Optical Engineer

Berkeley Lab's (LBNL) Energy Sciences Network (ESnet) Division has an immediate opening for an Optical Engineer to join our team.

In this role, you will serve as a senior optical network engineer within ESnet's Network Services group, with primary responsibility to apply a wide-range of expertise to the design, deployment, and operation of ESnet's international DWDM optical transport infrastructure, tightly integrated with ESnet's IP/MPLS backbone and science services. The position requires strong working knowledge of advanced routing protocols, such as BGP, IS-IS, Segment Routing and IP network services, as well as the ability to perform general network connectivity troubleshooting and end-to-end problem resolution across optical, IP, and application layers in a large-scale production environment. You will work closely with ESnet engineers, operations teams, scientific user sites, Regional Optical Networks (RONs), international partners, vendors, and carriers to deliver reliable, high-performance transport services that support mission-critical science.

The Energy Sciences Network (ESnet) provides high-bandwidth, highly reliable networking that enables scientists at national laboratories, universities, and research institutions to collaborate on some of the world's most important scientific challenges, including energy, climate science, and fundamental physics. Funded by the DOE Office of Science and operated by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, ESnet connects scientists to unique DOE facilities, large-scale computing resources, and global research partners.

The position involves significant technical ownership, project leadership, and cross-organizational collaboration.

What We Offer:

• Competitive salary and benefits
• Opportunity to work with cutting-edge technologies and collaborate with experienced professionals
• Professional development and growth opportunities, including training and certification programs
• Flexible work arrangements, including remote work options

You will:

• Design, deploy, and operate large-scale DWDM optical transport systems, including link engineering, loss budgets, OSNR analysis, amplifier planning, and ROADM architectures.
• Commission and maintain optical systems using industry best practices, including OTDR analysis, fiber characterization, and performance validation.
• Act as a technical authority for ESnet transport platforms, providing expert guidance on system behavior, limitations, and optimization.
• Integrate optical transport systems with ESnet's IP/MPLS backbone and advanced network services.
• Provide escalation support for optical-related incidents and participate in an on-call rotation in support of 24×7 operations.
• Troubleshoot complex, end-to-end network issues spanning optical, IP, and application layers across multiple administrative domains.
• Lead transport-related projects from concept through deployment, including scope definition, scheduling, vendor coordination, and implementation.
• Develop optical designs, capacity plans, and cost estimates to support infrastructure planning and procurement.
• Evaluate new transport technologies, platforms, and features; contribute to ESnet's optical technology roadmap.
• Maintain accurate technical documentation, designs, and operational procedures.
• Network with key contacts outside own area of expertise.
• Determine methods and procedures on new assignments and may coordinate activities of other personnel.
• Exercise judgment in selecting methods, techniques and evaluation criteria for obtaining results.
• Collaborate closely with internal stakeholders including routing, operations, science engagement, software engineering, and business operations teams.
• Coordinate with external partners such as vendors, carriers, and R&E peers to provision, modify, and optimize network services.
• Provide technical mentoring and guidance to less-experienced engineers and contribute to the development of operational processes and training materials.

Additional Responsibilities as needed:

• Exposure to or experience supporting long-haul and subsea fiber systems, including collaboration with providers on spectrum availability, wet-plant capabilities, and system constraints.
• Experience working with international or inter-domain optical systems and partners.
• Familiarity with large-scale capacity planning across heterogeneous optical infrastructures.

We are looking for:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, and 8 years of relevant networking experience, with significant depth in optical transport systems. Or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Demonstrated experience designing, deploying, and operating DWDM optical networks in production environments.
• Strong understanding of WAN and LAN technologies and protocols, including IPv4/IPv6, BGP, IS-IS, MPLS, Segment Routing, and related services.
• Experience leading technical projects, including defining scope, schedules, and budgets, and delivering results on time.
• Hands-on experience with optical transport platforms from vendors such as Ciena and Nokia (Infinera)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a collaborative, service-oriented mindset.
• Experience working in environments that use IT service management and project tracking tools (e.g., Jira, ServiceNow).
• Experience with, or interest in, Research and Education (R&E) networking and DOE Office of Science programs is highly desirable.
• Proficiency in optical system installation, configuration, testing, and troubleshooting in large-scale networks.
• Ability to conduct and interpret network diagnostic tests using optical and IP test equipment.
• Proven ability to write clear, accurate technical documentation, designs, and operational procedures.
• Familiarity with automation, orchestration, or software-assisted network operations is a plus.
• Proven ability to work independently on complex projects while contributing effectively within a team.
• Demonstrated commitment to documentation, operational excellence, and continuous learning.
• Willingness to travel occasionally for installations, upgrades, and strategic planning activities.

Additional information:

• Appointment type: This is a full-time, 2 years, term appointment with the possibility of extension or conversion to Career appointment based upon satisfactory job performance, continuing availability of funds and ongoing operational needs.
• Salary range: The expected salary for this position is $156,864 - $191,724, which fits into the full salary of $139,440 - $235,308 depending upon the candidate's skills, knowledge, and abilities. This includes education, certifications, and years of experience.
• Background check: This position is subject to a background check. Any convictions will be evaluated to determine if they directly relate to the responsibilities and requirements of the position. Having a conviction history will not automatically disqualify an applicant from being considered for employment.
• Work modality: Work may be performed on-site preferably, may consider Remote. The primary location for this role is Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA. Work must be performed within the United States.

Want to learn more about working at Berkeley Lab? Please visit: careers.lbl.gov

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer: The foundation of Berkeley Lab is our Stewardship Values: Team Science, Service, Trust, Innovation, and Respect; and we strive to build community with these shared values and commitments. Berkeley Lab is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We heartily welcome applications from all who could contribute to the Lab's mission of leading scientific discovery, excellence, and professionalism. In support of our rich global community, all qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories under State and Federal law.

Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct, are currently being investigated for misconduct, left a position during an investigation for alleged misconduct, or have filed an appeal with a previous employer.