Software Engineering Support Specialist I

Software Engineering Support Specialist I
Key Details

• Pay Rate: $21-$24 per hour
• Contract Length: 6 months
• Employment Type: W2 only (not open to H-1B, C2C, or 1099)
• Work Arrangement: 100% onsite
• Location: Herndon, VA 20171
• Schedule: Monday-Friday, regular first-shift business hours

Position Overview
The Software Engineering Support Specialist I supports datacenter and lab operations by assisting with networking equipment installation, configuration, maintenance, and end-user support. This role is hands-on and onsite, working closely with engineers and customers in a lab and datacenter environment. The position requires a strong foundation in networking, hardware, and systems support, along with the ability to manage physical equipment and provide real-time technical assistance.

Responsibilities

• Process inbound and outbound shipments of networking and server equipment
• Maintain and update lab inventory and asset tracking systems
• Install, configure, and maintain routers, switches, servers, PDUs/CDUs, and console servers
• Provide end-user support for device troubleshooting, diagnostics, and issue resolution
• Build and support small- to large-scale network topologies for customer use cases
• Assist users with building and provisioning virtual machine guests in vCenter/ESXi, KVM, and Proxmox environments
• Provide live technical support and assistance during customer presentations and demonstrations
• Support day-to-day datacenter and lab operations to ensure system availability and readiness

Qualifications

• Experience with datacenter or field technician support, including installation and maintenance of networking and server equipment
• Knowledge of physical setup and provisioning of network appliances such as switches, routers, and firewalls
• Experience handling hardware installation using power tools, cage nuts, and server lift tools
• Ability to safely lift and handle equipment weighing 50 lbs or more
• Familiarity with server hardware, including rail kits and virtual console access
• Working knowledge of Ethernet cabling and transceiver standards, including SMF, MMF, MTP/MPO, CAT6 (RJ45), DAC, and client optics
• Understanding of networking speeds and standards ranging from 1GbE to 800GbE
• Strong communication skills with professional proficiency in English
• Ability to work onsite full-time (40 hours per week)
• Willingness to travel occasionally for business needs

Preferred Qualifications

• Administrative experience with Linux distributions such as CentOS, RedHat, Debian, or similar
• Administrative experience with Windows and VMware environments
• Experience using network testing tools such as IXIA or Spirent
• Knowledge of common networking protocols, including TCP/IP, UDP, dynamic routing protocols, SSH/SCP/SFTP, DNS, NFS, LDAP, CIFS, SMTP, SNMP, and DHCP

Education

• Bachelor's degree in network communications management or a related field preferred
• Equivalent experience, including three years of field technician or datacenter technician experience, may be considered in lieu of a degree