management, or automation frameworks (helpful, but not required).
• Scripting/automation experience (Python/Go/Bash) for improving repeatability and reducing manual operational load.
• Experience with different transceivers (sfp+,qsfp, osfp etc) and cables (DAC, AES, Fibre etc)